Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI)

In today's unpredictable market, staying ahead is more crucial than ever—especially in the home improvement industry. With channel shifts, evolving customer behaviors, and changing market dynamics, having access to the right data is key to making informed decisions. Here’s the good news: HIRI Membership gives your entire team access to $1,000,000 worth of market research insights for literal pennies on the dollar. Download HIRI's Pricing Guide for details: https://hubs.la/Q039KSFP0 The opportunity cost of waiting to join will continue to grow. Equip your team with the insights they need to stay ahead of the competition and navigate today's shifting landscape of today. ?? Get High Impact Research: Adapt to industry and customer behavior changes with valuable insights. ?? Actionable Insights to make smarter decisions and accelerate growth. ?? Comprehensive Data: Analyze customer behaviors, channel shifts, and product trends specific to your business case with the raw data from over 40 studies per year. ?? Invest in the Success of the Home Improvement Industry: HIRI is a non-profit and operates like a co-op, meaning every dollar invested by a member goes exponentially farther to fund market research that will impact the growth of the home improvement industry. ?? Download HIRI’s Pricing Guide for more details on annual membership dues and how to join: https://hubs.la/Q039KSFP0

With dynamics changing weekly right now, you need to stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly changing home improvement market. Join us March 19, 2025 ?? to hear from S&P Global on key insights on the US economy and industry forecasts. ?? You’ll hear about: - U.S. macro-economic indicators impacting home improvement - Current home improvement market drivers - Home improvement's 5-year growth forecasts Don’t miss out on these key insights—register here: https://hubs.la/Q039K8TS0

Our January 2025 Quarterly Contractor Business Sentiment Tracker shows that top concerns for remodelers moving forward over the next year are material costs and the economy, with labor and product availability showing up next on the list of concerns. Jennifer Castenson has compiled her thoughts on additional factors influencing remodeling demand here: https://lnkd.in/eyhjdvXb Eric Lynch, M.S., CBE, CSSGB, Dave King

Technology is transforming the home improvement industry, but not all contractors are adopting it at the same pace. Our latest research reveals: ?? 70% of contractors update their technology annually or more. ?? High costs & satisfaction with the status quo remain key barriers to adoption. ?? Over half of contractor firms plan to invest in new technology this year, prioritizing mobile apps, AI-powered tools, and estimating software. ?? Looking for more insights on how contractors are using (or resisting) technology? Check out our new infographic for a deeper dive into the trends shaping 2025. https://hubs.la/Q036-P2s0

Thank you to Slice? by FNBO for hosting Dave King at your booth during the 2025 NAHB International Builders' Show (IBS). It was an honor to share an overview of current market dynamics and the forecast for the home improvement industry. We appreciate everyone who attended and engaged in the discussion. Excited for what’s ahead as we continue navigating the evolving landscape of the home improvement market. Jennifer Castenson, Brian Anderson, MBA, Grant Farnsworth, Pam Heidel

SAVE THE DATE: October 22-23, 2025 is your chance to get a comprehensive understanding of current changes impacting the home improvement market at the HIRI Summit. This conference gives you access to a curated lineup of leading home improvement experts who offer advice and knowledge on all things in the home improvement industry. Registration for HIRI Summit 2025 will be open soon. Stay tuned!

Over-all, there were sev-er-al pos-i-tive spend-ing pat-terns and signs of home improve-ment activ-i-ty in 2024 that are expect-ed to con-tin-ue in 2025, as cap-tured in our Quar-ter-ly Home-own-er Project Activ-i-ty Track-er. ?? Dis-cre-tionary moti-va-tions for under-tak-ing projects?—?such as home enjoy-ment and improved qual-i-ty of life?—?increased dur-ing this peri-od. ?? Eco-nom-ic, finan-cial, and polit-i-cal anx-i-eties eased post-elec-tion, with improved per-son-al finances in Q4. ?? How-ev-er, home-own-ers remain cau-tious, with infla-tion-ary pres-sures still top of mind for homeowners. Read more: https://hubs.la/Q036vrFP0

Want to know how market conditions, interest rates and the health of the housing industry are shaping contractor operations? HIRI’s Quarterly Contractor Business Sentiment Tracker provides current insights into the challenges and opportunities contractors face today. For example, fully 3 in 4 contractors now project revenue growth throughout 2025 - showing optimism amid ongoing industry changes. As 2025 approaches, understanding these shifts is essential for home improvement professionals looking to plan strategically for the year ahead. HIRI members enjoy exclusive access to the entirely of this valuable report and each quarterly update. Not a HIRI member yet? Book a consultation to learn more about the research you'd gain access to: https://hubs.la/Q0356F1D0

A staggering number of home improvement pros—or 96%—are overwhelmingly aware of the Good-Better-Best approach that brands use in the building products industry. Although this awareness is highest among those involved in new construction or mechanical work, HIRI researchers found that the awareness never falls below 90% for any major work category. Additionally, when referencing the building products brands that they frequently use, about 82% of pros list brands who use the GBB approach. This is especially true for new construction contractors. Most Pros using brands that offer GBB options say the brand communicates their approach well, and emphasize how valuable this is. There’s a strong opinion that brands using a GBB should establish clear quality standards and be clear about the differences between product tiers. Our team did a deep dive into Pro Attitudes on Good-Better-Best Product Offerings, which HIRI members can download in full here: https://hubs.ly/Q02_WxTh0

HIRI research has uncovered that, when it comes to purchasing decisions, brand reputation outweighs factors like price, availability, and product quality—especially for pro customers. Pro customers are especially sensitive to this attribute and altering it in one direction— going from a poorly rated brand to a highly rated brand, for example—has an overwhelming influence on preferences. While improving brand reputation can be challenging and requires a long-term strategy, it's crucial for product manufacturers and retailers aiming to influence pro customer attitudes. Gain more insights when you download the 2024 Pro Attitudes of Good-Better-Best Product Offerings Study as you inform your short term and long term go-to-market strategies: https://hubs.ly/Q02_WszL0