News

When Ace Hardware’s top executive stepped on stage at the start of the co-op’s spring buying show, he had fierce words for fighting competitors: find weakness and “attack it relentlessly.” President and CEO John Venhuizen spoke March 16 to kick …

There were big crowds, busy aisles and a positive atmosphere at the Blish-Mize Spring Buying Market, which was held last weekend in Overland Park, Kansas. Customers gathered to find new products, good deals and more. “We’ve seen strong attendance,” says …

The Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) is continuing to deliver market research on the home improvement industry through a new partnership with market research firm The Farnsworth Group, according to a recent press release from The Farnsworth Group. Through this …

The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) is now compiling data for the 2017 Cost of Doing Business Study. When you submit your financial data for this year’s study, you’ll become a part of history. This year marks the 100-year anniversary of …

True Value Company today released its year-end results for fiscal 2016, which included increases in gross billings, retail comp-store sales, net margin and more. The co-op reported total gross billings of $2,073.7 million for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, up 2 percent. …

Stanley Black & Decker announced it has completed its purchase of the Craftsman brand from Sears Holdings Corp. for approximately $900 million. The acquisition, which was first announced in January, gives “Stanley Black & Decker the right to develop, manufacture and sell …

Lowe’s recently launched a virtual reality tool in its Framingham, Massachusetts, store that provides customers with a hands-on training experience for DIY projects, reports Fortune. The new tool, which Lowe’s calls the Holoroom How To, trains users how to install tile in a bathroom …

A former Lowe’s executive—who had been a potential successor for the company’s current CEO—is alleging he lost his job due to racism. Michael Jones became chief customer officer for Lowe’s in 2014, and The Wall Street Journal reported at the time that the …