China Hotel Pipeline Reaches 3,588 Projects as Conversions Surge CHINA: China’s hotel construction pipeline reached 3,588 projects comprising 632,256 rooms in Q2 2026, according to Lodging Econometrics. Projects under construction accounted for 2,547 hotels and 442,737 rooms, while 343 projects were scheduled to begin construction within 12 months. Construction starts increased 7% year on year to 205 projects. Upper-midscale and upscale hotels remained in the largest segments

SRS Distribution Expands HVAC Business with Lohmiller Acquisition UNITED STATES: SRS Distribution has agreed to acquire Lohmiller & Company, a Colorado-based wholesale distributor of HVAC equipment, parts and supplies serving residential and commercial customers. Financial terms were not disclosed. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Denver, Lohmiller operates four locations and employs around 220 people. The company distributes Carrier’s residential, light commercial and ap

LIXIL Streamlines Shower Toilet Business Through Subsidiary Merger JAPAN: LIXIL Corporation will absorb its wholly owned subsidiary, LIXIL Shower Toilet Tech Corp., through an absorption-type merger scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2026. The subsidiary was established in November 2023 to facilitate the transfer and succession of LIXIL’s shower toilet business from AISIN Corporation in September 2024. With the transition now completed, LIXIL plans to integrate the subsid

Midea Boosts Air Conditioner Production as European Demand Surges CHINA: Chinese appliance manufacturer Midea is increasing production at its Guangzhou air conditioner factory to meet rising international demand, particularly from Europe. More frequent and prolonged summer heatwaves across the region have accelerated demand for cooling equipment. Midea’s PortaSplit portable split air conditioner has emerged as a strong performer in the European market, with sales reportedly d

RAK Ceramics Reports Resilient Q2 2026 Performance Despite Regional Disruptions UAE: RAK Ceramics reported a resilient Q2 2026 performance, with revenue broadly stable at AED 822.8 million (US$ 822.8 million) despite regional conflicts, supply chain disruptions and higher logistics costs. Strong demand in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh supported performance, while gross profit margin improved to 41%. Tiles revenue rose 1.7%, driven by higher sales across key markets, wh

Home Depot Restructures Leadership to Support Growth Strategy US: The Home Depot has announced a series of leadership portfolio changes aimed at streamlining its operations and supporting its strategy to increase its share of the home improvement market. The organisational changes include the alignment of leadership responsibilities across merchandising, loyalty, finance, professional (Pro) business, and technology. Earlier this year, the company appointed Fran Bell as Execut

US Housing Market Shows Seasonal Slowdown in July US: The US housing market continued its expected seasonal slowdown in July 2026, with sellers making more price reductions while buyer activity remained positive. The national median listing price stood at USD 428,950 in July, unchanged from June but 2.4% lower than a year earlier, marking the ninth consecutive month of annual price declines. The proportion of listings with reduced prices increased to 20%, while pending home s

Strait of Hormuz Disruption Reduces Energy and Industrial Trade Global: Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have reduced global trade in energy, fertilisers and industrial products, according to an update from the International Trade Centre (ITC). The strait accounts for around one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade and a significant share of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fertiliser shipments, including approximately one-third of globally traded urea. Sin

Indonesia's Economy Grows 5.29% in Second Quarter Indonesia: Indonesia's economy expanded by 5.29% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, according to Statistics Indonesia, exceeding the 5.1% median forecast in a Reuters survey despite slowing from 5.61% growth recorded in the first quarter. Household and government spending eased compared with the previous quarter, although government expenditure increased by 15.97% year-on-year, supported by spending on civil servants

New Zealand Unemployment Reaches Highest Level Since 2015 New Zealand: New Zealand's unemployment rate increased to 5.6% in the second quarter of 2026, the highest level since late 2015, according to Statistics New Zealand. The figure rose from a revised 5.4% in the previous quarter and exceeded the market forecast of 5.4%. The increase was driven by a rise in the number of people seeking employment, which outpaced growth in employment. The data indicates continued labour mar

EU Retail Turnover Growth Slows to 2.1% in 2025 Europe: Retail turnover in the European Union increased by 2.1% in 2025, marking a further slowdown compared with the previous year. Northern and Eastern European countries recorded the highest growth rates, led by Norway at 13.1%, followed by Lithuania (10.0%), Sweden (8.9%), Bulgaria (8.2%) and Slovakia (8.0%). The findings highlight differing retail performance across European markets. Among the 31 countries analysed, several

Canada and Toronto Announce Investment for Rental Housing Projects Canada: The Government of Canada and the City of Toronto have announced a partnership to support the construction of more than 5,600 rental homes across over 18 housing projects during the next three years. Under the initiative, the federal government will invest more than CAD 2.7 billion (approximately USD 1.97 billion), with construction on more than 4,500 homes expected to begin before the end of 2026. The