Market Insights

The Home Improvement Research Institute's Conference examined Generational Trends, and a whole lot more. 

The equipment rental industry in the United States is expected to show significant growth of 7.3% in 2014 to reach $35.7 billion, according to the American Rental Association’s (ARA) latest forecast from the ARA Rental Market Monitor.

The revised figures, compiled by IHS, formerly IHS Global Insight and recently released by ARA, are slightly below ARA’s previous July forecast of 7.6% revenue growth in 2014 to reach $35.8 billion.

According to a new market research report titled "Landscaping Products to 2017" by ReportsnReports.com, U.S. demand for landscaping products is expected to come out of its recession slump and grow at an annual rate of 6.9% through 2017, placing the market worth at $6.5 billion in four years' time.

Heightened construction activity is cited as top driver behind this growth, coupled with energized existing home sales and a drop in office vacancy rates.

The Key Buyer Index has been on a predictable decline since August.

An article about a hardware store that eliminated the penny from point-of-sale transactions generated several comments from readers. Here’s another with an interesting historical perspective. 

Are your channels aligned for the holidays?

The State of the Nation’s Housing is, in a word, complicated.

Housing markets are showing signs of reviving, concluded "The State of the Nation’s Housing" report released by the Cambridge, Mass.-based Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. But we’re not out of the woods, yet. 

A customer satisfaction survey by J.D. Powers and Associates found that sales, delivery and installation service are slightly more important than facilities, product assortment and price when it comes to buying major appliances.