Homecenter Survey

What the Homecenter Survey Covers

Each month, Zelman surveys its network of building products manufacturers, retailers, distributors and contractors to gauge demand for home improvements. The sample size represents revenue of well over $150 billion, covering dozens of product categories across the home improvement channel.

The survey underpins Zelman's proprietary regression model used to estimate same-store sales for Home Depot (HD) and Lowe's (LOW), a model that is over 95% correlated to reported metrics. That makes the Homecenter Survey a leading, quantitative indicator for a repair & remodel market where reliable real-time data is otherwise scarce.

Who Uses the Homecenter Survey and Why It Matters

The survey is used by investors and industry operators who need to anticipate turning points in home improvement demand, and to model the retailers that dominate the channel.

• Equity investors and analysts modelling Home Depot, Lowe's and building product suppliers ahead of reported results.

• Manufacturers and distributors calibrating production, inventory and pricing to demand momentum.

• Corporate strategy and finance teams stress-testing forecasts and capital allocation.

Because home improvement spending is closely tied to housing turnover, home equity and consumer confidence, the survey's high correlation to reported home center results gives stakeholders an early, quantitative read on demand in a sector that macro data reports with a significant lag.

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