Page 4 - Fall 2012 Hardlines Strategies

4 Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies
STORE PROGRAMS
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.
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.”
Building Your Dream Store
How Blish-Mize Can Help Your Next Store Reset
I f you could build
your dream store,
what would it
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.