Fall 2012 Hardlines Strategies

Strategies DISTRIBUTING RETAIL PROFITABILITY FALL 2012, VOL. 12, 2 HARDLINES

Building Your Dream Store

HowBlish-Mize Can HelpYou Increase Profts With a Store Reset Starting on Page 4

Also in this Issue: Market Preview Page12 Vendor Showcase Page29 Using theOnlineCatalog Page30

VISIT US IN BOOTH #319

THE HARDEST PART

IS OPENING THE CAN

From the frst board you brush to the last, you’ll fnd it’s surprisingly simple to protect and beautify your deck, fence, patio furniture and more. Our step-by-step instructions help ensure your next project is done right the frst time. Find a retailer near you at food.com .

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Simple across the board

THE PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Planning for Tomorrow W hen it comes to our personal lives, we’re well acquainted with the language of planning for the future. Retirement plans, college

Contents Your Dream Store . . . . . . . . pg. 4 Learn about the tools Blish-Mize has to help you reset your store. Market Preview . . . . . . . pg. 12 Plan now to attend the Blish-Mize 2012 Fall Buying Market, Sept. 21-22.

funds for the kids, insurance—these are all meant to give us a sense of financial security about the future. So doesn’t it make sense that you should be doing the same for your store? In retailing, being prepared for the future means that every day you’re doing what you need to do to ensure that the stuff you sell today is

still what people want to buy tomorrow. When your store begins to look a little shabby, you start to notice merchandise on the shelf that’s getting dusty, or that you’ve outgrown your retail space, it’s time to do something about it. As you get ready to come to our Fall Buying Market, I encourage you to take a good look at your store. Do your assortments need updating? Are there holes in your merchandise mix? If you start losing customers because you don’t have the right mix of products or services they want, then unfortunately the future won’t be very bright for your business. In this issue of Hardlines Strategies , you’ll read stories from some of our customers who have had some great ideas of where they wanted their stores to be in the future. They weren’t content just to let those ideas stay on the drawing board, either. They got to work building better stores, whether that meant resetting a single department, expanding their salesfloors or building a brand new building. They also asked for help. Just like we at Blish-Mize are here to help you get the best prices on the products you buy, we also stand ready with the tools to improve your operations. With our market-specific Retail Profit Management program, we can help with retail pricing, plan your assortments and design your store so you get maximum use out of every dollar you invest. Take for example Gary and Larry Smith at Smith and Sons Building Center in Oklahoma. Preparing for the future meant asking us to help with the expansion of their salesfloor and review of their assortments. Over at Anita Supply Center in Iowa, we helped Mike, Brian and Kim Wendt plan a building for a second location. Together, we looked at every four-foot section to make sure they were getting the products they needed. One of the exciting things we’re doing at our Fall Buying Market is showing you firsthand how we can improve two key categories that are seeing a lot of growth in the market today: Paint and Paint Sundries and Lawn and Garden. In our “mini-store” we want to give you a sampling of what we can do. As always, we tailor our studies and recommendations to your own unique market. We also keep our programs affordable. We know your dollars are valuable, and you’re very careful about how they’re spent. Don’t wait any longer to start putting into action all of the big ideas you have for your store. Ask us what we can do, because we have a lot of tools that can help build that dream store. We’ll have two seminars at the Market, directed by our regional managers, that will help you understand more about the store reset and planning process. Let’s build the future together. I’ll see you at the Fall Market!

Coupon Section. . . . . . . . pg. 19 Get hot deals at the Fall Buying Market.

Winter Sales . . . . . . . . . . pg. 24 Learn how to find sales opportunities, no matter what the weather.

Vendor Showcase . . . . . . pg. 29

Online Ordering . . . . . . . . pg. 30 Use the Blish-Mize online catalog to save time reordering inventory.

Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 34 Learn how to get your advertising online.

On the Cover: Brian Wendt (right) along with wife Kim and father Mike of Anita Supply Center, Anita, Iowa.

Advertising Information Hardlines Strategies is published twice every year by Blish-Mize. Copyright 2012. For advertising rates and deadlines, please contact:

Blish Connor Blish-Mize

223 S. Fifth St., Box 249 Atchison, Kansas 66002 Toll free: (800) 995-0525 (913) 367-1250

(913) 375-2505 (cell) (913) 367-0667 (fax) e-mail: blish.connor@blishmize.com

Jonathan D. Mize President and COO

Blish-Mize isamember-owner ofDistributionAmerica

Fall 2012 3

Hardlines Strategies •

STORE PROGRAMS

Building Your Dream Store How Blish-Mize Can Help Your Next Store Reset I f you could build your dream store, what would it

Mike runs a lumberyard in nearby Adair, Iowa, and knew there was a market in Anita for a large store with a merchandise mix tailored for a wide range of customers. Building the second store would also present a great opportunity for his son, Brian, and daughter-in-law Kim. The three of them didn’t just dream about it; they got to work. After asking Blish-Mize to help plan their assortments, set up the merchandising and interior design, they opened the doors to their new store. Through its store planning program, Blish-Mize has an arsenal of affordable tools that can help, whether it’s for resetting a single assortment or planning a brand new store. The upcoming Fall Buying Market is a great place to start. On the Market floor, a mini-store will be set up where you can browse two assortment sets from the Paint and Paint Sundries and the Lawn and Garden areas. These areas represent just a sampling of what Blish-Mize can do throughout an entire store for a minimal investment. See Market Preview on Page 12 for more information. There’s never a better time than the present to look around your store and start thinking about the benefits of a reset. look like? Ask Brian, Kim and Mike Wendt, about their new store, Anita Supply Center, in Anita, Iowa.

Blish-Mize helped Brian (left), Kim and Mike Wendt of Anita Supply Center find the right product mix that would appeal to a mix of pro and D-I-Y customers.

Getting Started: Your Personal Retail Consultant Brian doesn’t think of his Blish-Mize sales representative as a salesman as much as he does a retail consultant. When they asked Blish-Mize to help them plan out their store, the Wendts knew they had the flexibility to use the information as it best suited their needs. “Blish-Mize showed us their book with all of their recommended assortments, and we went

through and picked every four feet,” Brian says. “But they don’t try to sell us on stuff we don’t need. Our sales representative is there to help us when we need help.” During the planning process, Mike says Blish-Mize allowed them the flexibility to add niche departments to the floor plan. “Blish-Mize realizes that in a small town like we’re in, it’s not enough to be just a hardware store. You have to make it a one- stop shopping center for a variety of items.”

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Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies

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STORE PROGRAMS

Assortment Planning: The Heart of the Process With the new store up and running, Brian says he’s glad they listened to Blish- Mize’s suggested assortments. While they initially thought they had a good grasp on what product lines they would need in their new store, they quickly discovered the market in Anita had different demands than the market in Adair, the location of their first store. While their first store sells mostly to contractor customers, their new store has more walk-in business and a larger market for paint, plumbing and electrical. The assortment planning process isn’t just valuable for those building in a new market. Gary Smith, along with his brother Larry, have experienced dramatic

While the Wendt’s first location in Adair, Iowa, sells to mostly contractor customers, the store in Anita draws more consumers and has a larger market for electrical and plumbing items.

One Easy Way to Make More Profit: Bin Label Your Store If you’re still labeling each product with a price stick- er, there’s one easy way you can push more money to the bottom line. “We encourage all of our customers to price on the shelf and not on the product,” Blish-Mize regional manager Chuck Short says. “Pricing every item costs you about 3 percent of the cost of the actual item. So take 3 percent of your annual sales, and that’s out the type of label you need. At the time of item capture, retail prices can be modified and bin labels printed out with new prices. You then need to easily update your POS system to reflect all changes. If you want to label your entire store, these stream- lined labeling services are available for a daily fee. Contact Cindy Kane (ext 167 or ckane@blishmize.com) or see her at the Retail Services area of the Market for more information.

what you’re spending to price sticker every item.” Pricing every item takes more time and leaves a greater chance for inaccuracy at checkout as those items require someone to punch numbers into a cash register. The better alternative is to scan the UPC code using a POS system. Relabeling also saves money when prices change. You just need to change one label, which allows for quicker, more profitable pricing. Blish-Mize offers several ways to accomplish this. You or your salesperson can use the MC3000 to request labels by checking the “bin labels only” option on the machine. The order in which you scan your products’ UPC (i.e. left to right, top to bottom) is how labels will print, which makes it easier to label when the labels arrive at your store. Another option is to have your salesperson request bin labels with your shipments, ensuring labels and pricing stay current. If you are relabeling a section, an entire depart- ment or store, Blish-Mize has just developed a faster, web-based procedure. With this new method you can walk the store with a small laptop, scan gun and small printer. The scan gun reads the UPC and prints

For a demonstration on how this system works, stop into the mini-store area at the Market and look for the Retail Services counter at the back of the store.

Using bin labels to price items can save you from tagging many small items, such as those found in the plumbing department, and make it easier to adjust prices when necessary.

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Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies

Visit Booth #425 for Your Passport to Water Heater Savings

Featuring a Comprehensive Line of Water Heaters

STORE PROGRAMS

“Blish-Mize helped us each time draw up the plans for what we needed,” Gary says. “When I looked at some of the things they were recommending we sell, I thought, ‘Some of this stuff I would never think to put in the store.’ But I did it anyway. It’s unbelievable, some of the products we’ve been selling.” The demographics study, and the analysis of the data that comes out of it, are critical parts of how Blish-Mize can help you plan for a store reset. “We look at what categories you’re selling now and how they can be expanded,” Blish-Mize regional manager Chuck Short says. “The demographics study helps you determine assortments and pricing. You may think you know everything about the trade area you’re in, but this report can give you more information.” In addition to pointing out information about the trade area, the report also provides the information you need to compete. “The demographics study helps you target the categories that are projected to grow,” says Doug Long, Blish-Mize vice president of sales and marketing. “This is the same type of information the big box merchants use to tailor the mix in their stores. But we do it for your market. These are not like the full vendor sets that have a case or more of each product, some of which you may not need. The assortments we recommend are some of our best-sellers in our Midwest and Southwest markets.” Finally, part of that information Blish- Mize provides through these studies helps you be priced competitively while maintaining good margins. When Merl Witt was building his new store, Mora Valley Ranch Supply in Mora, N.M., he used market data from the demographics study to know what The Smith brothers used a demographic study from Blish-Mize as a guide for merchandising their new store and helping them grow into new categories.

Above: Larry and Gary Smith (back, left to right) work alongside their sons (front, left to right) Brendon and Alec.

Below: To guide them through the merchandising and assortment planning for their expanded store, the Smith brothers used the demographic study from Blish-Mize.

growth at their store Smith and Sons Building Center in Anadarko, Okla. About five years ago, the brothers decided they needed more space than their tiny 1,000-square-foot store was giving them, so they built a new 5,500-square-foot building. Last year they expanded, doubling the size of the building, and Gary is already talking about how they need more space.

They’ve both discovered that just because you’ve been selling in a particular market doesn’t mean you know everything about it. Sometimes there are surprises. The Smith brothers used a demographic study from Blish- Mize as a guide for merchandising their new store and helping them grow into new categories.

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STORE PROGRAMS

Common Signs You’re Ready for a Reset It’s easy to let your store become so familiar that you don’t notice when inventory begins to get stale or assortments get thin. Use your Blish-Mize sales representative or another retailer as a resource to look at your store through a fresh pair of eyes. Here are three common signs it may be time to change a department or even the entire store:

Your product mix has changed significantly. Whenever 10 percent or more of the product mix changes, or when vendors consolidate product, it’s time to redo the department. Assortments need to flow and seem complete to the customer. Too many changes mean you need to reconsider the presentation and may need to add items. Your sales begin to drop. If sales in one area begin to drop substantially, it’s an indicator you may not have the right product mix. Maybe customers’ needs have changed or there are trends in the market you need to consider. A reset of the category can get it back on track.

You haven’t changed the store in a while. Industry standards in chain stores use a five-year timeframe for resetting the entire store. Keeping assortments fresh for shoppers doesn’t mean you have to rearrange the store layout, but it does mean you should make sure the product mix you have is still relevant and complete.

prices the market would bear while still allowing him to be competitive. “The Price Sensitivity Ratings were particularly useful to us because they allowed us to maintain higher markups on certain classes of product that we might not have done otherwise,” he says. Pulling It All Together: The Store Setup When the assortment planning process is finished, Blish-Mize can then offer suggestions for how the aisles should be arranged. During the recent expansion, Blish- Mize helped Smith reset the entire store so departments would be better merchandised. For example, Smith expanded the paint department and created a store-within- a-store concept to draw special attention to it. “We’re getting a lot more female customers coming in now, too,” Smith says. “Blish-Mize helped us put together the whole store, and it all has a good flow to it that makes it easy to shop.” Once those plans are ready to move from the drawing board to the store floor, Blish-Mize offers all the help you need. “We have a team to help do the setup,” Short says. “We also recommend you take a careful look at the fixtures and make sure they will present the product well. A better visual presentation will produce more sales.”

Of course, don’t assume that just because the right products are on your shelves, you’ll suddenly get customers in the door. You have to tell them about what you have. Blish- Mize’s Custom Advertising Program allows you to tell your public all about your new store and make that ad unique to your own product mix. For more information, read “Take Control of Your Advertising,” Page 34. Finally, one of the best improvements you can make to your store after a reset is upgrading your cash register to a POS system. That was the decision Witt made after he started getting more customers and

dealing with more inventory because of the reset at Mora Valley Supply. “At first, we didn’t want to spend the money on something that might not be necessary. But as we gained more experience, more inventory items and more customers, hand-writing receipts became a bottleneck,” he says. “Our POS system is faster and more accurate and allows for instant category and department sales and inventory information. I recommend spending the money to install a POS. It is relatively inexpensive and a worthwhile investment.”

Mora Valley Ranch Supply in Mora Valley, N.M., is about 30 miles from the nearest competitor, so owners stock a range of products beyond the standard hardlines categories, such as ranch and pet supplies.

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Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies

Stop by Booth #141 to find out more about: - NEW GE Products - NEW Packaging - NEW POP - Coupons available!

Energy Efficient Soft White

Bright From the Start CFL

MARKET PREVIEW

Passport to Savings Blish-Mize 2012 Fall Buying Market is Sept. 21-22 I t’s time for Blish-Mize customers to pack their bags and get ready

As customers get ready to head out to the Market this year, they’ll want to grab their passports, too—but not the ones that allow them to enter a foreign country. These passports contain all the coupons they’ll need to take advantage of the best deals anywhere as they prepare for winter and next year’s early spring selling season. At this Market, vendors from across the industry will be showing new items, reviewing their product lines and offering attendees hot prices that will boost their buying power. In addition, Market attendees will get a chance to win cash in one of four Passport of Savings drawings to be held throughout the two-day Market. “Our Market is always the best place to connect with great prices, great people from the Blish-Mize sales team and great brands specially priced just for the Market,” Blish-Mize communications director Blish Connor says. There will be plenty of time for fun, too. “On Friday night, at our customer appreciation event, we’re bringing back the ever popular Jack Stack barbecue and hosting the band Bali Root, which everyone will love. Expect lots of fun, food and dancing on Friday,” Connor says. to save some money at the Blish-Mize “Passport of Savings” Fall Buying Market, to be held Sept. 21-22 at the Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park, Kan.

Introducing the Mini-Store One of the new features at the Fall Market will be a real-world example of some of the ways Blish-Mize can help customers build their assortments in two of the hottest categories in the market today. “Because there is less building and more remodeling these days, the Paint and Paint Sundries departments, as well as the Lawn and Garden areas, continue to grow in importance for many of our customers,” says Doug Long, Blish-Mize vice president of sales and marketing. “We have designed a mini-store that represents some key assortments in these areas that would allow customers to go deeper with a minimal investment.” This model store area is a must-see for customers who are looking to expand or enhance their assortments in Paint, Paint Sundries and Lawn and Garden. “Remember, this is just a small sampling of what Blish-Mize has in the way of RMS assortments in these categories,” Long says. “We can custom design one for your store and your market.”

Market, titled “Is Your Store’s Strategy Market Driven?” This seminar will be held once on each day of the Market. Lawn and Garden Seminar The second seminar at the Market is “Grow Your Sales with Scotts-Miracle Gro,” to be held Friday morning and again Saturday afternoon. Customers who have been looking for ways to drive more sales to their Lawn and Garden departments are sure to find this seminar helpful as they prepare to make important buying decisions for the coming spring selling season. Important Opportunities As always, vendors participating in the Fall Buying Market will be ready to answer questions about their product lines, offer a hands-on look at new products and strike a deal on some of their best-selling items. Here are just some of the can’t-miss booths attendees will want to visit: • Pratt & Lambert. This vendor made its debut at the Spring Market and will be back as retailers continue the transition from the Martin-Senour brand. This line offers the opportunity to attract a new group of customers with a premium line of coatings.

Of course, those aren’t the only categories Blish-Mize can help its

customers reset with the RMS program. To tell Market attendees more about what they can do, Blish-Mize regional managers will be holding a seminar during the

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Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies

OVER 100 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE

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THE NEW CORDLESS BOSTITCH TOOLS

BOOTH #105

SEE COUPON INSERT SECTION OR STOP BY BOOTH #105 TO SEE THE GREAT DEALS ONTHESE FEATURED BOSTITCH ITEMS:

N62FNK-2 (449-3912) 15 Gauge 1-1/4” - 2-1/2” Angled Finish Nailer Kit

BT1855K (429-1746) 18 Gauge Brad Nailer Kit

RN46-1 (448-7294) 3/4-Inch to 1-3/4-Inch Coil Roofing Nailer

F28WW (447-0217) 28° Industrial Framing Nailer System

• Push button adjustable depth guide sets nail to desired depths • Notched 16” layout indicator on magazine helps achieve correct distance between studs

• 3/4-inch to 1-3/4-inch coil roomng nailer with lockout mechanism • Adjustable depth control, full round driver, body and magazine wear guards, side-load canister

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• 15ga tool with ultra-quiet rear exhaust to direct air away from the user • Integrated air blower allows user to clear away debris from work surface

Terms & Conditions: Coupon offer only available 9/21/2012-9/22/2012, while supplies last, at the Blish-Mize 2012 Fall Market, BOSTITCH® Booth #105, Overland Park Convention Center, KS, on purchases of specified amounts of qualifying BOSTITCH® products. Offer valid only for USA legal entities. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Not a game of chance. Void where prohibited. Not valid with any other offer or promotion. Copyright ©2012 Stanley Black & Decker. MW Blish-Mize Hardlines 062912.indd/CM/GDS/12-0078

MARKET PREVIEW

Schedule of Events: Friday, Sept. 21, 2012

• Partscription. This vendor offers more than 8 million parts and accessories in its in-store, telephone and online service offering for lawn and garden, appliances, home electronics and much more. • Hardware House. Hardware House will have a wide variety of products on display. These products offer quality, value and a good margin in a product shoppers won’t be able to find anywhere else. In addition to its regular spot on the Market floor, Hardware House will have a strong representation in the mini-store concept area, where the focus will be on certain key categories. “These displays allow retail customers to see that they are able to purchase lighting, ceiling fans, locks, bath hardware and faucets in matching styles and finishes,” Blish-Mize marketing manager Don Miller says. “They will have more of a showroom look and should help retail customers make a buying decision.” One highlight of the Hardware House area will be the faucet program. Starting in 2014, the government will have new standards regarding lead content in faucet waterways. Hardware House has rolled out a compliance program ahead of schedule. “The 100-percent non-metallic decorative faucet program introduced last fall has exceeded expectations for this new category and is a natural expansion of anyone’s current program meeting price- conscious consumers,” Hardware House merchandise manager Dennis Bigler says. Customers who have yet to make their faucet selection compliant with the new standards should start making the switch now so their customers know they’re ahead of the game. • MC3000 Remote Ordering. Reordering inventory has never been easier. The MC3000 remote ordering device has a simple touchscreen interface with a database containing all the items Blish- Mize has in stock in the warehouse.

Market Opens

9 a.m.

Seminar: “Grow Your Sales with Scotts-Miracle Gro”

10-11 a.m.

Lunch

12-1 p.m.

Passport of Savings Coupon Cash Drawings

1 p.m.

Seminar: “Is Your Store’s Strategy Market Driven?”

3-4 p.m.

Passport of Savings Coupon Cash Drawings

5 p.m.

Market Closes

5:30 p.m.

Customer Appreciation Event

6-8 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012 7:30-8:30 a.m. Breakfast of Profits Buying Event

Market Opens

8 a.m.

Seminar: “Is Your Store’s Strategy Market Driven?”

9-10 a.m.

Passport of Savings Coupon Cash Drawings

10 a.m.

12-1 p.m. Lunch 12:30-1:30 p.m. Lunch of Profits Buying Event 1:30-2:30 p.m. Seminar: “Grow Your Sales with Scotts-Miracle Gro”

Passport of Savings Coupon Cash Drawings

2:45 p.m.

Market Closes

3 p.m.

Users can also access the virtual programs from Midwest Fastener,

At the Spring Buying Market, Blish-Mize customers flocked to see the new Pratt & Lambert paint line and learn how they could integrate it into their stores.

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Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies

“ It is because of your products that I was alerted to a dangerous situation within my home and possibly saved from death… …I will promote your product to all who will listen. I am here to testify to its value. ”

—Wendy Lee, Springfield, MA

Protect your customers with the leader in home fire safety.

Every week, Kidde receives letters from consumers whose lives, loved ones or homes were saved thanks to our smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms or fire extinguishers. Stories like Wendy Lee’s, a middle school teacher from Massachusetts. Stories that reinforce Kidde’s commitment to developing quality products your customers can rely on to keep their family safer from fire and CO.

Stories that remind us that technology saves lives.

See Wendy’s and others’ true stories on Kidde.com. Just click the “Share Your Story” link .

Visit us at booth #108.

MARKET PREVIEW

Hillman and Servalite. In addition to being able to send merchandise orders, it can create bin labels or price sticker orders. Please email David Griffin at dgriffin@blishmize.com or see him at the Retail Services booth at the Market for more information. • On-Demand Advertising. Blish-Mize’s On-Demand advertising program offers complete flexibility. Users can create a custom newspaper ad, flier, holiday letter, endcap sign, price card and more. As a bonus, ads can also be posted online with the AdViewer program. More information will be available at the Retail Services booth at the Market, or from Sarah Lee, advertising coordinator, sarah.lee@blishmize.com, or in the article “Take Control of Your Advertising” on Page 34.

Later this year, 30 new items will be available through the Hardware House Mop and Broom Program.

Over 30 items to choose from!

P r o u d l y M a d e I n T h e U S A Displayers Available! Ames True Temper Offers the Best Brands in the Business!

See us at booth #134

INTRODUCING NEW ITEMS AT BLISH-MIZE

MONTARA ™

Enjoy increased security & EasyFit with the Montara handleset featuring 2-point locking & SmartKey ® Re-key Technology.

2-Point Locking for Increased Security

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Booth #102

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THE BEST SECURITY IS SMART SECURITY.

17880-KW

Booth #605

SAVE ENERGY • SAVE MONEY • MAKE MONEY

Upgrading to energy-efficient is also a great way to increase sales by offering Simkar’s range of products to your customers. Our fixtures are a great match for a very wide range of applications, and our dedicated sales and engineering staff is here to help you calculate energy savings and choose exactly the right product for the job. Take advantage of these special offers while they last, and call on us to find out more about what we have to offer your business to help keep you in the green.

Simkar’s high performance, energy- efficient industrial products provide real and substantial benefits for you AND your customers. When you upgrade the lighting in your store, you’ll enjoy the benefits of improved lighting and improved performance. You’ll not only find that you and your customers have better visibility and safety, you’ll also like the fact that you’re using less energy and paying less on your electric bill.

Reflect-a-Bay

VISIT US AT BOOTH 531

MIRO™ Industrial

MIRO™ is a trademark of ALANOD

COUPONS

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COUPONS

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Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies

COUPONS

Fall 2012 21

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COUPONS

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Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies

Your customers and their pain1ng needs are diverse. Why offer a “one size fits all paint program? “ Blish(Mize is now offering PraB & Lambert to help meet your current customers needs and help drive new customers to your store. Stop by Booth #205 to learn more about our product assortments to help you sell:

• The DIY Consumer

• The Professional Painter

• Industrial /Commercial Maintenance Manager

SEASONAL SELLING

Making the Most of the Weather How to Find Unexpected Sales Opportunities this Winter S ometimes, the weather throws a curveball. While you plan for the season as best you can, those plans only last as long as the weather cooperates.

Last winter was a prime example. While icy weather was supposed to help sell through inventory of ice melt and snowblowers, sales of these items slowed to a crawl with unseasonably warm temperatures. But in every challenging situation there’s an opportunity. You just have to find it. This season, be ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at you.

pipe heating cables early,” Blish-Mize marketing manager Don Miller says. “These can boost early season sales while also reminding customers you are ready for winter. Also, contact your key accounts to see if they would like to pre-book seasonal products. This will also give you some guidance as to what you should buy.” Do a Merchandising Check Even if the winter weather is warmer than you’d like it to be to sell items like ice melt and heaters, don’t slack off in keeping winter items front and center. You want customers to think of you first in case they do need those cold-weather items.

As it is in most home improvement centers, sealants and caulks are staple products year- round at Home Lumber in Great Bend, Kan. Encourage homeowners to prepare for winter ahead of the season by pushing extra sales of caulks, weatherstripping and insulation to sell through some inventory early. Use an endcap close to the cash register to display winter impulse items like ice scrapers, snow brushes, gas line anti- freeze, lock deicer and moisture displacers such as WD-40. As soon as you approach the winter season, bring bulky items like heaters and generators to the front as a constant reminder to let customers know you have them when you need them. Don’t leave those items buried in the back where customers won’t see them. Focus on Holiday Sales You don’t have to rely on tree trimmings as your sole source of holiday sales. Find ways to draw in the gift buyers. For example, try bringing in a few new housewares and target them at the male shoppers who are in your store all the time and need an easy gift answer for their wives. To make the gift buying process even easier, consider offering a gift-wrapping service.

Encourage Preemptive Buying

Advertise winter items early and remind customers they need to be prepared for winter weather before it hits. “Advertise winter items like weatherstripping and

Even if you don’t have a big space to sell Christmas trees like Big Tool Box in Centennial, Colo., does, you can sell all the trimmings.

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Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies

DECORATIVE GATE INTRODUCING HARDWARE

The new line of decorative pulls, hinges and gate kits in Rustic, Contemporary, and Heavy Duty styles and finishes.

For more information, contact us at 1-800-346-9445 Visit Green Alley for introductory specials on assortments.

Booth #100

17934

SEASONAL SELLING

Find a Niche The season when sales slow down can be a good time to explore a niche to add to your product mix. Niche categories can draw in a new customer base and can include products that don’t depend on the weather for sales. The possibilities are endless, but when choosing a niche, look for something you or one of your employees enjoy doing and can get excited about. Start small and let it grow as customers catch on. Examples of other categories include: handcrafted giftware from a local vendor, candles, gourmet grilling and

Another gift idea is a tool set. Make your own by bundling together tools commonly needed by the average do-it- yourselfer. This gives you a chance to include low- and high-margin items for a more profitable sale. Plan for the Coming Year Don’t sit on your hands because a warm winter has slowed business. Make the most of the time by setting some goals for the coming year. For example, what is your advertising strategy and do you want to try something new this year? What promotions or special events are you planning for the coming year? Take a look at your website; how could you make it better? If you don’t have a website, now’s the time to get one. What about your employees; is there some

additional training they could be doing to better prepare them for the coming year?

Find Creative Promotions While the stretch between Christmas and the first day of spring may seem long, find ways to bring some excitement into the store. For example, host a Super Bowl sale or a Super Bowl cook-off. Invite customers to bring in their favorite party food recipes and select a panel of judges to choose a winner. Tie the promotion into your housewares or grill department.

The possibilities are endless, but when choosing a niche, look for something you or one of your employees enjoy doing and can get excited about.

Being Ready When Disaster Strikes

A few years ago when tornadoes swept through Neosho, Mo., Mike Spencer, manager of the TH Rogers store there, jumped into action. He knew there would be a big need for repair items, but also knew it wasn’t all about making money. As a retailer, he was also in a position to help those in need. The first thing he did was load up a truck with water, Gatorade and tarps and drive around the neighborhoods affected by the storms. He and his staff offered residents free bottles of water and tarps and let them know about his lumberyard and the other materials he could provide. Spencer also got involved in his local Habitat for Humanity and helped provide materials for building new homes for those in need. While natural disasters such as tornadoes present opportunities for sales, they are also an opportunity for you to support the community. “You just have to do the right thing. You’re here to make a living, but you also need to treat people right and meet their needs,” Spencer says. What you can do: It’s difficult to predict when a weather emergency like a tornado will hit, but when it does, here are some of the items you’ll want to stock up on: tarps, chain saws, gas cans, generators, poly film, flashlights, batteries and water.

Then, during the demolition and rebuilding phase that follows, important items will include axes, sledgehammers and safety equipment.

Last year, Mike Spencer of TH Rogers in Neosho, Mo., responded to the tornadoes in nearby Joplin, Mo., by getting involved with Habitat for Humanity to help the organization rebuild homes.

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Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies

SEASONAL SELLING

marinade sauces, collectible knives, licensed sporting gear and clothing.

Clearance Sale Take some of the slow-moving items in your inventory and have a clearance sale. Find an area in the back of the store to use as your clearance department. Customers will have to walk through the rest of the store to get the discounted items, hopefully picking up some extra items along the way. Focus on Interior Projects There are still projects homeowners can do during the winter, so think about indoor projects you can promote. For example, encourage them to get an early start on spring cleaning by highlighting your cleaning supplies on an endcap. Or, promote your paint department. Winter is a great time to redecorate a room. Once customers have started

Big Tool Box in Centennial, Colo., sells locally produced food items as a niche category and markets them as stocking stuffers during the holidays.

Still innovating...

new products new deals.

Rust-Oleum is bringing the best products to market with the best price opportunities. Find out what this means to your business. Visit Booth #421 and learn about Rust-Oleum’s innovative new products and show specials.

CS1066 0612

SEASONAL SELLING

thinking about a paint project, offer other decorating ideas, such as new decorative switch plates or light fixtures. Consider Store Services If you don’t offer store services such as screen and window repair, consider adding them. Besides the normal wear and tear and accidents that happen to screens and windows that require them to be fixed, winter or spring hail storms can cause damage, too. A repair service brings customers into the store twice, once to drop off and once to pick up, doubling the chance they’ll buy something else. For best results, put the repair table in full view of the salesfloor so customers can always see you offer the service. Bond with Your Customers If the contractor business coming into your store slows down because of a mild winter, take advantage of the time and

hold a special event just for that base of customers. Host a Christmas dinner as an appreciation event or take your key accounts on a day-long field trip. If you’re fortunate enough to have one of your key

vendor’s factories nearby, such as a window factory or lumber mill, arrange a tour of the facility so your customers can become better acquainted with the product and more loyal to you as a supplier of that product.

Keep the paint department top-of-mind with customers year round by giving it a prominent place in the store, as is the case at Anita Supply Center in Anita, Iowa.

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VENDOR SHOWCASE

Gemini Coatings, Inc. T WP ® , Total Wood Preservative, is an EPA-registered wood preservative that prevents structural damage and wood decay on exterior above-ground wood surfaces such as untreated or previously treated fencing, decking, wood siding, log homes and shingles. TWP resists water absorption that causes warping, cracking and splitting and prevents freeze damage in colder climates. TWP contains special UV absorbing pigments that prevent unsightly wood graying, darkening and fading. The selected mildewcides inhibit the growth of mold and mildew, which assists in preventing premature discoloration. TWP will keep your wood beautiful, fresh and looking new longer. The ease of application and maintenance will allow you to enjoy your investment for years to come.

Shop-Vac

Valspar

H eadquartered in Williamsport, Pa., Shop-Vac Corp. is the leading manufacturer in wet/dry vacuums. For more than 40 years Shop-Vac has been the innovator for new product introductions and quality in manufacturing. Shop-Vac Corp. manufactures a wide range of vacuums for consumer, industrial and commercial use. It has a vacuum for almost every application. Customers associate the Shop-Vac brand with dependability and the ability to handle the toughest cleaning jobs. To learn more about our wide range of products, please visit us at www.shopvac.com. We also look forward to speaking with you. Stop by booth 115 for show specials that will be too good to pass up.

N ow is the time to stock up on all Valspar products. Valspar will be offering a $2 per gallon cash spiff on any Valspar product, which includes Valspar, Cabot and Quikrete products. Prepaid orders require a minimum of 48 gallons. Pricing will be at the 48- and 96-gallon drop ship cost. We look forward to seeing you at booth 605. At Valspar, we’re passionate about creating high-quality products customers look for and love. Innovation drives everything we do, from uncovering new opportunities and enhancements and embracing breakthrough thinking, to continuously looking for ways to do things better. For more than 200 years, our commitment to delivering the best possible solutions and the ultimate customer experience has never wavered.

Live the Outdoors! ™

• Aggressive programs for new and existing dealers • Full line of V.O.C. compliant products • Dedicated Regional Manager support NEVER IN THE BIG BOX E XC L US I V E LY I NDE P ENDENT SUPERDECK ®

TM

Booth 541

TM

ONLINE TOOLS

Ordering Made Easy Get the Most Out of the Online Catalog at www.blishmize.com T alk to other Blish-Mize customers about why they use the online catalog at www.blishmize.com to place weekly

orders and you’ll hear phrases like “super easy,” “more accurate” and “saves me time.”

Full of Features Besides being easy to use, the online catalog offers you more options for managing your orders and Blish-Mize account. Rich Clem, catalog manager at Blish-Mize, says the tool has many useful features. “It also allows you a lot of control over the ordering process. Everyone should take a look at all of its features to make sure they’re getting the most out of it.” At Hometown Lumber, in Valentine, Neb., one of the features store manager Rusty Markus finds valuable is the ability to get real-time updates from the warehouse. “I can see the cost and how many of the particular SKU I need are available. I can tell right away if I’m going to need a substitution,” he says. Markus also orders inventory using an RF scanner and finds that while the initial purchase was an investment, it’s more accurate than using a manual ordering system. “There’s almost zero chance of error,” he says. “Rather than having somebody typing numbers in, with the scanner, we just walk around the store and scan the order.” Here are a few of the other things you’ll be able to do as an online catalog user: • Have guest access. Log in with a customer number and guest password to access a catalog with your own custom retail prices. This way of viewing the catalog will not show your cost, so it is safe to show customers and allows them to see more features of the product than they might be able to with a paper catalog.

That’s because Blish-Mize’s online catalog is packed full of features that allow you to find the products you need quickly, without being a computer genius to figure it out. That’s not its only selling point, either. The catalog has features that provide you with more control of the ordering process and help you get the best deals available. Easy to Use Before she started placing orders online, Susan Crewdson of Kildare Lumber in North Platte, Neb., had grown accustomed to using the paper catalog to find the prod- ucts she needed and then call in each order. “It was very time consuming,” she says, but she was a little reluctant at first to try the online catalog. “I’m not a computer per- son,” she says. “But then I discovered how easy it was to use the online ordering. It has really saved me a lot of time.” Besides making the ordering process faster and easier, the online catalog also has a virtual promotions area that lists all of the specials available that week. By using that area, Crewdson can make sure she doesn’t miss any featured items or special pricing Blish-Mize might be offering that week. She can also easily find new items that might have been added to the catalog. Crewdson also says the online catalog has more information available than the paper catalog, which she can pass on to her customers. In fact, if her customers want to take the product information home, she can print off a page and hand it to them without showing pricing information.

The Blish-Mize online catalog offers easy ways to search for products and get more information on the products you find.

• Have multiple shopping carts. When you order something, it is put into a shopping cart. The catalog allows you to have multiple shopping carts so you can separate special orders from regular orders or order by department. • Set your own rules. Set up your own rules as to rounding up or rounding down order quantities. This allows you to prevent broken sell packs and charges associated with them. • See news and promotions. The online catalog has a place to view current promotional pricing available from Blish- Mize. Instead of trying to remember the upcoming special your sales representative told you about or finding the flier that came in the mail, the Virtual Promotions area keeps all of that in one place. Throughout the year, you can see the latest news from the purchasing department as well as new items.

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Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies

Slim is in. The Smart Solution from Leviton.

At Leviton, we took our revolutionary Slim SmartlockPro GFCI and made it even smarter! Sure, it still boasts the slimmest profile on the market, using up to 25% less space in the wallbox versus other GFCIs. But now it is available in three new models: Self-Test, Guide Light and Weather Resistant. And, because safety is always a priority, our entire line of Slim GFCIs provide Leviton’s patented lock-out feature and are tamper-resistant. Visit us at booth 526 to learn more about our SmartlockPro Slim GFCIs, plus other featured products, promotions and show specials.

Booth #526

THE FUTURE IS ON ®

©2012LevitonManufacturingCo., Inc.All rights reserved. www.leviton.com/gfci