Today's Flooring News

Keep up to date with the most recent news in the flooring industry. Today's News...As it happens! We update this news several times a day so you can stay connected.

Fed Ups Rates to 3.5%, No Hint of Pause

Washington, DC, August 10--The Federal Open Market Committee raised its target for short-term interest rates Tuesday by a quarter percentage point to 3.5% and gave no hint that it is interested in stopping anytime soon.

Productivity Growth Slows

Washington, DC, August 9--Productivity in the second quarter rose at a 2.2% annual rate, according to the Labor Department.

Chain Store Sales Off Last Week

New York, NY, August 9--Chain store retail sales fell 0.8 percent in the week ended Aug. 6, compared with a 0.9 percent increase the previous week, the International Council of Shopping Centers and UBS said in a joint report.

Wholesale Inventories Up 0.7%

Washington, DC, August 9--Wholesalers inventories were up 0.7 percent in June, while wholesale sales rose 0.6 percent, according to the Commerce Department.

Pakistan's Carpet Exports Could Top $1B

Lahore, Pakistan, August 9--Pakistan's carpet exports could surpass the US$1 billion mark with the introduction of a strategic plan that covers the entire industry.

BASF Increasing Styrene Butadiene Latex Prices for

Charlotte, NC, August 9--Effective September 1, 2005, or as contracts allow, BASF will raise prices in the United States and Canada on all Styrofan carboxylated styrene-butadiene emulsion polymers supplied to the carpet industry by four cents per dry pou

May Department Stores 2Q Earnings Drop

St. Louis, MO, August 9--May Department Stores reported second quarter earnings that fell by nearly half from the year before, hurt by expenses from its planned merger with Federated Department Stores.