Research and Guides

Because the holiday season is right around the corner, consumers will be emptying their wallets at retail stores across the country. Last November and December alone, consumers spent more than $616.1 billion, according to data from the National Retail Federation. The holiday …

The North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) and Independent We Stand are offering  free marketing materials for you to promote your store’s important local economic impact to shoppers before Black Friday and the winter holidays. The materials leverage findings from a recent study, which shows …

Combining shopping and entertainment stretches the boundaries of the typical shopping experience, and is known as shoppertainment – a trend that reflects the efforts retailers are making to differentiate both large and small businesses with memorable experiences. Read more about the trend in the November …

Benchmarking and measuring your store’s performance against industry averages are vital to keeping your store competitive and on a continuous growth track. One of the industry’s best tools for benchmarking is the North American Retail Hardware Association’s Cost of Doing Business Study. This …

Consumers are connecting to the Internet in any way they can – via laptops, PCs, cellphones, tablets, televisions, sound systems and even home appliances such as refrigerators. Below is data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Computer and Internet Use in …

In the September issue of Hardware Retailing magazine, we analyzed a variety of data, including research from Houzz, the National Association of Homebuilders and other studies, to identify the main trends emerging in the outdoor living category. The main trends …

Since more and more home advancements are integrating technology, electronic gadgets and gizmos are becoming part of the overall home improvement process. This integration creates an opportunity for home improvement retailers to sell these items, such as USB outlets or cell phone …

Your business should always be growing, or it will eventually die. What questions should you ask when you think you about expansion? And which route should or can you go? These topics and more were covered in Hardware Retailing‘s October issue that …