By Steve Payne, Editor-in-Chief, Hardlines Inc. The health of the retail hardware and home improvement industry in Canada had its ups and downs both during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, industry sales declined by 3.7%, and in 2024 …
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Market Measure Evolution As you dive into this year’s Market Measure report, things might look a bit different than they have in the past, particularly when you browse the size of market numbers and the market breakdown. The numbers themselves …
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The unemployment rate rose to its four-year high of 4.6%, up from 4.4% year over year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Positively, employers added 64,000 jobs in November. Household survey data for October 2025 were not collected …
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Retail sales saw strong year-over-year growth in November, with the first half of the month posting results on track to meet the National Retail Federation’s spending forecast, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. “Retail sales showed healthy year-over-year gains in November …
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Independent retailers are coming into 2026 with a cooling renovation market and a cost-sensitive customer with a shift toward DIY. Dave King, executive director of the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI), says those pressures hit independent retailers differently than big-box …
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The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a vote of 9-3, a smaller margin than typically seen. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the panel of Federal Reserve officials responsible for setting monetary policies, dropped the interest rate range to …
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West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. recently announced it will permanently close its Augusta, Georgia, and 100 Mile House, British Columbia, lumber mills by the end of 2025 following an orderly wind-down. The decision is in response to timber supply challenges …
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In February 2025, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Mint would stop minting pennies, citing their high production cost. According to the U.S. Mint, it cost 3.7 cents to make one penny in 2024. Now, retailers across the country …
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