May 3, 2010

Did You Know...

Hot Products

SCRAPER provides a new way of removing unwanted materials from any surface. The Qwikie™ Tri-Scraper™ is made from durable composite plastics. The the Tri-Scraper is safer to use than a razor blade, will not rust or corrode like a razor blade, and is strong enough to handle virtually any job. The Tri-Scraper will not mar softer surfaces like wood, dry wall, plastic, or berglass and is an ideal tool for glass cook tops and granite counters. It will not scratch your paint or glass and is a perfect choice for household, construction, marine, and automotive jobs. For more information, click here.

CABLE CLIPS AND SPIRAL WRAPS alert the user by reversibly changing colors when it senses a hazardous overheating cord set. The Chameleon Cable Clips and Spiral Wraps can help prevent property damage, equipment failures, and commercial downtime. The clips can be used on extension cords, power strips, kitchen and bath appliances, workshop power tools, computer cables and much more. For more information, click here.

TOILET BOWL RESTORER™ is an innovative product focused on cleaning your existing toilet and bringing it back to original specifications. Instant Power® Toilet Bowl Restorer™ is formulated to instantly dissolve mineral build-up in clogged flush holes, and remove stains in your toilet bowl. This allows tank reservoir water to enter the bowl faster during flushing, and you will conserve water by eliminating the need to re-flush. Toilet Bowl Restorer is also safe for use with septic systems. For more information, click here.

Selling Tip

Upcoming Events

2010 NRHA Annual Convention and All-Industry Conference

Save the Date! Join NRHA for another great convention in historic Savannah, Ga., July 19-21, 2010. Contact Diane Allen at dallen@nrha.org for more details, or visit www.nrha.org.

Headlines

	LIVE! from Las Vegas The NRHA and Hardware Retailing magazine are gearing up for live coverage from this year's National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. Instant updates, news, and video online at nrha.org/hardwareshow and on Twitter, @HardwareShow. Read more »
	Walmart Announces Plans to Open Smaller Stores Walmart is looking into opening a number of small stores in some of the nation’s cities. Read more »
	Whirlpool Reports Positive First Quarter Earnings Whirlpool reported earnings of more than $164 million for the first quarter of 2010, more than double the projected amounts. Read more »
	Judge Issues Another Verdict on Chinese-Made Drywall A federal judge in Louisiana has awarded major damages to a New Orleans couple who installed Chinese-made drywall that corroded and degraded interior fixtures and appliances. Read more »
	OSHA Issues Citation to Cincinnati Lowe's The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a Cincinnati Lowe’s for continually failing to document and report employee illnesses and injuries. Read more »

2010 NRHA Convention Video

Mark your calendars for the North American Retail Hardware Association’s 2010 Annual Convention and All-Industry Conference, held on July 19-21, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency in Savannah, Georgia. More »

Special Offer

Vermont American will be sending out 100 free reciprocating saw blade merchandisers - click here for details.

News in Brief

Utah Ace Store Receives Prestigious Award — Buck’s Ace Hardware in Hurricane, Utah, received the highest award from the Ace Hardware Corp. — the “Vision 21 Platinum” retail achievement award. Read more »

Wal-Mart to face huge class action suit — A divided federal appeals court in San Francisco says Walmart must face a massive class-action lawsuit that claims the retailer discriminates against female workers. Read more »

Target to Issue Store-only Credit Card — Target Corp. is taking the Visa out of its proprietary credit card, issuing instead a Target credit card to qualifying card applicants, the discount retailer said Tuesday. Read more »

Mortgage Rates Hold Steady at 5 Percent — The average mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed loan is sticking to just above 5 percent according to Freddie Mac. In April of 2009 the 30-year fixed rate averaged 4.80 percent. Read more »

Economy is Improving, Federal Reserve Says — Last week the Federal Reserve said that although there are signs the economy is starting to improve, interest rates won’t be increasing anytime soon. Read more »

Home Prices See First Increase in Three Years — Home prices rose in February—the first annual increase in three years. According to Standard & Poor’s/Case-Schiller home price index, home prices climbed .6 percent, although many cities are still seeing prices decline. Read more »

New Homes Sales Surge — New homes sales jumped 27 percent last month, blowing past February’s record low and beating economist expectations. Read more »

People on the Move

Home Hardware Stores Limited announced the appointment of Paul Straus, former vice-president and CEO, to president and CEO. Terry Davis, former vice-president administration and strategic planning was also appointed to executive vice-president and chief operating officer. Company Co-founder and President, Walter Hachborn, announced his retirement but he will remain as president emeritus.

Paul Straus has worked for Home Hardware since its founding in 1964. He became vice-president controller in 1978, vice-president finance and administration in 1985, and was appointed executive vice-president and general manager in 1989. He has been the vice-president and CEO since 1999.

Terry Davis joined Home Hardware in 1970. He has served in many positions such as the data services manager, vice-president marketing and vice-president dealer development. He has been the vice-president administration and strategic planning since 2007.

Hardware Retailing e-Newsletter Courtesy of NRHA. The North American Retail Hardware Association has been serving the needs of independent hardware retailers in the United States and Canada for more than 108 years. Our purpose is to help independent home improvement retailers become better and more profitable merchants. We accomplish this by providing members with a wide array of educational and training programs, financial management resources and human resource tools that are all available online with unlimited access... all for the price of your annual membership. For more information on how to become a member of NRHA, please contact Patty Bowman at 800-772-4424 or pfbowman@nrha.org.

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Dan Tratensek, Director of Publishing — dant@nrha.org
Kaitlin Foley, Assistant Editor — kfoley@nrha.org