News

Blair Douglas, past president of both the Canadian Retail Hardware Association and the North American Retail Hardware Association, died in Caledonia, Nova Scotia, Canada, on May 29. He was 65 years old. Douglas was born in Caledonia, Nova Scotia, and …

Independent We Stand is pleased to recognize Bridge Street Ashtabula in Ashtabula, Ohio, as the $25,000 winner of America’s Main Streets contest. As a top ten finalist two years in a row, voters rallied this year to push Ashtabula—population 18,311—to the top …

Visitors to spoga+gafa 2018 in Cologne, Germany, will preview the newest innovations in green and outdoor living products at the world’s largest garden trade show. Spoga+gafa 2018 is scheduled for Sept. 2-4 and will cover about 2.5 million square feet …

Lowe’s has committed to stop selling paint solvents containing chemicals linked to “dozens of accidental deaths,” The New York Times reports. The company announced May 29 that, by the end of 2018, it would no longer sell paint strippers with methylene chloride …

After closing about 400 stores in the last year, Sears has confirmed that it is set to close 63 additional locations in September. These closures include 48 Sears stores and 15 Kmarts, according to the company. The retailer published a list …

Home Depot is investing about $11 billion in “internal improvements,” including more distribution centers, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.  The Atlanta newspaper, which is located near Home Depot’s headquarters, interviewed company CEO Craig Menear about the retailer’s plans for growth. Rather than …

Do the people in your area realize that where they spend their home improvement dollars makes a significant impact on their communities? When homeowners, other DIYers and professionals shop at your store or other independent home improvement businesses, seven times …

Click the picture to download a PDF of this story. For years, Amazon has been racing to compete with and beat brick-and-mortar retailers in selling nearly every product category, while setting a breathtaking pace for sales growth. The company has also cemented …