BLOG POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR
June 2022
June 21
Opinion: Ben Stein and Smoot-Hawley
In an inflationary environment, why add fuel to the fire?
ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR
July 2022
July 05
LBM exec in the running for "Entrepreneur of the Year"
Ernst & Young names Kodiak CEO Swinney as EOY for Mountain West region.
July 05
New board member for Tractor Supply
The ‘Life Out Here’ retailer taps experience from Dick’s Sporting Goods.
June 2022
June 30
This week's top-story highlight reel
Lowe's and Builders FirstSource appear in this week's video rundown.
June 30
Eye on Retail: Target's new-look milestone
The discounter has completed its 1,000th store remodel.
June 29
One on One with Mike Farmer of Builders FirstSource
The operations executive talks about cutting-edge technology with HBSDealer
June 27
Video Showcase: Robots at the truss plant
Builders FirstSource places more orders for robotic truss systems. Watch them at work here.
June 27
Ken’s New Jersey Garage: The bathroom project
An inside-the-house demonstration of GE's Re-New silicone sealant.
June 24
The June Issue, in digital form
Our cover story on ‘Rising Retailers’ includes a look at Floor & Decor. And there's more.
June 23
The top-story highlight reel
The video recap of HBSDealer's most intriguing headlines of the week.
June 21
Take the Industry Scoreboard Survey
Is business improving? And what’s your biggest challenge?
June 17
Quikrete Industry Dashboard
Stocks and starts turn south in the latest version of the Dashboard.
June 17
The weekend highlight reel
The top three stories of the week from the digital pages of HBSDealer.com.
June 17
Armadillo: Decking built with a purpose
At Avon Plastics, a big idea is to support the good life.
June 17
Poll results: No love for Martha Stewart
Veteran pitch man Bob Vila earns plurality of votes as leading promoter.
June 14
Market insight: Freezers in focus
NPD Group's research points to fast times for the ice box.
June 13
The Home Depot Rental digs big jobs
From the source: Here’s what moving at rental centers this season.
June 12
One-on-One Video Series: Winning at “Shop Local”
Shanna West of H&H Home and Hardware shares the power of local.
June 10
Here it is: the Quikrete Industry Dashboard
The industry's statistical summary includes rising prices at the pump.
June 09
Weekend Edition: Top Three
Watch the highlight reel from the week's top stories and insights.
June 09
Eye on Retail: Tracking Gen Z spending
Move over TikTok and Facebook. A Path to Purchase Institute report.
June 07
Market insight: Appliances in demand
NPD’s numbers indicate a thirsty public for beverage-centric appliances.
June 07
One-on-One Video Series: with Jim Inglis
The former Home Depot exec shares insights from "Breakthrough Retailing."
June 06
Poll question: Bob Vila or Ty Pennington?
But wait, there’s more. Which DIY celeb is the best TV pitchman?
June 03
Quikrete Industry Dashboard: Triple play
The updated dashboard features employment, confidence and gas prices.
June 01
Former NHCN editor adds “Emeritus” to title
Don Longo served multiple industries through a long career.
June 01
Inflation? Rising mortgage rates? So what?
Home Depot makes the case for sustained growth in the face of headwinds.
May 2022
May 31
Confidence slips in May
The latest analysis from the Conference Board sees a "cooling" of purchases.
May 27
Quikrete Industry Dashboard: Stocks bounce back
The Stock Roundup shows some gains, as Wall Street snaps a losing streak.
May 26
One-on-One with Jim Inglis
The former Home Depot merchant wrote the book on ‘Breakthrough Retailing.’
May 24
VIDEO SHOWCASE: 84 Lumber's Operation Appreciation
A military veteran embraces a new mission at the lumberyard.
May 19
HD & LOW, A Q1 tale of the tape
Tracking the similarities, differences and category leaders from two big earnings calls.
May 19
The ‘Top Three’ highlight reel
Financials and a relaunch; HBSDealer's top stories of the week.
May 17
Modest Q1 gains propel HD to another record
CEO Decker describes a ‘strong start’ amid single-digit gains.
May 16
Inside Germantown Hardware
In the shadow of Orgill's headquarters, a hardware store relaunches.
May 12
VIDEO SHOWCASE: HomCo spells it like it is
Award-winning Flagstaff, Ariz. hardware store makes marketing fun.
May 06
Quikrete Industry Dashboard: Employment report
Labor force numbers highlight the latest version of the Dashboard.
May 05
'Final thoughts' on the housing economy
We asked a panel of leading economists: 'Any final thoughts?' Here's what they said.
May 02
Scenic Road makes executive moves
A new general manager and a new vice president of sales and marketing.
Apr 2022
Apr 28
Lowe’s departments, through the years
The (complicated) sequel to Home Depot's category-sales breakdown.
Apr 27
Ken’s N.J. Garage: A special double feature
Super slow-motion camera helps demonstrate speedy hand-tool innovations.
Apr 26
Stat of the Week: K&B trends
NPD Group sees sales shifting within the kitchen-and-bath category.
Apr 22
Poll results: Marijuana testing
A mixed bag of responses to our question about employee testing.
Apr 19
Depot departments through the years
Here's tracking the relative performance of Home Depot's merchandise departments over the past decade.
Apr 13
A supply chain deep dive
Solutions are in short supply, but at the ProDealer industry Summit, a panel of lumber leaders share tactics.
Apr 05
Highlights from the Summit
A delegation of pro dealers dared to speak, listen and learn in D.C.