Spring 2017 Hardlines Strategies

CUSTOMER PROFILE

A One-Stop Shop Oklahoma Paint Retailer Expands Offerings to Include Hardware

More than a decade later, after being approached by a different paint manufacturer about opening his own business, Munger Paint & Wallcovering was born. The 8,000-square-foot store in Warr Acres, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City, is filled with paint and stain, paint sundries, a large wallpaper selection and a small selection of hardware. The store’s customer base includes a mix of retail and contractor customers, as well as maintenance accounts for the store’s business with local schools. With such a diverse range of customers, Marvin Munger and his son, Curt, are careful to make sure they have the products on hand these clients might need. This takes thoughtful planning, a thorough understanding of customer needs and a little help from Blish-Mize. Standing Out From the Rest Despite several competing stores nearby, including some big-boxes, Munger Paint & Wallcovering stands school and college, and after time spent in the military, came to Oklahoma City and began working with a national paint company. M arvin Munger has spent much of his life in the paint business. Munger worked at a paint store during high

Marvin Munger, left, started Munger Paint & Wallcovering in 1977. Now he and his son, Curt, a second-generation owner, run the store together.

out from the competition with top-of- the-line customer service and strong product selection. “We may be the only paint and wallpaper store in the area,” says Marvin. “You think of the day when you went to the paint and wallpaper store and bought

all materials and tools you needed for a project—everything from beginning to end. That’s not as common now, but we still offer all these products. “We carry a lot of unexpected products that other stores may not, which saves our customers a lot of time,” he says.

12 Spring 2017 • Hardlines Strategies