This Week in Retail: Home improvement earnings and eTail West

On Tuesday, Retail Brew is sitting down with Ethan Chernofsky, CMO of Placer.ai, a foot traffic analytics company, for a virtual interview discussing key trends influencing consumer behavior and what this means for retail strategy and performance in 2026.

Here’s what else is happening in retail this week:

In earnings: The Home Depot and Lowe’s are reporting their Q4 earnings this week. Both home improvement chains lowered their full-year outlooks in Q3 in response to macroeconomic uncertainty and pressure in the US housing market. On a positive note, Home Depot also saw a willingness among shoppers to buy costlier items, and Lowe’s beat expectations on its quarterly sales. More recently, Home Depot announced an AI-powered tool to help pro builders quickly generate project material lists, while Lowe’s released its own AI assistant, Mylow, in March 2025.

TJX Companies is also reporting this week. The parent company of TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods has been on a tear in recent quarters, as value-conscious shoppers have flocked to its discount chains for their affordable apparel and home decor and treasure hunt-style experience. In Q3, the company reported it was taking advantage of increased buying opportunities for off-price merchandise to help expand its assortment.

In conferences: The annual eTail Palm Springs event has arrived in California for almost a full week of programming, with the main show beginning today. Major topics include AI, search and performance marketing, and loyalty and customer retention. Speakers on the docket include Denise Incandela, EVP of the fashion division at Walmart; Kristin Shane, chief merchandising officer at REI; and Michael McCluskey, VP of marketplace at Lowe’s Companies, to name a few high-profile execs.