2016 Was a Great Year for DIY Retail

The holiday season is upon us, and how DIY retail will fare remains to be seen, but 2016 by most accounts has been a great year for DIY retail. The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) is estimating industry growth for 2016 to end at 5.8%. The Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) is estimating a… Read more »

Confessions of an Amazon Prime Junkie

I think my family set a new record yesterday. As we were pulling into the driveway last night after our daughter’s high school chorus concert, I looked at the house, admiring our holiday lights, and spied a package on our front porch. I laughed and told my husband that I think that brought the day’s… Read more »

Are Consumers Waiting Until After the Election to Shop?

The National Retail Federation (NRF) conducted a survey last week, and found that more than 25% of shoppers say the election will affect their spending.  43% of consumers also state they are being more cautious with their spending because of election uncertainty. Retailers are seeing this effect and are making adjustments. Target and Wal-Mart are… Read more »

Retail Spending Gathering Momentum, Strong Holiday Rebound Expected

According to the Customer Growth Partners’ 16th Annual Holiday Forecast, retail sales for the November-December holiday period will reach $632 billion. The record figure represents an accelerating 4.1% year-over-year increase in holiday sales and significantly exceeds 2015’s tepid 3.6% growth. Rising incomes and deflation in food prices, apparel and electronics are fueling the growth. “Consumers… Read more »

Lowe’s Goes Futuristic with Virtual Reality Home Improvement for Customers

Lowe’s has successfully tested the Microsoft HoloLens in its stores in Raleigh and Seattle – so successfully that it plans to expand the technology to three more yet-to-be-disclosed locations. The HoloLens brings high definition hologram images overlaid to real world surroundings. A customer can use the technology to visualize their home improvements. For example, a… Read more »

Halloween Retail Sales Should be Spooky-Good!

The National Retail Federation (NRF) annual survey reveals this Halloween should reach an 11-year high in retail spend, to $8.4 billon. US shoppers are expected to spend an average of $82.93, up $8.60 per person compared to 2015. While candy sales ($2.5 billion) are always attributed to Halloween, retailers should see an uptick in sales… Read more »