OMAHA, Nebraska - Benjamin Moore’s top executive said the paint maker is observing a pullback among customers who are choosing less expensive products as inflation and higher interest rates reduce disposable income and curb home-buying activity.
Speaking at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder event, Chief Executive Dan Calkins described a situation in which a recent "little uptick" in home remodeling has failed to offset softer sales of existing homes. Existing-home sales fell 3.6% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million homes, a nine-month low, Calkins said, a trend he linked in part to a spike in gas prices related to conflict in the Middle East and inflation that reached a near three-year high.
Calkins noted mortgage costs have also risen. "The average 30-year mortgage rate rose to 6.30% as of April 30 from 6.15% at year end, according to Freddie Mac," he said, adding that he had hoped the rate might drop below 5% this year, a level last seen in 2022. "We were excited when interest rates were on a downslope, and then war broke out and they’ve sprung back up," he said. "There is a tremendous amount of pent-up demand for housing, but it’s an affordability issue because of mortgage rates, and housing prices are holding it back."
Benjamin Moore sells products in 76 countries through more than 8,500 paint, decorating and hardware retailers, including about 6,500 in the United States and 1,500 in Canada. The company’s portfolio includes 3,500 colors, though white and off-white accounted for 80% of sales, Calkins said.
Describing shifts at the point of sale, Calkins said: "What we’re seeing on the ground is some customers who traditionally buy our more premium products are trading down" to mid-range products. "They are spending more on gas and groceries." He identified competitors including Sherwin-Williams and its Valspar brand, PPG’s Pittsburgh Paint and Home Depot’s Behr.
On company scale, Calkins said revenue totaled nearly $2 billion in 2025. He joined Benjamin Moore as a trainee in 1987 and became the chief executive of the Montvale, New Jersey-based company in 2019. Calkins is 61.
Implications
The comments highlight pressure on discretionary home-improvement spending as consumers reallocate household budgets toward essentials and face higher borrowing costs. While a modest increase in remodeling activity is evident, it has not been sufficient to offset weakness in the housing market that underpins much paint demand.