Market Insights

“Regarding 'An interview with Manufacturer X' -- I chuckled to myself when I read this recent anonymous interview. My first question to Mr. X: Why the anonymity? Embarrassed that you probably shipped hundreds of jobs to a Communist regime bent on destroying the West and dominating the world? Strengthening a financial system already holding trillions of dollars of American debt and wielding it as a threat in negotiations with the U.S. government?

A national poll released Tuesday revealed new incentives will be needed to persuade Americans to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes.

Beginning this year, tax incentives that once rewarded Americans for energy-efficient improvements have been slashed. For many Americans, the survey found, those incentives were a prime reason for making such improvements as replacing windows, adding insulation and buying energy-efficient appliances.

Sales of new single-family houses in December 2010 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 329,000, up 17.5% from the November pace of 280,000. 

The December estimate, released jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is the highest since April 2010. That month saw a relative frenzy of buying as the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers expired April 30. 

The December new home sales figure is also 7.6% below the December 2009 estimate of 356,000.

"Marvin’s has a very customer-friendly return policy. If you buy something from us, you have the ability to return/exchange, repair or return/refund as long as you have a Marvin’s receipt. Right now, we do not have strict timelines established around returns (i.e., 30 days, 90 days, etc). We do require vendors to support our return policy as their customer, the same way we support our customers. We stand behind what we sell, and expect our suppliers to do the same.

A new report from The Freedonia Group has pegged the U.S. adhesive and sealant market for slow and steady growth over the next couple of years.

According to the study, titled "Adhesives & Sealants," nationwide demand for the market is forecasted to increase 2.8% annually to 6.4 billion pounds, or $12.8 billion, in 2019. This will primarily be driven by renewed construction activity and a widening in the scope of adhesive and sealant applications.

The summer months are typically the high points for home improvement project planning, and based on the second-quarter installment of the Home Improvement Research Institute’s Project Sentiment Tracking Study, this year doesn’t seem to be different.

The study surveyed more than 2,700 Houzz users in the U.S. who own homes and are in the midst of a kitchen renovation, have recently completed one or are planning one in the next three months. Read on to learn what people are doing with these important rooms.

A new report from Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, points to growing stability in the lawn and garden industry.

In "Lawn and Garden Equipment in the U.S., 11th Edition," Packaged Facts demonstrates how lawn and garden sales have fared since they peaked in 2005.

According to the data, sales declined by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.2% between 2010 and 2014, an improvement over the more than 1% decline between 2008 and 2012.