News

This year, downtown Lynden in Washington state was the grand prize winner of a contest that celebrates American downtowns. In 2017, your city could be next. Watch for news from Independent We Stand, an organization that exists to support locally owned businesses, about the second-annual America’s Main …

Over the past nine years, homeowners have seen extensive changes to home values as the market worked its way through the Great Recession. Recent research, however, suggests that consumers are once again investing in their homes. Market research firm Consumer …

For more than 50 years, Jim White, owner of Boyne City Hardware in Boyne City, Michigan, has been working in the hardware industry. And unlike many retailers who grew up in the business, Jim got into the hardware business before his dad …

At the Hardware Distribution Warehouses, Inc. (HDW) 2016 Fall Dealer Market in Little Rock, retailers found good deals on inventory and inspiration for generous giving. HDW Unites Retailers to Support Veterans The market’s theme was “Honoring America’s Veterans,” and attendees donated nearly $18,000 to …

The devastating floodwaters in Louisiana that killed more than a dozen people and heavily damaged thousands of homes and businesses in mid-August inspired a flood of another kind. Residents, businesses, churches and other organizations organized an outpouring of generosity. Home improvement retailers reacted quickly, …

From new products to concept stores to promotional areas, the Orgill Fall Dealer Market had a lot to offer retailers. The buying show was Aug. 25-27 at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas. “It’s been a good show,” says …

For big box retailers Home Depot and Walmart, the pressure to compete against  Amazon is huge. One way brick-and-mortar businesses are stepping up against the e-commerce giant is by using physical stores to their advantage. Using Physical Stores to Compete …

Since launching Walmart Pay in early July, Walmart has been struggling to get its customers on board with the app—an issue that hasn’t been as big a problem for other chains. Recent research shows that 5.5 percent of consumers would …