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Robert Isler
Addressing Rising Costs
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…
K&B Sales Challenges Grow
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…
Reality Sets In – Q2 2022 KBMI Overview
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…
K&B Recession Spending
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…
Remodeling Drivers In Today’s Environment
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…
Staying Strong In A Tough Environment
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…
The State of the K&B Industry
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…
K&B Manufacturers Face An Array Of Challenges
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…
Designers Remain Nimble In A Challenging Environment
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…
Backlogs Grow, Business Remains Solid
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…
New Buzzword For Design: Sourcing
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.
Industry Shifts in K&B
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…
Bigger Bathrooms Gaining Traction
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…
KBMI Survey Reveals Impressive Industry Resilience
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…
Top K&B Challenges For 2022
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…
Kitchen & Bath Industry Expected To Grow In 2022
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…