Robert Isler

Rising costs are a significant concern among cabinet manufacturers, but a mixture of flexibility and ingenuity is helping to make the situation more tolerable. Cost of materials and cost inflation, identified as the #1 and #2 challenges…

Although 2022 industry sales are expected to increase by 9.4% compared to last year – healthy by most standards – it is the second downward revision for the year and well below the initial call for a 19% gain. This was among the many…

Results from the second quarter NKBA/John Burns Kitchen & Bath Market Index (KBMI) study were a stark reminder that the kitchen and bath industry is not immune to overall economic turmoil. The overall KBMI for Q2 was 70.4, the lowest…

As opinions from economists regarding the possibility of a recession continue to vary widely – from relatively remote to imminent – NKBA’s 2022 midyear Kitchen & Bath Market Outlook delved into the effects of previous recessions on our…

Although the economy has seen better days, many remodeling drivers currently in place support a second straight year of double-digit K&B growth. According to the July release of the 2022 Kitchen & Bath Market Outlook, the final one…

The world has changed since the NKBA released its initial 2022 Kitchen & Bath Market Outlook study in January. Along with persistent inflation and the Fed’s decision to implement a series of interest rate hikes, mortgage rates are…

Let’s start with a brief history of lumber to understand how we got there. When the pandemic began, hardwood and softwood mills either reduced production or closed outright in anticipation of slower business or stay-at-home orders. While…

According to feedback from the Q1 NKBA /John Burns Kitchen & Bath Market Index (KBMI) report, lead times have become a significantly more significant problem in just the past quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2021, 23% of manufacturers…

Sourcing challenges, long lead times, a shortage of skilled labor, relentless price inflation, and growing customer frustration are among the myriad obstacles designers face in today’s environment and covered in the Q1 NKBA / John Burns…

Despite growing challenges, members rate the future industry outlook highest in a year; 55% said the scope of their average project had increased in Q1 versus the same period in 2021, while only 7% reported a decrease. Nearly twice as many…

The vast majority of those using new brands, 64%, are doing so because of better lead times and availability. Only 15% are switching for more favorable pricing and 13% because clients requested it.

According to the NKBA / John Burns Kitchen & Bath Market Index (KBMI) release, one of the numerous industry shifts seen within K&B is the decision by consumers to seek better quality products and materials, mainly because of the…

The National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Design Trends 2022 Report focuses on the key design drivers in the industry over the next three years. The annual report zeroes in on Kitchen and Bath, forecasting styles, colors, materials, and…

The latest NKBA/John Burns Kitchen & Bath Market Index (KBMI) report, which closed in 2021 and provided members a glimpse into 2022, is highly encouraging. After shattering records in Q2 of 2021, it appeared that robust business…

The challenges the kitchen and bath industry is expected to face this year don’t include any major surprises, and the only question is which of them will wind down and which will remain with us. The 2022 Kitchen & Bath Market Outlook…

According to the recently released NKBA 2022 Kitchen & Bath Market Outlook study, kitchen and bath revenues are expected to grow by 19% for the second straight year, an astounding feat in today’s environment. It translates into…