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Dutch May retail sales surge as lockdown fuels home improvement run

14 hours ago ev3v4hn

AMSTERDAM, June 30 (Reuters) – Retail sales in the Netherlands increased at the fastest rate in 14 years in May, as a partial lockdown continued to fuel a run on home improvement and interior design.

Turnover in Dutch stores was up 8.2% from the year before, the national statistics office said on Tuesday, offering a bright spot in what looks set to become the worst quarter on record for the Dutch economy.

Though stores stayed open with social distancing rules, cafes, restaurants and other public places in the Netherlands were shut from mid-March until June to contain the coronavirus, while people were urged to work from home as much as possible.

Confined to their homes, many seemed to find time for improvements, sending sales at do-it-yourself stores up 29% in May, after an already record-breaking 26% increase in April. Food stores and sellers of consumer electronics also reported double-digit sales

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Sears exploring sale of home improvement business

3 days ago ev3v4hn

By Jessica DiNapoli and Mike Spector

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Sears is exploring a sale of its home improvement business following interest from potential suitors such as private equity firms, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The struggling U.S. retailer’s Sears Home Services division has emerged as a coveted asset during the COVID-19 pandemic, as consumers embark on renovations while they stay home.

The division is one of the department store operator’s few crown jewels following its bankruptcy in 2018 and $5.2 billion sale to hedge fund manager Eddie Lampert, who was already its biggest shareholder and creditor.

Transformco, the owner of the Sears and Kmart retail chains, could raise at least $1 billion by divesting the home improvement business, the sources said. Sears has tapped investment bankers at Guggenheim Securities LLC to explore selling the business, the sources said.

Transformco could also sell a stake in Sears

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Lowes, Home Depot and Scotts Miracle-Gro

7 days ago ev3v4hn

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – June 26, 2020 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Lowes Companies, Inc. LOW, The Home Depot Inc. HD and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. SMG.

Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:

Coronavirus Feeds Home Improvement Trends: 3 Stocks to Count On

The COVID-19-induced shelter-at-home orders fueled the need for home improvement by housebound Americans, thereby driving demand for the said industry.

The home improvement space includes Décor and indoor garden, Painting and wallpaper, Tools and hardware, Building materials, Lighting et al.  Apart from essentials, retailers in this industry are witnessing solid demand for gardening and other in-house activity-related products.

Although states are reopening and people are reporting back to work, the emergence

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Coronavirus Feeds Home Improvement Trend, Stocks to Count on

1 week ago ev3v4hn

The COVID-19-induced shelter-at-home orders fuelled the need for home improvement by housebound Americans, thereby driving demand for the said industry.

The home improvement space includes Décor and indoor garden, Painting and wallpaper, Tools and hardware, Building materials, Lighting et al.  Apart from essentials, retailers in this industry are witnessing solid demand for gardening and other in-house activity-related products.

Although states are reopening and people are reporting back to work, the emergence of new cases triggers the fear of a second wave, only to remind us that the deadly virus is not going to subside anytime soon. Rather, the pandemic threat keep people confined to their homes, spurring the obvious requirement for home improvement products.

One of the leading industry players, management at Lowes disclosed that it saw very strong COVID-related demand for cleaning products along with other necessary home appliances, such as refrigerators, freezers and DIY home repair products. As

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Despite construction’s return, SF’s home improvement industry languishes

2 weeks ago ev3v4hn

Citywide

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Photo: Photocapy/Flickr

As San Francisco hits the three-month mark of sheltering in place, residents have found plenty of new ways to pass the time — including working on projects around the house.

That’s mostly been good news for local hardware stores, which have seen an uptick in sales related to household projects. But for other small businesses in the home improvement industry, the shift has come at a cost.

Spring is normally the busiest season for Tom’s Painters, a team of Sunset District-based residential painters led by the sibling team of Tom and Maria da Silva. 

At the beginning of March, the company was working at full capacity. But when the mayor’s March 17 shelter-in-place order required non-essential businesses to shut down, work came to a halt. 

The company’s team of residential painters were used to stepping into people’s homes on a daily basis. But even

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Coronavirus-Led Stay-at-Home Aids DIY & Home Furnishing: 5 Picks

2 weeks ago ev3v4hn

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live and work. Though it has dampened businesses across the globe, it has also given rise to new trends.

Data provider S3 Partners had anticipated a decline in spending on furniture and home improvement with household finances being hit hard by economic challenges posed by the pandemic. However, things have panned out in a different way. A huge number of Americans in lockdown have been spending lavishly on upgrading their living spaces, which has helped Do-It-Yourself (DIY) and homeware or home furnishing companies to flourish.

Living Space Upgrades Push Home Furnishing Stocks Higher

With lockdowns in place, people are spending more time at home. The work and study from home trend has increased demand for furniture. In fact, due to globalization, new designs and a variety of items are now available online. This has boosted growth of the home decor market further.

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Lowes, Home Depot and Scotts Miracle-Gro

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Coronavirus Feeds Home Improvement Trend, Stocks to Count on

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