Research and Guides

Knowing how you measure up to industry financial averages is crucial to evaluating your business. To help you benchmark your business and plan for the future, the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) has once again compiled financial data from more …

As your trade association, the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) makes it a point to be the voice of independent retailers in the industry. NRHA is giving you a chance to provide feedback on your relationship with your distributor in an effort to …

Over the past nine years, homeowners have seen extensive changes to home values as the market worked its way through the Great Recession. Recent research, however, suggests that consumers are once again investing in their homes. Market research firm Consumer …

Do you ever wonder what makes your store a customer favorite? Well, according to research from The Farnsworth Group, an Indianapolis-based market research company, consumers who list independent home improvement outlets as their favorite stores say customer service endears them to …

Many independent home improvement retailers are in their 50s and 60s, and if they haven’t already, they will soon be thinking about who will take over their businesses. The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) 2016 Young Retailer of the …

Americans are forking out more and more cash to care for and entertain their dogs, cats and other pets. In 2015, 65 percent of U.S. households—or 79.7 million homes—owned a pet, according to the American Pet Products Association. These households …

More homeowners are taking an interest in adding water elements, like ponds, both inside and outside their homes. In the August issue of Hardware Retailing, we cover unique products and services you can add to the lawn and garden department. To read …

This year, nearly 85 precent of all independent home improvement retailers say they plan on adding new products to their stores and a full 66 percent say they plan to add or expand entire categories as ways to grow topline sales and …