Last year, Chicago, Illinois celebrated the 20th anniversary of the popular “Cows on Parade,” a collection of 334 uniquely painted fiberglass cows sponsored by area businesses, painted by local artists and exhibited on sidewalks and plazas around the city. For …
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Made in USA
According to Consumer Reports, eight out of 10 Americans would rather purchase products that were made in the U.S. than ones that were imported. Due to its popularity, many well-known brands, such as KitchenAid mixers, Igloo Playmate coolers and Whirlpool …
Read More »The Comeback Kid
One of the most popular home styles selling today may surprise you. It’s not the trendy farmhouse. It’s not modern. In fact, it hasn’t been popular since the height of the ’60s and ’70s, but it is quietly making a …
Read More »Rising Home Construction Rates Boost Lumber Prices
Builders are constructing more houses now than at any time before last decade’s foreclosure crisis, and the increased construction activity is resulting in higher lumber prices, reports The Wall Street Journal. Since last June, lumber futures have risen more than …
Read More »The Pulse on Impulse Aisles
According to a CNBC article, the average U.S. consumer spends $5,400 each year on impulse buys. Data from Brandon Gaille Small Business & Marketing Advice indicates that 90 percent of people today make occasional impulsive purchases and 75 percent of those …
Read More »As Seen on YouTube?
In the 1990s, “As Seen on TV” branded products moved from the small screen to retail. During that time, many home improvement stores incorporated the products into inventory and displayed them on end caps. Around 2014, as the novelty of …
Read More »Reduce and Reuse: 4 Kitchen Products for Green Consumers
With a reduction in U.S. recycling programs due to China’s waste import restrictions on plastics and other solid materials, conscientious consumers have turned to the other two points of the environmentally friendly triangle: reuse and reduce. This trend impacted sales …
Read More »DIY Landscaping Projects Take Root
The Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) recently collected data regarding what motivates home improvement customers to tackle gardening and landscaping projects. Their data can help you strategize your inventory to best meet these customers’ needs before spring weather returns to …
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