News Briefs

Three retailers accounted for more than 50% of home improvement spending in the U.S. in 2023.

Leading the pack was The Home Depot, which captured 28.1% of spending, followed by rival Lowe’s, at 17.3%, according to a new Numerator study that provides quarterly insight into omnichannel consumer buying behavior in select home improvement categories. Amazon ranked third, capturing 15.8% of spending.

Categories that saw growth in household penetration in 2023 were household cleaners & cleaning tools (98.6% household penetration), lawn and garden (86.4%), painting supplies and wall treatments (64%) and hand tools  (50.4%).

Kitchen and bathroom, power tools and outdoor power equipment all experienced declines in household penetration and buy rate, suggesting consumers were pulling back on bigger ticket items, according to Numerator.

Other highlights from the Numerator Home Improvement Tracker are below.

•Consumer reasons for purchasing from a specific retailer included convenient location (44.2%),  best prices (43.9%) and product options/availability (36.1%).

•While most home improvement categories are still dominated by name brand products, private label brands see the largest share in hand tools (40.1%), lawn and garden (22.5%) and kitchen and bathroom (22.5%). 

•Consumers that purchased home improvement items in the past three months said they purchased items because they needed supplies for a small DIY project (33.5%), were replacing a damaged/broken item (14%) or just wanted the item (13.5%).

Pave America has established a new national sales division called Pave America National Services.

The company, a leading provider of asphalt and concrete maintenance services, said the expansion aims to provide coast-to-coast coverage for clients seeking high-quality self-perform asphalt and concrete maintenance solutions across the United States.

Pave America National Services is led by new CEO Chuck Jeffries, formerly CEO of Kansas Asphalt. Jeffries brings decades of executive leadership experience and a proven track record of success in the asphalt industry. His vision and strategic insights will drive the National Sales division forward, ensuring sustained growth and operational excellence, the company said.

"We are excited to launch our National Sales division and expand our footprint across the nation," said Tom York, CEO of Pave America. "With Chuck at the helm, we are confident in our ability to deliver exceptional service and become the preferred choice for asphalt and concrete maintenance solutions nationwide."

Pave America's National Sales division will offer a comprehensive range of services, including asphalt and concrete repair, maintenance and installation. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, innovative solutions, and a commitment to quality craftsmanship, the division aims to deliver superior results and lasting value to clients in diverse industries.

"Our goal is to become the premier choice for clients seeking reliable and comprehensive asphalt and concrete maintenance solutions on a national scale," said Jeffries. “With our talented team and commitment to excellence, we are poised to make a significant impact in the industry."

For more information about Pave America and its National Sales division, please visit paveamerica.com.

Customers at Tim Hortons restaurants in Canada can now purchase surplus baked goods through a partnership aimed at curbing food waste.

The coffee chain said that more than half of its nearly 4,000 stores in Canada are now utilizing the Too Good To Go app. Guests can use the app to purchase a selection of surplus assorted baked goods with a retail value of $15 or more for just $4.99. A Too Good To Go selection from Tim Hortons could include donuts, Timbits, bagels, cookies, muffins and other baked goods.

Founded in 2015, Too Good To Go has 90 million registered users and 215,000 active partners in 17 countries across Europe and North America. The company says it has helped to save over 311 million meals from going to waste.

The app is now available to use at stores in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and more, with additional Tim Hortons restaurants in St. John's, N.L., Halifax, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John, N.B. launching on Too Good to Go this week.

"One of the goals in our Tims For Good platform is to reduce food waste as much as possible and we're excited by the progress and learnings we've developed through working with Too Good To Go so far and we're looking forward to expanding to more Tims restaurants soon,” said Paul Yang, senior director of sustainability, procurement and packaging for Tim Hortons.

Founded in 1964, Tim Hortons operates more than 5,7000 restaurants in Canada, the United States and elsewhere.

Netflix is inching closer to making its brick-and-mortar debut.

The streaming giant is looking to open its first physical retail and entertainment destination — dubbed Netflix House — at Simon’s King of Prussia mall in King of Prussia, Pa., in a vacant two-story space that was formerly home to Lord & Taylor, reported Globe Street. 

The renovated 120,000-sq.-ft. space will offer customers an immersive experience of their favorite Netflix shows with related merchandise, food and themed live events. It is expected to be completed in time for a late 2025 opening, according to the report.

In fall 2023, Bloomberg broke the news about Netflix’s planned entry into brick-and-mortar, noting that the locations would be where fans could “play, shop and eat.” 

In preliminary plans, the King of Prussia location will reportedly feature a first floor of two large experience rooms and a 250-seat theatre. The second floor will include two smaller experience rooms and a marketplace for food and drinks.

Netflix House would not be Netflix’s first entry into retail — or dining. In 2021, the company launched an online merchandise store that sells merchandise related to its shows. And in 2022, Netflix announced it was opening in-store Netflex hubs in more than 2,400 Walmart stores nationwide. The company has also launched temporary pop-up experiences. 

In July 2023, Netflix opened its first-ever pop-up restaurant, in the La Brea neighborhood of Los Angeles. Called Netflix Bites, the temporary venue offered “an elevated dining experience” from several well-known chefs from shows on its platform.

Wegmans Food Markets doesn’t want its store employees to miss an upcoming celestial event.  

The grocer will close 46 of its stores in upstate New York and two in Pennsylvania on Monday, April 8, to allow employees an opportunity to view the total solar eclipse.  The stores, which are located in the path of the eclipse, will close for 30 minutes. 

All services, including pharmacy and Meals2Go pickup, will be unavailable during the 30-minute closure.

"The opportunity to experience a total solar eclipse comes once in a lifetime, and we don't want our employees to miss out,” said Wegmans regional manager Patrick Bourcy, according to WSTM. “We appreciate all that our employees do to help our customers prepare for and enjoy events like this, and in return, we welcome the opportunity to make this a celebratory and memorable occasion for them."

Based in Rochester, N.Y., Wegmans operates 111 stores located along the East Coast.

Martha Stewart believes women don’t have to sacrifice style while working in the garden.

Tractor Supply Company, the country’s largest rural lifestyle retailer, is launching the Martha Stewart Garden Apparel Line in collaboration with Martha Stewart, Marquee Brands and French Dressing Jeans Inc. The line will initially launch exclusively at Tractor Supply beginning the week of March 25 in 50 select stores and online.

The collection, which is launching with eight clothing items, is priced from $24.99 to $69.99. Debut pieces include a puffer vest, cargo convertible pants, a garden work shirt and more. 

“This new line of apparel reflects my passion for gardening and outdoor work, so I am thrilled to share it with consumers,” said Stewart. “With creativity and hard work at the core of gardening, this collection embraces artistry and functionality, bringing ease to those who strive to keep a healthy, beautiful garden.”

In a release, Tractor Supply noted that women’s apparel continues to be an important product category for the company, especially when it comes to gardening.

“This launch with Martha Stewart is the perfect way for us to bring fashion and function to our gardening customers, with great new styles and products our customers can’t get anywhere else.” said Seth Estep, chief merchandising officer at Tractor Supply Company. 

As of Dec. 30, 2023, Tractor Supply operated 2,216 namesake stores in 49 states, along with 198 Petsense by Tractor Supply stores in 23 states.

Marquee Brands has an extensive portfolio of brands including Martha Stewart, The BCBG Group, Ben Sherman, Dakine, Sur La Table, Body Glove, Emeril Lagasse, Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in a Pod and Bruno Magli.