Market Insights

Arlington, Va. -- The data was flying fast and furious here at the Home Improvement Research Institute's (HIRI's) Spring Conference. 

The series of seminars carried the theme "Understanding Today's Home Improvement Industry" and kicked off Wednesday morning with a detailed examination of some unpleasant and lingering macroeconomic trends. Other charts presented by the day's seven presenters picked up where last year's conference left off by establishing a worst-is-behind-us view of the home improvement industry.

After three consecutive months of existing-home sales increases, the National Association of Realtors reported a 9.6% drop in completed transactions for February. 

The NAR's existing-home sales figure fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.88 million, compared to 5.40 million in January. The February pace is 2.8% below the February 2010 pace of 5.03 million.

If your company’s overarching online strategy sounds like this: “Integrate real-time platforms,” then your company is in trouble for two reasons. 1) The three words above were generated randomly by the Dack.com Web Economy Bulls--t Generator; and 2) Few people know what any of those words mean individually, let alone in conjunction with one another.


You gotta have a plan, in English. 


The Boa Closure System, which replaces traditional shoe strings with a durable closure system, will be featured on certain Red Wing work boots this spring. 

The Boa Closure system is tightened and loosened by a dial and is designed for comfort, safety and closure, the company said.

Unlike traditional shoelaces that can cause uneven pressure due to friction when tied, the Boa Closure System allows the lace to equalize pressure around the foot, creating a customized, glove-like-fit that never comes untied.

New York City -- The theme of the 2011 Building and Infrastructure Conference was posed as a question: "Is the recovery upon us?" 

The answer was a variation of, "well, sort of."

The Home Improvement Research Institute 2011 Spring Conference is slated for April 13 at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City in Arlington, Va.

The one-day event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will feature seven presentations connected to the theme of "Understanding Today's Home Improvement Industry."

Presenters include the Mortgage Bankers Association, IHS Global Insight, The NPD Group and Synovate. Early registration discounts are available to those who register by March 11. 

A series of snowstorms in early 2010 boosted snow blower/throwers sales past every other category of outdoor power equipment, according to research released by The NPD Group, a market research firm based in Port Washington, N.Y.

In the 12 months ending November 2010, $5.5 billion worth of outdoor power equipment items and 38 million units were sold in retail, according to NPD’s Consumer Tracking Service. These include chain saws, trimmers, mowers (walk-behind & riding), leaf blowers, pressure washers and snow throwers/blowers.

Holiday sales unleashed three years of pent-up demand during the key 2010 shopping season, according to a report from Customer Growth Partners.

Sales in the 2010 holiday period were up more about 5%, according to CGP's surveys and government data. That's the biggest year-over-year growth since 2005, when sales increased 6.1%.