Page 8 - Fall 2012 Hardlines Strategies

8 Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies
STORE PROGRAMS
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.
“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.