Articles

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.0 percent in the first quarter of 2023, according to the “third” estimate. In the fourth quarter of 2022, real GDP increased 2.6 percent. The GDP estimate for the first quarter was revised up 0.7 percentage point from the “second” estimate, primarily reflecting upward revisions to exports and consumer spending. Read More

Privately‐owned housing starts in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,631,000, 21.7% above the revised April estimate of 1,340,000 and is 5.7% above the May 2022 rate of 1,543,000, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly announced. Read More

Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in June rose five points to 55, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). This marks the sixth straight month that builder confidence has increased and is the first time that sentiment levels have surpassed the midpoint of 50 since July 2022. Read More

Construction input prices posted a 0.6% decline in May, marking the third consecutive month of reduced costs, while nonresidential construction input prices dropped 0.5%, according to new Associated Builders and Contractors analysis. Read More

"Apartment rent growth is declining fast, shifting the rental market to the tenant’s favor for the first time in years,” reports the Wall Street Journal. Read More

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.1% in May on a seasonally adjusted basis, after increasing 0.4% in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Read More

In the first four months of 2023, total U.S. imports of ceramic tile were 58.3 million square meters, a decline of 5.7% from the same period in 2022 when imports were 61.7 million square meters, according to Grosser Consulting. Read More

The U.S. housing market is short more than 300,000 affordable homes for middle-income buyers, according to a new analysis from the National Association of Realtors and Realtor.com. The country's persistent housing inventory crunch impacts middle-income buyers more than any other income bracket. Read More

Aging Population Creates Opportunities Wednesday, June 7, 2023 from Floor Covering Weekly By Sharyn Bernard Shaw’s Redefined Luxury is ideal for use in luxury… Read More

Every year brings new opportunities to attend the astonishing trade shows and other inspiring events, but there's no North American extravaganza quite like Coverings. In 2023, this must-attend event brought together over 1,000 exhibitors from all around the world – and we were once again excited to join the fun. There has often been an element of the expected in the past with porcelains having dominated the show for so long. This spring, the styles we saw were wonderfully creative, different and out-of-the-box. During our latest Coverings adventure, we were dazzled by gorgeous mosaics, tantalizing textures and so much more. Below, we’ve touched on some of the product trends from 2023 that both inspired and delighted us. Read More