Tag Archives: research

NRHA’s 2015 Cost of Doing Business Study is now available! This study has been conducted annually for the last 98 years and provides detailed financial information from hardware stores, home centers and lumber/building material outlets. This year, more than 1,000 stores …

The prices on home improvement products are growing, and so are retailers’ efforts to keep those prices competitive and retain customers. Price continues to be a key factor consumers consider when choosing where to shop. Over the years, product pricing has …

Outdoor living is a growing category for retailers, as more consumers are putting emphasis on their outdoor living areas. Homeowners are renovating and adding to their patios to create entertaining, eating and living spaces that add more functional square footage. To better …

Providing excellent in-store service is crucial to your business because competitors can often offer comparable pricing and possibly wider product selections. Good customer service is so important that 85 percent of consumers say they will go elsewhere if they visit …

The shop-local movement is sweeping neighborhoods and Main Streets across America. Many consumers are starting to understand the benefits small businesses provide their hometowns, and they are shopping at local stores for that reason. Therefore, it is important to share …

When retailers are deciding whether to add new products or replace existing lines in their stores, they consider two major factors: wholesaler support of the new vendor, and if the new vendor offers a free or deeply discounted opening order. These …

Keeping employees motivated and excited about their work is difficult. Some retailers say they have difficulty finding hard-working employees in the first place and then retaining them are even more challenging. So how do retailers find employees and promote job …

Retailers in the August issue of Hardware Retailing note that an increasing number of homeowners are planting fruit and vegetable gardens. The retailers’ customers want to know where their food comes from and enjoy the satisfaction of eating the fruit …