Home Centers

Sales to pros are growing faster than sales to consumers at Lowe’s, which recently reported a fourth quarter sales gain of 5.6%.

According to Chief Customer Officer Greg Bridgeford, the Mooresville, N.C.-based retail giant sees an opportunity to capitalize on the pro market.

The Home Depot and Lowe's are adjusting their lineups in their appliance assortments. At Home Depot, Samsung joins the fray, while Lowe's introduced LG.

At Home Depot, Samsung Electronics America products will be available to be ordered in store locations nationwide and on Homedepot.com beginning Dec. 9. "Adding Samsung's line of home appliances to the roster really bolsters our offering to meet the growing needs of our consumers," said Bob Baird, merchandising VP.

RSI is recalling four models of Glacier Bay-branded bathroom medicine cabinets, sold exclusively at Home Depot between August and October of 2013.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the mirror on the back panel has demonstrated a tendency to fall out, posing an injury risk to consumers.

There have been two reported incidents of the mirror detaching and falling out, though no injuries have been reported.

Home Depot chairman and CEO Frank Blake addressed the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business on Oct. 25, joined by his son, Home Depot district manager Frank Blake Jr., who also serves as an adjunct professor in the School of Business' Executive M.B.A. Program. The senior Blake spoke as part of the business speaker series at the Charles G. Thalhimer Family Executive-in-Residence program.

The Home Depot reaffirmed its fiscal guidance for 2013, as well as updated its 2014 financial outlook, wherein the company now expects to meet a 2015 profitability goal a year earlier than expected.

The company had originally announced an operating margin goal of 12% in June 2012, as well as a 24% reutn on invested capital goal, for the end of fiscal 2015. According to the statement released Wednesday, Home Depot expects to reach these benchmarks by the end of fiscal 2014. 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced its opposition to the proposed acquisition of G. Gay & Co, a three-unit chain of hardware stores in Ballarat, Victoria, by the Woolworths/Lowe’s retail joint venture.

Andersen Windows launched a website, andersenhomedepot.com, for the Home Depot. The company says the site offers visualization capabilities that make it easier for customers to select Andersen windows sold through the retailer.

“The website was first launched in May 2013 and now gives The Home Depot customers the ability to easily design a window using all the exterior options offered across multiple product lines,” said Steve Mog, VP and general manager of The Home Depot Group for Andersen.

The future is now: Lowe's is leveraging virtual reality headsets in a partnership with Microsoft's HoloLens.