Paint & Decorating Retailer

Minwax recently announced Special Walnut as its 2026 Color of the Year, an earth-toned stain and a popular shade among customers. “With wood emerging as a key element in interior design—from furniture and flooring to cabinetry and architectural details—there’s a renewed appreciation for finishes that enhance its natural character,” says Lisbeth Parada, color and design …

More than 50% of homeowners are now taking on DIY projects, according to data from the Farnsworth Group’s Quarterly Homeowner Activity Tracker. To keep up with the influx of DIYers taking on projects like wood staining, check out these five products DIYers are looking for to help complete their projects. The Stain Pad from MaKRS …

Behr recently named Hidden Gem, a dark green with shades of blue, as its 2026 Color of the Year. As customers come to your stores looking for advice on color trends, Paint & Decorating Retailer has compiled four alternatives to Hidden Gem to help keep your customers on-trend. Stemmed Green This shade from Dutch Boy …

Paint Shield The PS2 Paint Shield from Allway Tools is a polystyrene trim guide fitted with a sonically welded 12-inch stainless-steel edge. It provides a straight, easy-to-clean cutting edge to protect molding, glass, ceilings and other non-painted areas from splatter and overpainting. The sturdy yet lightweight design maintains form under pressure and simplifies The post …

Sherwin-Williams shared its Q2 2025 financial results, showing total net sales of $6.31 billion, a 0.7% increase year over year. The company attributes the increase to higher sales in its paint store group (PSG), to selling price increases. Sherwin-Williams also posted a comparable store sales increase in its PSG of 0.8%, down 2.4% year over …

Embodying leadership, grit and a passion for the independent channel, this year’s Young Retailer of the Year honorees prove that the future of the industry is in good hands.  The Young Retailer of the Year program, now in its 29th year, identifies and promotes the next generation of aspiring independent home improvement, paint and decorating …

PPG announced the appointment of Joe Gette to senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of the company, effective January 1, 2026. Gette currently serves as vice president, deputy general counsel and secretary.  Gette joined PPG in 2005 as an assistant counsel and has served in regional operations as the lead transnational lawyer for the …

Retail spending increased in July as consumers sought out summer sales to purchase goods before additional tariffs take effect, according to the National Retail Federation’s CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. July sales in the building and garden supplies sector increased 1.32% seasonally adjusted month over month, but were down 4.11% year over year unadjusted. Total retail sales …

Behr Paint Company recently revealed its 2026 color of the year, Hidden Gem. The color is a smoky jade green, blending shades of blue and green. “Now more than ever, there’s a growing appetite for colors that challenge convention and bring an unexpected sense of wonder to everyday spaces,” says Erika Woelfel, vice president of …

A U.S. judge from North Dakota has vacated the Federal Reserve’s credit card swipe fee regulation that capped the amount banks can charge merchants for processing transactions. The ruling says swipe fees set by the Federal Reserve set the cap too high, causing financial stress for small- to mid-size retailers. The summary judgment granted was …

Valspar recently announced Warm Eucalyptus as its 2026 Color of the Year.  Warm Eucalyptus reflects a naturally restorative and serene feel, offering a calm and grounding design.  “Warm Eucalyptus is more than just a beautiful shade of green, it’s a reflection of the comfort we crave in our homes,” says Sue Kim, director of color …

The American housing market is facing a persistent shortage with home prices reaching record highs as affordability has decreased, according to an analysis by the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Eye on Housing. New home construction has not kept up with population growth and household formation, especially following the surge of demand following the …

The Sherwin-Williams Company recently announced its 2026 Colormix Trend Forecast Anthology Volume Two, the second iteration of the company’s biennial approach to the annual color trend report. This iteration focuses on color evolution and featuring four expertly curated palettes developed with both residential and commercial design in mind. The collection, organized by color families, contains …

As it continually strives to make independent home improvement retailers better and more profitable, the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) is leaning into technology to bring efficient and time-saving training offerings to the channel.  The new RetailWise program will deliver fast, high-impact two-minute training videos developed with artificial intelligence that are designed to …

Houzz Inc. recently released the first-ever 2025 U.S. Houzz State of AI in Construction and Design Report, providing a comprehensive view into the industry’s reaction to the rapidly evolving AI landscape. The report surveyed over 700 construction and design professionals, reporting broad awareness, moderate adoption and high expectations for AI’s impact. Over a third of …

PPG Industries Inc. recently released its financial results for the second quarter of 2025. Net sales in Q2 decreased 1% year over year to $4.2 billion, primarily due to business divestitures. Net income decreased 9% from Q2 2024, down to $450 billion from $493 billion. Diluted earnings per share reached $1.98 billion, a 5% decrease from …

After watching his father serve in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years and growing up in the military community, Andy Horton was determined to follow the same path for his own life. While he achieved his dreams of serving in the military, his journey wasn’t without a few bumps in the road. “Originally, I …

For many contractors, caulking is like a second arm—an item many can’t work without. DIYers are also in need of caulk products, but often need direction to know what to buy. While caulk and caulk tools are small categories by size in many paint and decorating stores, this department can make a significant impact in …

Brick-and-mortar stores are still a critical component to retailers’ growth, but a recent study from Jumpmind, a point-of-sale software platform, found that the in-store experience frequently falls short of customer expectations. The study found that while 85% of retailers say brick-and-mortar stores remain their primary growth strategy, many are still struggling to meet evolving customer …

By Luke Vander Linden, VP of Membership & Marketing, Retail & Hospitality ISAC With high volumes of daily transactions and access to customers’ personal data, such as phone numbers, addresses and credit card numbers, retailers are highly targeted by cybercriminals. Unfortunately, cyberthreats for retailers continue to rise. As brands expand their digital footprints with the …

Bringing the independent channel together in Orlando, Florida, the 2025 Independent Home Improvement Conference (IHI Conference) combined learning and leisure, sending attendees home with best practices on retail operations and insights to address current market conditions. Attendees of the event, hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and the Hardware Conference, included retailers …

The first day of the 2025 Independent Home Improvement Conference kicked off with education, networking and celebrations of the industry. During his State of the Industry address, NHPA COO Dan Tratensek shared that even though the pandemic was five years ago, the entire industry is still “shell shocked.” “We are still facing challenges that were …

Affordability challenges and economic uncertainty continue to influence the housing industry as many home buyers held off on purchasing new homes in June, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Newly built single-family home sales rose slightly by 0.6% in June, increasing to a seasonally adjusted rate of 627,000, according to data released by …

Students in the 2025 Retail Management Certification Program (RMCP) recently completed the first site visit of the year in Fishers, Indiana. Designed specifically for store owners, regional supervisors and managers, the program blends strategic leadership training, hands-on business improvement projects and real-world application to help retailers increase profitability, improve operations and build stronger teams. This …