Construction + Economy

  The Q4 Pulse of Lighting reports that 2025 was a disappointing, essentially flat year for the lighting industry, with tariffs hurting project activity and masking weak unit volumes behind modest price-driven revenue stability. The quarterly Pulse of Lighting reports are produced by Channel Marketing Group (CMG). For Q4 2025, the Pulse of Lighting surveyed [...]

  Total U.S. construction starts stumbled in November 2025, but both Dodge data and industry forecasts still point to modest overall growth in 2026, with a market increasingly dominated by data centers and large public and institutional projects. Conditions will remain highly uneven by sector and region, creating a “K-shaped” construction economy where some niches [...]

  Electric lighting equipment Producer Price Index (PPI) trends show a steady, inflation-linked trajectory with ongoing cost increases due to tariffs, other input costs, and supply chain shifts. The PPI for lighting has increased almost 30% since the pandemic, and continues to rise quickly. This corresponds to an annual industry inflation rate of nearly 6% [...]

  Gen Z renters are reshaping multifamily marketing and operations around digital-first, authentic, and experience-driven approaches. Gen Z is tech-native, expectations are high for online transactions, and amenities must support social and connected living. Their priorities include online tours and applications, transparent pricing, targeted digital communications, and a lifestyle narrative over mere apartment features. Gen [...]

By Dan Hollenkamp, COO at Toggled Dan Hollenkamp, COO of Toggled, shared the following seven trends that he believes will redefine buildings and energy management in 2026: 1) Smart Buildings Become True Energy Orchestrators: By 2026, smart buildings will function more like managed micro-grids as operators face rising energy demand, electrification pressures, and aging infrastructure. Even [...]

  Realtor.com’s new 2025 Home Trends Report found that efficiency, sustainability and nature-inspired design are on the rise, while more opulent or space-heavy features are losing ground—highlighting a shift in how Americans define comfort and value. Sustainability and Efficiency There is a pronounced shift toward sustainable, eco-friendly home design in 2025, driven largely by increasing awareness [...]

  The September 2025 Dodge Construction Network data show a continued rebound in total construction starts, with a 3.1% month-over-month increase to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of about $1.26 trillion. The upturn is driven primarily by a sharp rise in nonresidential starts, which climbed 11.9% for the month, while residential starts rose 3.6%. [...]

  Apartment conversion projects surged across the U.S. in 2024, characterized by both the volume and pace of adaptive reuse—where underperforming properties are redeveloped into multifamily residential units. According to a new RentCafe report, nearly 25,000 apartments were completed through adaptive reuse in 2024, representing a 50% increase compared to 2023 and double 2022’s output. [...]

  The 2025 Q3 Pulse of the Lighting Market report is produced by Channel Marketing Group with William Blair. The Q3 2025 report finds that the U.S. lighting industry faced a challenging, largely stagnant quarter, with most companies experiencing low or no growth, even after factoring in price increases driven by new tariffs. Increased prices [...]