Home Centers

Appliance maker Whirlpool Corporation’s board of directors has appointed James Loree, president and CEO of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., to its board of directors.

The move is effective immediately, according to Whirlpool who said that Loree will serve on the board’s audit committee and the corporate governance and nominating committee.

Someone forgot to tell At Home that big-box stores are passé.

Since Lee Bird took the reins as chief executive at the beginning of 2013, the Plano, Texas-based home decor superstore retailer has been on a steep upward trajectory — and it shows no signs of losing momentum anytime soon.

Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores has opened a new Sears Appliance & Hardware location in Dallas, Texas, that will mark the debut of a smaller-format store prototype for the brand -- as well as a spate of new franchise opportunities. 

Citing market research that favors the neighborhood hardware store model, the company announced last week that the Dallas store -- which is the first new Sears Appliance & Hardware location to be built in the past decade -- will set the standard for all new locations.

Chain Store Age, a sister publication of HBSDealer, recently spoke with Kyle Nel, executive director of Lowe’s Innovation Labs, who discussed the mission and activities of the retailer’s proprietary technology development center.

There’s a new publicly traded flooring company in the industry. Atlanta-based Floor & Decor Holdings announced the closing of its initial public offering.

The company’s shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on April 27, 2017 under the symbol “FND.” In trading Wednesday, shares were at $33.51. Its initial public offering of 10,147,025 shares of its common stock at a public at an offering price of $21.00 per share closed yesterday.

Citing improved performance, Standard & Poor's announced Tuesday that it is raising its corporate credit rating for Home Depot from "A-" to "A".

Additionally, the credit ratings agency upped its short-term ratings from "A-2" to "A-1". These increasingly investment-grade ratings point to confidence in the company's ability to meet its financial commitments, with a stable outlook on the ratings.

Insurance giant State Farm is promoting Iris from Lowe’s with a $75 off coupon to customers who buy the Iris Safe & Secure Kit.

The kit, which regularly sells for $179 before the discount, helps homeowners control lights, thermostats, door locks via smartphone and tablet. It also

Installing such a system, according to State Farm, might also make homeowners eligible for insurance discounts.

This latest promotion is part of a long running partnership between State Farm and Lowe’s. “