12 / 44
CUSTOMER PROFILE
A Little Bit of Everything
Blish-Mize Helps New Mexico Retailer Diversify
Boom times for the nearby oil
companies translate to increased traffic
at the store as employees stock up on
supplies. During times when the oil
industry is struggling, however, the team
at BES, which also has a second store in
Artesia, New Mexico, about 40 miles
away, has had to develop strategies to keep
the registers ringing. In large part, this
answer has come through diversification
of the store’s product mix—a solution
made much easier because of its
relationship with Blish-Mize.
A Plan for Diversification
Within BES Supply Store’s
18,000-square-foot salesfloor, customers
can find thousands of SKUs covering just
about every category. This broad array of
merchandise is all part of management’s
plan for diversification.
With the volatility of dealing with
oil companies, purchasing manager Robert
Baze and store manager Anne Shoemaker
say they have to stay on top of customers’
wants and needs to continue to compete.
Sometimes this means special ordering
products, while other times, it means
adding niches that help differentiate
the store from the offerings of local
competitors, like the nearby Walmart.
In fact, Baze says Walmart has even begun
sending customers to BES Supply Store
when they are looking for a specialized item.
The ability to offer customers a unique
product selection, quick turnaround on
special orders and competitive pricing
are key reasons BES does business with
Blish-Mize, a relationship that began
seven years ago.
“They provide a quick turnaround
for orders,” Baze says, “and you know
when your order will arrive. And for
things we don’t have, I can check the
Blish-Mize system, see that they have
something, and get it here overnight.”
L
ike many businesses
that service
customers in the
oil industry,
the team at
BES Supply Store in
Carlsbad, New Mexico,
has learned to take the
good with the bad.
Purchasing manager Robert Baze and store manager Anne Shoemaker rely on Blish-Mize
to quickly and efficiently provide them with the products their customers are looking for.
12
Fall 2016 •
Hardlines
Strategies