Spring 2014 Hardlines Strategies

THE PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Smarter Retailing

Y ou put in a lot of time to keep your business running successfully. In any given day you could spend hours ordering inventory, adjust- ing prices or developing new merchandising displays. But with limited time and unlimited demands on that time, are you being as productive as you can be in improving your operation? Are there ways you could be working more efficiently? At Blish-Mize, we’re here to help you make the most

Contents Your Competitive Edge

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Blish-Mize offers you dependable inventory and reliable delivery.

Retailer Feature pg. 8 Read how Blish-Mize helped the owners of Post Commissary with their remodel. pg. 14 Learn how Blish-Mize worked to give A&H Building & Supply, Inc. a makeover. pg. 18 Find new opportunities and big savings at the Blish-Mize 2014 Spring Buying Market. pg. 28 Use the SmartBook to make the most of your time at the Market. Retail Pricing pg. 30 Learn how the Retail Pricing System can help you develop a strategy designed specifically for your market. On the Cover: Bill Martinez of Post Commissary in Fort Garland, Colo. Retailer Feature Market Preview SmartBook

of your time and become more profitable, productive retailers. That’s why we developed a set of strategic tools to equip you with all the information you need to make the smartest business decisions. The first tool is our SmartBook, designed to take the work out of preparing for our Buying Markets. Within the SmartBook, found online and in print, you’ll find individual preprints by participating vendors. Listed first are “Market Featured Items,” followed by any new items added in the past year from that particular vendor. Following those two key areas of information will be items you’ve purchased from us in quantity order, largest to smallest. This information is based on your out-of-warehouse purchases from the last year, followed by ordering amounts over the next three- and six-month periods. The last page summarizes your total possible savings for the three and six months’ purchase amounts. As you will see, our new SmartBook is a “smart” new tool to ensure you’re taking advantage of the best pricing and terms available during the Market. Read more about how the SmartBook can help you on Page 28. When it comes to pricing, Blish-Mize is equipped to help you set smarter retails with the Retail Pricing System (RPS), a benchmark retail you can use as a guideline for your market. Learn how RPS can work for you on Page 30. In conjunction with the new SmartBook and Retail Pricing System, you can also use the sales data already available to you through the Annual Review Reports your Blish-Mize sales representative has prepared and reviewed with you. It includes all your Blish-Mize purchases in 2013 compared to 2012. Your representative will also review with you the full range of programs and services we offer to make sure you’re not missing any opportunities. Many of you are already taking advantage of the tools Blish-Mize has to offer, with impressive results. For examples, read about two recently completed store resets at Post Commissary in Fort Garland, Colo., on Page 8 and A&H Building & Supply, Inc. in Humphrey, Neb., on Page 14. Both turned to Blish-Mize to develop new store layouts and merchandising plans. Now that the transitions are complete, we continue to help keep their operations running smoothly. Another Blish-Mize customer, Steve Belshe of Richland Hardware in Richland, Mo., was recently recognized for his outstanding achievements in retail. Belshe was presented with an Estwing Gold Hammer award for his 50 years of service to the industry. Congratulations to Steve and his team for his continued success. Let us help you make the smartest business decisions. Take advantage of all the opportunities Blish-Mize has to offer. We’ll see you at the Spring Buying Market!

Advertising Information Hardlines Strategies is published twice every year by Blish-Mize. Copyright 2014. 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 CEO and President

Blish-Mize isamember-owner ofDistributionAmerica

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