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Shop Talk: NAHB on What Today's Economic Signals Mean for Housing and Home Improvement Markets

In this Shop Talk discussion, Grant Farnsworth is joined by Danushka Nanayakkara, Assistant Vice President for Forecasting at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), to examine the latest economic data and its implications for housing demand. They explore rising inflation, Federal Reserve policy expectations, mortgage rate forecasts, affordability challenges, household balance sheets, and the outlook for remodeling activity.

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Shop Talk: NAHB on What Today's Economic Signals Mean for Housing and Home Improvement Markets

In this Shop Talk discussion, Grant Farnsworth is joined by Danushka Nanayakkara, Assistant Vice President for Forecasting at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), to examine the latest economic data and its implications for housing demand. They explore rising inflation, Federal Reserve policy expectations, mortgage rate forecasts, affordability challenges, household balance sheets, and the outlook for remodeling activity.

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Home Improvement
Market Fundamentals
Building & Construction

7 Top Trends in the U.S. Siding Industry

The siding industry is evolving with innovations in sustainability, energy efficiency, and durability. Key trends include smart technology integration, customizable designs, higher weather resistance, and strategic partnerships, with steady growth projected through 2035. Stay ahead with insights into how manufacturers and professionals are shaping this dynamic industry.

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Home Improvement
Building & Construction
Market Sizing

Top 9 Plumbing Industry Trends to Watch for in 2026

Through residential housing and commercial development, as well as strong demand in the repair and remodeling sector, plumbing fixtures show steady, long-term growth from 2026 to 2030. Meanwhile, the rise of smart technology and appliances is influencing consumer preferences and the training, knowledge and tools necessary for plumbing professionals to stay ahead of the curve in years to come.

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Home Improvement
Product Development
Customer Usage and Attitude

9 Kitchen and Bath Fixtures and Faucets Market Trends in 2026

Discover 9 key trends shaping the current kitchen and bath fixtures market, from smart tech and sustainability to design and remodeling priorities.

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Product Development
Market Sizing
Home Improvement
Customer Usage and Attitude
Building & Construction

How To Leverage Pricing Research to Reinforce Your Product Lines for Customer Price Sensitivity

In the best of scenarios, a good pricing strategy serves to increase your market share, prop up your brand values, and yield favorable profit margins. With the economic and financial challenges facing both industry pros and homeowners in 2026, it’s important for building products manufacturers and suppliers to include strategic pricing strategy planning as part of their product development.

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Product Development
Market Sizing

How to Design Your Brand Health Tracking Program for Maximum Impact

From brand awareness to brand usage and brand satisfaction, these metrics are used to show a brand’s health and monitor change being impacted through marketing campaigns and product development. Learn how you can measure your brand’s health and performance, diagnose potential issues, and identify opportunities for growth in the building products industry through customized research.

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Brand Health
Data Quality
Home Improvement
Product Development

Are You Measuring the Right Thing? Why Project Triggers Beat Generic Brand Attributes

Generic brand scores don't drive decisions, but project triggers do. Karen Barnes breaks down what really matters when building products brands measure brand, where they truly win, and why.

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Brand Health
Building & Construction
Home Improvement
Lawn & Ranch

Shop Talk: 7 Key Insights on the Application of Qualitative Research for Manufacturing Brands

In this Shop Talk, Dawn McElfresh, Director of Qualitative Research with The Farnsworth Group, and Senior Project Manager Robin Graziano discuss how qualitative research is evolving and how it can provide real value to building products brands and others in the construction and home improvement space.

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Qualitative Research
Customer Usage and Attitude
Home Improvement
Data Quality

How Architects and Specifiers Are Evaluating Materials in 2026

Architects have a specific lens they utilize when designing a new construction project that impacts how they research, evaluate, select and source building materials and other products. As a manufacturer, it’s important to understand what this process typically looks like.

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Building & Construction
Customer Usage and Attitude
Product Development

DIY, DIFM, and PRO Home Improvement Trends from Q1 2026

From an industry standpoint, there haven't been any major shifts in how professionals and homeowners are approaching home improvement activities and purchasing products in the first quarter of 2026. Both groups are showing tempered optimism and a steady approach to home improvement, although challenges related to the costs of materials and labor and other financial uncertainties continue to persist.

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Home Improvement
Customer Usage and Attitude

Better Understand Your Building Product Customers

Download informative reports to keep a pulse on how your target DIYer, Contractor, Builder, and Architectural customers' purchase behaviors are changing.

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