Articles, videos, and case studies from the team building the most-trusted category data for Home Depot, Lowe’s, and beyond.
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Homewerks Worldwide and Datavations have entered a multi-year strategic agreement integrating SKU-level commercial intelligence into Homewerks' retail workflow — enabling a proactive market stance and stronger relationships with key retail and professional channel partners.
Read the announcement →
Soils grew to $764M at Home Depot and Lowe's combined, but growth bifurcated sharply: Lowe's surged 7.2% (+$22.3M) while Home Depot flatlined (−0.3%). This deep dive covers the category split by retailer strategy (Lowe's pushing Garden soils for velocity, Home Depot testing Specialty for margin), Miracle-Gro's opposite trajectories (−5.6% at HD, +12% at Lowe's), and the geographic signal showing South/Southeast strength while larger Western markets declined 3–4%.
Fiberglass still holds 61% of the $1.7B residential insulation shelf at Home Depot and Lowe's, but it gave back $84M as buyers shift to higher-performance materials. This deep dive covers the 4.7% category decline, mineral wool's 14% growth at Lowe's, foam board as the lone growth segment, and the shelf-productivity math now favoring mineral wool ($33 per unit vs $28 for fiberglass).
Bathroom Sink Faucets is a $238.8M category where Home Depot and Lowe's run almost opposite shelves. Home Depot takes 57% of dollars with a private-label, centerset mix at a $46 average, while Lowe's runs a $59 average with far more widespread SKUs. This deep dive covers brand share by retailer, Home Depot's Kohler-up/Moen-down shift, price bands, and the North Carolina exception where Lowe's outsells Home Depot 4 to 1.
Breaker Boxes revenue fell 6.6% to $27.9M at Home Depot as units dropped 16.4%, but the real story is a brand handoff, with GE down 87% and ABB up over 1,000% following its acquisition of GE Electrical. This deep dive covers brand share (Square D holds more than half), SKU winners and losers, inventory health, and out-of-stock losses.
At Lowe's, a leaner air filter shelf beat Home Depot's wider one. Lowe's trimmed SKUs from 318 to 288 and lifted sales per SKU about 8%, while Home Depot's near-flat assortment saw units fall about 10%. This deep dive covers the opposite shelf strategies and how Filtrete (about 97% of Lowe's units) rebuilt the category with a disciplined trade-up.
Composite decking fell about 10% year-over-year to $53.5M at Home Depot and Lowe's, even as prices rose and Lowe's added shelf space. This deep dive unpacks the demand-driven decline (roughly 228,000 fewer boards), TIMBERTECH's Home Depot exit, DECKORATORS' 138% surge, and how TREX held as the anchor brand.
Concrete Repair grew 6.9% at Home Depot and Lowe's in Q1, from $29.3M to $31.3M, and almost all of it came from price, not units. This deep dive breaks down the price-led growth, Lowe's closing the retailer share gap, QUIKRETE's flat-unit revenue gains, and DAP's 55.6% breakout.
The power drills category saw $124.9M in sales with 20 weeks of inventory across major home improvement retailers. This deep dive covers inventory concentration by state, brand market share shifts, and geographic performance breakdowns for Q1 2025 vs Q1 2026.
Joint compound in-store sales declined 12.1% nationally, with the South driving the steepest regional drop. This deep dive breaks down retailer market share, brand performance, and inventory trends across Home Depot, Lowe's, and Menards.
A candid conversation with Jay Steinfeld, Blinds.com founder and former Home Depot board member, on the blind spots brands miss in the big boxes and what the data says about closing them. Two sessions: Tuesday, August 11 at 11:00 AM EST and Thursday, August 13 at 2:00 PM EST.
Homewerks Worldwide and Datavations have entered a multi-year strategic agreement to integrate SKU-level commercial intelligence into Homewerks' retail workflow. By adopting Datavations' Merchant Enablement Platform, Homewerks gains real-time visibility into shelf dynamics, assortment planning, competitive pricing, and supply chain vulnerabilities — enabling a proactive market stance and stronger relationships with key retail and professional channel partners.
Datavations, the leading strategic intelligence provider for the building materials and home improvement industries, today announces the successful close of its Series A funding round, securing $17 million in new equity capital.
Datavations.ai, a leader in innovative analytics solutions, is proud to announce the appointment of Jay Steinfeld as Chairman of the Board.
We believe we are building the platform that enables an entire industry to take advantage of the power of AI and data to improve the way retailers and suppliers collaborate.
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Datavations, Inc., a leading developer of market research software utilizing proprietary datasets, announced that Peter Greene has joined the company as its Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).
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Phil Odelfelt, Founder & CEO of Datavations, recently joined our podcast The Fundraising Debrief following his successful $4.2 million seed raise
Datavations, a Glen Cove, N.Y.-based provider of retail analytics tools, was seeded with a $4.2 million investment co-led by Nevcaut Ventures and Sage Venture Partners.
Datavations, a Glen Cove, N.Y.-based developer of market research software utilizing proprietary datasets, raised $4.2M in Seed funding.
In New York, analytical software developer Datavations, Inc. has closed a $4.2m seed round, with which it will scale its suite of retail analytics tools.
Datavations, a NYC-based developer of market research software utilizing proprietary datasets, raised $4.2M in Seed funding.
Datavations, a leading developer of market research software utilizing proprietary datasets, announced a $4.2 million Seed funding round.
Datavations, Inc., a leading developer of market research software utilizing proprietary datasets, announced it has closed a $4.2 Million seed round, bringing total capital raised to $5.5 Million.
Product Line Reviews have always mattered — but in 2026, the bar is higher, the margin for error is smaller, and retailers expect a lot more than a brand-centric narrative and a static SKU list. In this webinar hosted on February 10, 2026, Datavations' Peter Greene (Head of Strategic Business Development) and Phil Melson (Head of Customer Success) walk through a new playbook for approaching PLRs — one built around retailer outcomes, data-backed recommendations, and a clear, defensible story that merchants can actually act on.
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Tariffs are creating new challenges — and opportunities — for the building materials and home improvement industries. From lumber costs that could add $10K to a new home to contractors citing tariffs as their most disruptive external risk in 2025, the stakes have never been higher. Join us on October 6th at 1 PM EST for an insightful webinar featuring Peter Greene, Head of Strategic Business Development and Phil Melson, Head of Customer Success at Datavations. Discover how SKU-level data reveals which categories and retailers are most exposed, how consumer and contractor behaviors are shifting, and what steps manufacturers and distributors can take to navigate the turbulence. Walk away with actionable insights and strategies to prepare your teams and supply chains for 2026.
Datavations webinar hosted by the Home Improvement Research Institute. Understanding the relationship between Pro and DIY products is crucial for manufacturers looking to stay competitive in a changing market. View the HIRI Hosted webinar, featuring Peter Greene, VP Strategic Business Development and Melisse Sullivan, Innovation Lead at Datavations. Discover how to utilize SKU-level data to pinpoint pro-oriented products and enhance support for high-value professional customers.
Store-level intelligence helped a leading manufacturer identify and capture $120M in untapped demand across underserved store locations.
A national brand used location-level competitive data to grow market share by 15% and secure the Bay Captain role at a major retailer.
Data-driven pricing optimization using SKU-level price intelligence led to a 20% gross margin improvement for a major building materials manufacturer.
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The soils category grew 2.9% to $764M in Q2 2026, but that headline masks a retailer divergence. Lowe's surged 7.2% while Home Depot flatlined at −0.3%. The difference isn't demand — it's strategy. Lowe's is pushing volume through garden soils for DIY customers; Home Depot is moving assortment toward specialty and premium segments. Two retailers, same category, completely different playbooks.
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Home Depot's framing lumber sales grew 3x faster than Lowe's in Q2 2026, yet Home Depot achieved this with fewer stores. The divergence reveals two opposite playbooks: Home Depot wins through customer conversion and sales intensity, while Lowe's wins through distribution expansion. For manufacturers, this distinction should reshape where you allocate assortment and supply priority.
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Lowe's Q2 comps look flat at +0.2%. But dig into the categories and you see a stark divergence: framing lumber +3.75%, drywall −9.9%. This signals contractor strength and DIY pullback. What's driving the shift? New analysis on what this means for manufacturers. Read the breakdown.
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Home Depot's Q2 earnings reveal that comp sales growth masks a bigger story: bundling. Customers are buying more categories per trip, driving higher average tickets despite flat transactions.
Residential insulation generated $1.7 billion across Home Depot and Lowe's in the trailing year ending May 2026, down 4.7% year over year. But the decline is not uniform — it is a material shift. Fiberglass batts, still 61% of the category, gave back $84 million. Mineral wool grew 14% at Lowe's and foam board gained at Home Depot. The two largest retailers are moving in opposite directions, and that divergence is the real story for manufacturers.
Bathroom sink faucets generated $238.8 million across Home Depot and Lowe's in Q1 2026, but the two retailers are running almost opposite shelves — different price points, different mount mixes, and a completely different brand order. Manufacturers selling into both need a retailer-specific strategy, not a national one.
Breaker box revenue at Home Depot fell 6.6% in Q1 2026 to $27.9 million, with units down 16.4%. But the decline is not broad demand softening. Almost the entire drop traces back to a single brand handoff that has been working through the shelf for years — and it is finally showing up cleanly in the sell-through data.
Lowe's cut 30 qualifying air filter SKUs from its shelf between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026, from 318 down to 288, and held sales flat. Sales per SKU rose 8%. Home Depot kept its shelf wide at roughly 389 SKUs, lost unit velocity, and saw sales per SKU fall 10%. Same category, opposite shelf strategies, opposite results.
Composite decking boards generated $53.5 million across Home Depot and Lowe's in Q1 2026, down $5.8 million or 9.8% year over year. Units fell 10.7% — roughly 228,000 fewer boards walking out the door. But average selling prices actually rose at both retailers. This is not a pricing problem. It is a demand and velocity story.
Concrete repair products generated $31.3 million across Home Depot and Lowe’s in Q1 2026, up 6.9% from $29.3 million the prior year. But units were essentially flat. The growth came almost entirely from price — consumers traded up to mid-tier products while the budget and premium ends of the shelf both declined. This is a price architecture story, not a volume story.
The power drill category contracted at Home Depot and Lowe’s in Q1 2026, but the topline number hides the real story. Voltage platforms reshuffled, brands diverged dramatically, and entire segments effectively exited the shelf. A category that looks "down a bit" at the surface is actually undergoing a structural assortment shift that manufacturers need to see at the SKU level to act on.
Joint compound sold $185 million across Home Depot and Lowe’s in Q1 2026, down 7% from $199 million the prior year. The headline looks like a soft quarter across the board. It is not. The South accounted for 51% of the total decline, Florida alone drove 68% of the South’s losses, and one state — Kentucky — grew while everything around it contracted. The national number buries the regional dynamics that actually matter.
The product line review has changed. Retailers no longer accept brand-centric narratives built on directional insights and gut feel. They expect SKU-level recommendations backed by cross-retailer data, tied directly to their category growth goals. Suppliers who walk into a PLR without that level of preparation are walking in unprepared — and in a market shaped by margin pressure and tariff uncertainty, there is no room for error.
This winter, the Datavations team is heading to World of Concrete, IRE, AHR, and IBS/KBIS. Find where to connect with our team and see how store-level intelligence is transforming the building materials industry.
DeWalt’s dollar share of the drill category at Home Depot and Lowe’s jumped from 30.3% in September 2025 to 35.3% in November — a 5-point gain in a single quarter. Ryobi moved in the opposite direction, falling from 22.0% to 17.2%. That simultaneous swing between the two largest brands reshapes the competitive math for every manufacturer on the shelf.
Home Depot's Q3 earnings show comparable sales declining 3.5% with big-ticket categories slowing. But the headline masks a bifurcated market where granular, SKU-level data reveals opportunities that aggregate numbers miss entirely.
Swiffer's dollar share of the duster category at Home Depot and Lowe's fell from 39.9% in August 2025 to 33.9% in October — a 6-point decline in one quarter. Swiffer still leads and holds the top-selling SKU at 18.6% dollar share, but the gap is closing fast. Quickie, Unger, and Harbor Breeze all gained ground, turning a one-brand category into a competitive shelf.
One brand holds more than half the wood siding category at Home Depot and Lowe’s. Plytanium commanded 51.8% of dollar share as of November 2025, with three of the top five selling SKUs. LP, the second-largest brand, dropped from 24.8% to 20.0% in just three months. In a category this concentrated, small share movements carry outsized consequences for every manufacturer on the shelf.
Moen edged ahead of Delta in the kitchen faucet category at Home Depot and Lowe's through Q3 2025, climbing from 24.3% to 25.4% dollar share while Delta held flat at 23.4%. Meanwhile, Glacier Bay quietly gained to 20.3% and placed three of the top five best-selling SKUs — all priced under $100. The category's competitive picture is a two-tier race: premium brands fighting for the top spot and a value brand dominating the best-seller list.
Tariffs in 2025 have reached their highest levels since 1933, adding roughly $2,200 in annual costs per U.S. household. Building materials are not absorbing this evenly. Lumber is up 19% year-to-date, power tools have seen price increases on 63% of SKUs — nearly double last year’s rate — and retailers are responding with SKU rationalization, inventory prebuild, and selective increases. The impact is category-specific, and the suppliers reading it at the SKU level are the ones navigating it.
Armstrong Ceilings controls 62.1% of the ceiling tile category at Home Depot and Lowe's as of September 2025, holding three of the top five best-selling SKUs. USG, the only other major brand, dropped from 31.0% to 28.9% in a single quarter — a 2.1-point decline in a category where two brands account for roughly 91% of all sales. When the shelf is this concentrated, every share point USG loses goes almost directly to Armstrong.
Grip-Rite's dollar share of the nail category at Home Depot and Lowe's dropped from 53.9% in June 2025 to 32.5% in August — a 21.4-point collapse in a single summer. The brand that held majority control of the category three months earlier now sits below a third. No single competitor replaced it. Instead, the share fragmented across at least eight brands, turning a one-brand category into one of the most contested shelves in building materials.
The biggest shifts in building materials for August 2025. From revenue swings to pricing trends and stockout losses, see which categories rose and fell across major retailers.
July 2025's most notable shifts across building materials and home improvement. Discover what's rising, what's falling, and where suppliers should focus to capture missed revenue.
Planters made from recycled materials are gaining shelf space and market share at major retailers. Data shows consumer demand for sustainable products is reshaping the category and creating real competitive advantages.
Deckmate controls 45.6% of the deck screw category at Home Depot and Lowe's as of Q2 2025 and holds four of the top five best-selling SKUs. All four are variations of the same product — a #9 x 3 in. Tan Star Flat-Head Wood Deck Screw — sold in different pack sizes from $10.66 to $106.43. It is a masterclass in pack-size strategy: one product, multiple price points, nearly half the category.
One brand lost $1.5M in grass seed revenue during the off-season due to inventory gaps. Regional SKU-level data reveals how seasonal stockouts silently erode market share when competitors stay stocked.
Datavations announces a $17M Series A to scale store-level intelligence beyond retail into distribution and emerging channels. The next chapter in democratizing market data for building materials manufacturers.
Lifeproof's dollar share of the vinyl flooring category at Home Depot and Lowe's climbed from 49.5% in April 2025 to 56.3% in June — a 6.8-point gain in a single quarter. The brand holds three of the top five best-selling SKUs, all waterproof click-lock vinyl tile priced between $57.91 and $58.26 per case. Every other major brand in the category lost share over the same period.
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Roofing supply sales peak July through October, but common inventory mistakes cost suppliers millions in missed revenue. Five data-backed patterns that separate brands capturing seasonal demand from those losing it.
Tariffs are reshaping pricing strategy across home improvement categories. See how building materials manufacturers and retailers can use real-time pricing data to navigate uncertainty and protect margins.
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At IBS/KBIS 2025 in Las Vegas, Datavations recognized standout brands leveraging store-level intelligence to drive measurable results. Highlights from the 2024 Excellence Awards ceremony.
Milwaukee's dollar share of the power tool combo kit category at Home Depot and Lowe's surged from 43.8% in November 2024 to 51.9% in January 2025 — an 8-point gain in a single quarter. DeWalt moved in the opposite direction, dropping from 33.5% to 26.0%. The holiday season reshuffled this category decisively in Milwaukee's favor.
Oregon controls 49.1% of the chainsaw chain category at Home Depot and Lowe's as of January 2025, up from 46.9% in November. In a category with at least ten competing brands, one aftermarket chain manufacturer commands nearly half of every dollar spent. Husqvarna sits second at 13.4%, and no other brand breaks above 11%.
DAP controls 49.0% of the caulk category at Home Depot and Lowe's as of January 2025 and holds four of the top five best-selling SKUs. All four are 10.1 oz. tubes priced between $3.83 and $6.09 — a value-tier lineup that covers interior paint prep, exterior trim sealing, and general-purpose caulking. The only non-DAP product in the top five is GE's Advanced Silicone 2 at $10.80, more than double the price of DAP's leader.
The relationship between price changes and market share is not consistent across building materials categories. In roofing, GAF and Owens Corning raised prices and gained unit share. In front doors, lower average selling prices in 2024 did not boost units. In drywall, expanding a single SKU to 5% more Lowe’s stores is a $23 million opportunity. Assortment, price, and inventory interact differently in every category — the manufacturers who see that at the SKU level are the ones growing.
Datavations' proprietary PROpensity Index applied to the caulk and sealants category. A HIRI-hosted webinar demonstrating how transaction-level data reveals competitive positioning and growth opportunities.
Tapcon holds 58.3% of the masonry anchor category at Home Depot and Lowe's as of October 2024 — and all five of the top-selling SKUs. Every one is a hex-washer-head concrete anchor in a different length or pack size, priced from $23.80 to $52.20. No other brand appears in the top five. In a category with at least fifteen competing brands, one name controls the shelf.
Stanley controls 33% of the tape measure category at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Menards as of October 2024, holding four of the top five best-selling SKUs. Milwaukee, the clear number two, dropped from 24% to 22% over the same quarter while Stanley climbed from 31% to 33%. The FATMAX line alone generates more than 15% of total category dollars.
The multi-position ladder category at Home Depot and Lowe's belongs to exactly three brands: Gorilla, Werner, and Little Giant Ladders. Together they hold virtually all category dollars, with no other brand registering meaningful share. Gorilla leads at 37.0% as of October 2024, Werner holds 25.4%, and Little Giant sits at 37.5% — a near-perfect three-way split that left no room for anyone else on the shelf.
Pros account for nearly half of Home Depot’s dollar sales and nearly a third of Lowe’s, yet most market data blends both segments into a single number. Datavations’ proprietary propensity index separates the two — and the results challenge assumptions. Power tools, widely considered a pro category, actually falls on the DIY side of neutral. Bathtubs and showers skew heavily pro. And within a single category like rotary hammers, one brand’s products can index 30% higher for pro affinity than another’s based on features alone.
Delta holds 23% of the bathroom sink faucet category at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Menards as of July 2024 — yet Moen's Genta Single Handle in Matte Black at $120 is the single best-selling SKU at 1.4% dollar share. Moen sits second at 20%, and Glacier Bay third at 15% with three of the top five SKUs priced between $27 and $40. The category is one of the most stable in plumbing, with no brand moving more than a point all quarter.
Kohler controls 36% of the toilet category at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Menards as of July 2024, holding three of the top five best-selling SKUs — all priced between $199 and $249. The single best-selling toilet in the category is not a Kohler. It is a Glacier Bay dual-flush at $99, outselling every individual Kohler SKU. Yet Kohler's combined portfolio generates more than triple Glacier Bay's total share.
Bosch's dollar share of the laser level category at Home Depot and Lowe's dropped from 59% in May 2024 to 50% in July — a 9-point decline in three months. Milwaukee surged from 13% to 19%, and Kobalt nearly doubled from 8% to 14%. Bosch still leads and holds three of the top five SKUs, but a category it dominated at nearly 60% is now a three-way race for second place.
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Datavations launches Category Snapshot infographics — quarterly visual reports showing top sellers, pricing trends, and competitive shifts across home improvement categories at the SKU level.
Masonite leads the front door category at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Menards with 33% dollar share as of April 2024 — yet holds none of the top five best-selling SKUs. Jeld-Wen and Therma-Tru split the top five between them, with Jeld-Wen holding three and Therma-Tru two. The disconnect between SKU-level bestsellers and overall brand share tells a story about catalog depth versus individual product strength.
Highlights from Datavations' inaugural Excellence Awards at IBS 2024 in Las Vegas. Recognizing building materials brands that turned store-level intelligence into measurable competitive advantage.
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Three pieces the team hands every new category manager who joins one of our customer accounts.
Store-level intelligence helped a leading manufacturer identify and capture $120M in untapped demand across underserved store locations.
Read the case study →
Roof shingles category sales dropped 31% year-over-year, from $367M to $251M across Home Depot, Lowe's, and Menards.
Watch the video →Home Depot's Q3 earnings show comparable sales declining 3.5% with big-ticket categories slowing. Granular, SKU-level data reveals opportunities that aggregate numbers miss entirely.
Read the article →Curated collections by category-manager job-to-be-done. Each tile lands on a filtered view of every relevant article, video, and case study.
Preparation playbooks, post-PLR debriefs, and the merchant-ready data points that move every decision.
View 5 pieces →Quarterly category reads on Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, Ace, and Tractor Supply — written for category managers.
View 8 pieces →From store-level stockout signals to weekly replenishment patterns — the inventory data your buyer is already looking at.
View 4 pieces →Tariff impact, competitive pricing benchmarks, and the timing of promotional windows across major retailers.
View 6 pieces →Private-label expansion, brand entrances and exits, and what's moving in your shelf-share neighbors.
View 3 pieces →How we capture census-level transaction data, why panel sampling falls short, and what "weekly refresh" actually means.
View 4 pieces →“We used to walk into Home Depot business reviews hoping our data matched theirs. Now we walk in knowing it does.
National Account DirectorLeading Home-Improvement Manufacturer
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