Market Insights

A new white paper from Blueair points to an increase in infectious, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases.

HBSDealer readers stand fairly united against a $15/hr minimum wage hike.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index continues its bull run, led by Seattle, Portland and Dallas.

Study promotes economic benefits of shopping local for building supplies.

Government stats show sales rose 30.2% in the Northeast and 17.9% in the Midwest. 

Much has been made over the rise of the female home improvement customer, which continues to be a central fixation of hardware store remodels and even a top entry in HCN’s own “trends to watch out for” at this year’s National Hardware Show.

The name of the game is bigger, brighter aisles, easily navigable formats, appealing displays, home and garden sections – women are visual customers, the conventional wisdom seems to go, and when shopping is pleasurable, everyone wins (and buys more).

Data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) showed a decline in total existing-home sales for the month of March. 

Sales of existing-homes declined 2.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.48 million in March.

Still, economists from the NAR see signs of a stabilizing market in the figures. 

Local economies are described as “strong,” “fair,” or “weak.”