Hardware/housewares prof it builders

FTASIC HARDWARE becomes Elmore important with good merchandising. For example, establish a Security Center, a central location for all items related to security in the home: anti-burglar bars, deadbolt locks, high quality cylindrical locksets, automatic timers for lights, intrusion alarms, window locks, home safes. Add take-home literature on security or reprints of articles on the same. Brief sales personnel in this part of the store so that they are experts on the subject of security and ways the Security Center merchandise can safeguard a homeowner and his belongings.

Drsmatize bathroom fixtures with vignettes. It may be necessory to line them up in s row to show the stYles, but create at leost one mini-bathroom. Establish s corner to show off a vonity, toilet, mirrored and hanging cabinets. Glamorize with o lighl fixture, wostebasket, towels, rug, counter accessories and you multiply the sales potential of all the items.

Use pegboard to arrange a displaY showing various sizes and tyPes of tools with an explanation of the best size and tool for each household job.

Change the sale staff's iackets or smocks with the seasons, usingcolors that harmonize with your corporsle colors. A bright fresh spring color can help to stimulate thefirst sales of the season.

Set up a center where You will engrave a purchaser's name or identification number on a tool or aPpliance for security purposes. It is an inexpensive service that pleases the customers.

Try an unusual arrangement with bothroom fixtures. Mount a sink over a toilel to save space. Turn a tub on end ond display a toilet plus addi' tionol plumbing in it. The sides ore good for honging fashion both accessories.

Hang a hoist and chain on a gondolaend with the packaged merchandise. A poster showing how the tool can save the back muscles will help to sell the merchandise.

Try bulk displays of items such as swimming pool chemicals. Stack them on a pallet in theoisle and watch the customers Pick them uP.

Hang tier arrangements of lettuce baskets or collanders in the housewares section and fill them with small merchandise. The same arrangement will work for small hardware items, using buckets or similar containers suspended from chains.

Although kirchen remodeling is big ticket stuff, You can make Your sale of remodeling Packages even better by dramatizing the cabinets and appliances in a setting. TrY a raised platform with designer floor' ing, wallpaper or tiled walls in the background and accesories such as coffee maker, mugs, bread box, green plonts and o bowl of colorful fruit. Moke the homeowner long to pour o cup of coffee or make o Piece of toast, and you'll be selling "a kitchen iust like this."

Be original in arranging dumPster displays. Use wheelbarrows' toy wagons, plastic wading pools, collections of plastic dishpans or crocks as containers. Be sure to put them in the traffic aisles to catch impulse sales.

Maintain o sPace in housewares for seasonot disPloYs. Olfer Sift wrapping and keep a bridol registry to encourage sola.

Consider loaning Your Parking lot for dog obedience classes or a rabies vaccine clinic. It will give you an opportunity to publicize your pet supply section and make new friends for the store.

Establish a reputotion as the store that has everything. Ifyou are caught short, have catologs hondy qnd be agreeable to ordering the item.

Set up your outdoor living center early to capture the first sales of the season. Launch it with a barbecue. serving samples.

Story at a Glance

lmaginative displays create sales .. Related merchandising stimulates buying .. Additional traffic generaled impulse purchases accelerated.

Cleaning supplies become good sellers when they are merchandised with imagination. Try selling sponges for l0 while they last or offering brooms for 50 to early bird shoppers. Give away a year's supply of free vacuum cleaner bags to those buying machines by providing them with coupons to redeem each month.

Rental equipment is a small but ongoing source of profit. Display it with related merchandise. Rug cleaners go in the cleaning supply section, not hidden on the back wall. Make it a policy to loan equipment without charge to charity groups. You'll be surprised at the number of paying renters this will generate.

When store signing is tired, refurbish it with q little sparkle. Neon is s possibility, especially suited to the housewares section. Used inside with discretion, it brightens o dull corner ond ottracts a lot of attention.

Although sales of hand tools are expected to remain steady or improve with the economy, you can speed the process by cross merchandising. Display tools next to items that require them. A customer who buys nails should find hammers conveniently close. A display of anchors should include mallets and sledges as well as cable and chain. Anticipate the customer's needs and have the tools he requires within sight and reach.

Always assemble floor samples of KD furniture. Display the completed pieces in room settings if possible. Use the shelves and table tops to spotlight accessories from the housewares section. An attractive lamp with several well chosen accessories or a dinner setting with colorful dishes will catch the customer's eye and make the furniture more appealing.

Since household gadgets are impulse sales items, include them in every display, ready for easy pickup. Fill pitchers, jars, crocks, bowls and baskets with them. Hang them, stack them, pile them, with convenient supplies of extras nearby. For starters, hang a storage shelfrack stocked with cleaning essentials in the cleaning supply section. The housewife who is tired of her jumbled cleaning closet will probably buy a rack along with her planned purchases.

Never allow q boxed tool to sit idle on the sheu without an open sample. Make it look as if it is ready to use. Allow the cord to be free, put some row material or an unfinished project with it. Tantalize the customer to put it to use. Make it hard for s person not to pick it up. Who says tools can't be impulse items?

Job related merchandising works all over the store. The woman who comes to buy oven cleaner will pick up a pair of rubber gloves if they are grouped together. A pie bird is natural add on for a pie plate; a special scouring pad for a non-stick skillet; copper polish for copper bottom cookware; lintfree dishtowels for ice tea glasses; a juice jug with the electric juicer; rubber scrapers with the food processor; coffee mugs with the coffee maker. The list is endless.

Be aware of trends. Promote items in the news. For example, telephones are receiving ottention ss homeowners must decide to buy or continue to rent their instruments. Capitalize on this interest by displaying telephone accessories prominently. Include information sheets to encourage o homeowner to improve his home communicotion system. This works equally well with big ticket items: video gomes, home computers, microwaves, food processors, kerosene heaters.

Colorful plastic can rnake sn important statement when massed prominently. Color key the display for more emphasis.