Research and Guides

Independent home improvement retailers have a natural competitive advantage against the big boxes –they are independent. This locality allows hometown hardware stores to differentiate their product mix through the incorporation of products from local vendors, something big boxes don’t normally do. The February …

The “Retailing 101: An Overview” story in the February 2015 issue of Hardware Retailing discussed what retailers need to know about the marketing, finance, operations and human resources aspects of their business. To read the full story, click here. Once …

The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) is looking for retailers who value fresh, pertinent research on best practices and trends in the home improvement retail sector. If you fit this description, join our Retailer Research Panel. Read the instructions below …

As the shop local movement continues to gain momentum in towns and cities across America, the emphasis is being placed on small local businesses. However, a majority of these small businesses source their products from different countries or from manufacturers …

Continuous research and The Home Depot’s annual revenue have shown the company is king of the big boxes. DIYers along with pros frequent its stores, leading Home Depot to increased sales growth. But why exactly do consumers choose Home Depot …

Hardware Retailing‘s January 2015 issue analyzed the elements of a strategic plan and highlighted retailers who have implemented strategic plans in their business. To read the full Strategic Planning story click here. Now it’s time to create a strategic plan …

This month, Hardware Retailing magazine took a look at technology in the plumbing category. To read the full plumbing story click here. To help you further explore the topic, we have included extra information in our Web-only Category Selling Guide that will be produced …

North American Retail Hardware Association’s Executive Trends Survey shows that hardware retailers across the country gauge their growth in different categories on a quarterly basis, and overall, the retailers saw sales growth. The survey for November 2014 found that sales growth in …