Unless you’ve been living under a wi-fi-less rock for the past six months, you’ve definitely heard about ChatGPT. The AI chatbot has hundreds of functions – and there are about as many opinions on it, too. The takes have been coming fast and furious: It’s scary! It’s going to replace human workers and take our jobs! It’s making us lazy! It’s…

If you’re selling with a home improvement retailer and want to increase your sales, we’ve got some good news for you. In-store associates are a secret weapon that can help guide customers to your product, make personal connections and close the deal. They are the ones who stock the shelves, answer customer questions and are often the deciding factor in…

Another year gone – can you believe it? 2022 packed some interesting twists and turns (Wordle, anyone?), but it’s time to sit back, pour another eggnog, and watch the end-of-year lists and 2023 forecasts roll in. We’ve never been one to disappoint, so we’ve got the home improvement retail trends we’d like to see in the new year. What Market…

Seasonality is a term we use to describe the routine peaks and valleys in annual retail sales and traffic. Seasonality originated in the grocery industry where variety was tied to seasons, and timely promotion was a competitive advantage. Then, as global markets delivered year-round abundance, growing cycles became irrelevant, and retailers had to find new ways to promote variety and…

The possibility of a recession has been haunting the market since earlier this year when gas and housing prices began to rise, along with inflation. Although these factors have decreased in recent weeks, consumers and retailers alike have every reason to be wary. So what could a possible recession mean for the home improvement market and its retailers? Is the…

If you’ve walked through any big-box retailer in the last decade, you’ve probably noticed that more and more product is not on the shelf. Point-of-purchase (POP) displays are especially ubiquitous in home improvement stores where the aisles are wide and seem to invite retail merchandising. Shoppers may have mixed reviews about sharing aisle space with retail merchandising, but there are…

These days, retailers are nervous and with good reason. The COVID-19 pandemic caused consumer behavior and technology to leap forward. Many retailers are struggling, while the Amazons and Instacarts of the world have charged ahead. The Amazon effect is rippling through our economy at lightning speed. It’s changing technology, raising expectations and turning retail inside out. After the upheaval of…

If you’ve been around Porchlight for any period of time, you’ve heard the phrase, “In retail, every product has to be sold twice.” Even though most products are designed for consumers, we know all too well that retail is a B2B2C world. Before a product ever reaches a shelf, it’s been purchased by a retail merchant. For this reason, merchants…

From time to time, we all need a change. The same is true for brands. If you’re plugged into the world of branding, it may seem like there’s more rebranding happening on any given day than there is branding. Thankfully, that’s not the case. While it’s true that certain industries refresh their brands more often than others, it’s not routine…

A Simple Framework for Home Improvement Brands In the modern home improvement landscape, strategic adaptability is the name of the game. Brands are quickly learning to pivot in response to evolving consumer behaviors, which are pointing in favor of a hybrid shopping experience and one that blends retail and ecommerce in ever-changing proportions. Smart brands have embraced this omnichannel evolution,…