Imagine life without a kitchen or bathroom…not a pretty sight, is it? These vital parts of the home are often taken for granted, but not at KBIS! Here’s what you need to know about the role of this massive industry in the marketplace—and in our lives as consumers (and marketers).

Last week, industry professionals, builders, and designers from all over the world flocked to Las Vegas, Nevada, to spend three crazy days at a sprawling convention center, fighting the snow and fighting for outlets to discover what’s hot in kitchen and bath trends this year.

Doug Stephens, “The Retail Prophet” and internationally recognized consumer futurist, started his keynote presentation at High Point Market on Sunday by depressing his audience with the statistic that 8,643 retail stores closed in 2018, and 10,000 more are projected to fail in 2019.

His news got worse.