The Home Depot, one of the world's largest home improvement retailers, is again hiring more than 80,000 associates nationwide to ensure its stores are staffed and ready for the company's busiest selling season.

Revisiting it's 2012 takeover attempt, home improvement giant Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) will now acquire and RONA inc. (TSX: RON), and merge it with Lowe's Canada to create a C$5.6 billion giant that overshadows The Home Depot Canada.

Washington - N-Hance Wood Renewal, a wood floor and cabinetry refinishing franchise partner of Home Depot, says it will expand in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and plans 15 new territories for the region.

With Home Depot and Lowe’s beating earnings expectations this week, we’re seeing clear enthusiasm for the home improvement sector. Home improvement, after all, has performed well even as other retail categories falter.

One of the common trends we've continually found is how the hypnotic draw of technology and increased screen time have driven the need for authentic stimulation. These unique colors, textures and patterns, allowus a way to truly disengage and unwind. - Erika Woelfel, VP Color Marketing, Behr Paints, division of Masco

Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) updated its LowesForPros.com professional website. Through the upgraded site, Pro customers can make and track purchases of more than 500,000 items using a computer, tablet or smartphone and can choose to buy online and pick-up in-store or have orders delivered directly to their business or jobsite.

Closets manufacturing giant The Stow Company has launched NeuSpace, a brand of do-it-yourself custom organization systems, sold online exclusively through HomeDepot.com and shipped direct to consumers or to Home Depot stores.

Home Depot and Lowe's both reported healthy sales first quarter, as the housing recovering and remodeling growth also continued. Housing starts rose 20.2% in April, the Commerce Department, to a rate of 1.135 million. March figures were adjusted upward.

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) today reported net earnings of $673 million for the quarter ended May 1, 2015. Lowe's bought back $1 billion in stock; and expects sales to rise 4.5 percent for the year.

Home Depot reported sales of $20.9 billion for the first quarter 2015, a 6.1 percent increase from 2014. "We had a stronger than expected start to the year as we experienced a more normal spring and continued recovery of the U.S. housing market," said CEO Craig Menear.