Tag Archives: trends

On Dec. 11, Planalytics, a global leader in business weather intelligence, hosted the company’s annual Holiday Homestretch webcast. The webcast gave an updated analysis on the holiday shopping season at its midpoint, how weather will play a role in consumer …

Despite the fact that the recession has turned around and is showing growth in certain sectors, consumer morale remains low, which can be seen in the slow start to the holiday season. McKinsey & Company, a multinational management consulting firm, surveys …

November was a strong month in the retail sector. According to the National Retail Federation, November retail sales were up 0.6 percent from October and 3.2 percent over November 2013. This steady growth supports NRF’s forecast of a 4.1 percent …

Recently, green practices and making a home more efficient and environmentally friendly have become important to consumers. However, how many of them actually feel that they live in a healthy environment? Houzz, called the “Wikipedia of exterior and interior design” by CNN, surveyed more than 800 …

What is the newest color trend for 2015? Marsala. Picked by the Pantone Color Institute®, this reddish brown color is reminiscent of wine. In fact, the name Marsala comes from a wine produced in the city of Marsala, Italy. “This …

As the housing market continues to recover, the size of newly built single-family homes is slightly decreasing. Single-family home sizes have been on the rise since the end of the recession, and now they are tapering off for the second …

Smart home devices are making their way in to homes across the country. According to a recent study by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), “20 percent of households with broadband intend to acquire one or more smart home devices within …

Paid time off is a benefit that a majority of companies offer; yet a new study by Oxford Economics found that employees are not taking advantage of these vacation days. In 2013, Americans let 169 million days of paid time …