Research & Guides

For more than 125 years, the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) has helped retailers improve merchandising effectiveness. Through the years we’ve written thousands of magazine articles, developed merchandising-focused training programs (both online and in-person) and conducted research to …

Home main­te­nance and ser­vices are a cru­cial aspect of home­own­er­ship, impact­ing both the finan­cial and func­tion­al well-being of a house­hold. In its 2024 Home Services Study, the Home Improvement Retail Institute discovered that 35% of homeowners hired professionals to complete …

In the North American Hardware and Paint Association’s (NHPA) educational curriculum, students are taught the basics of the retail sales equation, which states there are only four ways to generate sales for a home improvement retail stores: Increase average transaction …

This is one of a series of case studies into why training is important and the tangible results it can have on your business. Click here to read other case studies. Of all the excuses for not training, “We’re just …

By Luke Vander Linden Vice President of Membership Retail & Hospitality ISAC (RH-ISAC)   Today, 81% of IT and security professionals feel at least “somewhat” prepared to handle a cyber incident, per the 2024 CDW Cybersecurity Report. But with steep …

Measuring how independent home improvement operations are performing throughout the year helps the entire channel understand how they compare to the industry at large and how to use that data to make incremental improvements to their operations. Since 2022, the …

By the Home Improvement Research Institute It’s time to focus on how smart home, HVAC and electrical systems work together in the retail space. The Home Improvement Research Institute’s (HIRI) Project Decision Study reveals that under the broad project umbrella …

Every year, the National Retail Federation ranks the retail industry’s fastest growing companies based on year-over-year retail sales. The 2024 list suggests finding ways to save is still a priority for consumers as five of the top 25 companies are …