Articles

Prices of materials and services used in new nonresidential construction leaped nearly 21 percent in April from year-ago levels, according to an analysis of government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Read More

Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell eight points to 69 in May, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). This is the fifth straight month that builder sentiment has declined and the lowest reading since June 2020. Read More

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for April 2022 were $677.7 billion, an increase of 0.9% from the previous month and 8.2% above April 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Read More

The Home Depot reported net sales of $38.9 billion for Q1 2022, an increase of 3.8% from Q1 2021’s $37.5 billion. Read More

At the Starnet meeting in Colorado Springs, Alan Beaulieu of ITR Economics reported that the non-residential flooring market will remain strong through the middle of 2023. Read More

From the uncertainties surrounding gas availability and prices to the race to replace Ukrainian raw materials. The Italian ceramic tile industry is facing the challenge of rising costs against the backdrop of a very buoyant market. Read More

By most metrics, it was a good year for the flooring industry, with every flooring category posting growth. Read More

Consumer sentiment declined 9.4% in early May to 59.1, according to preliminary results from the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers. This represents a 28.7% decline year over year. Read More

Housing affordability posted a modest gain for average conditions in the first quarter of 2022 as a strong jump in national median income helped to offset a gradual rise in interest rates. However, home builders warn of current deteriorating conditions as a sharp jump in mortgage rates in March and April coupled with ongoing building material supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and high inflation drive up housing costs. Read More

The Tile Shop announced net sales of $102.5 million for Q1 2022, an 11.3% increase compared to sales of $92.1 million in Q1 2021. Read More