Home Center Merchant

Bill Fishman

Bill Fishman & Atfiliates

'l 1650 lberia Place

San Diego, Ca.92128 business contain the following recommendations:

I CAN WALK into any discount

I house or local hardware store and find paint, hardware, tools, electrical and plumbins needs and lots more. The bne thin[ they don't feature (nor yet anyway) is lumber. So how come when I visit some home centers the only visual merchandising I'm exposed to are the same product categories I can buy in the discount house and local hardware store?

A common characteristic I find in my work with independent home centers and buildine material dealers is that their showro-om is totally void of the one thing that makes them different from other types of retailers lumber. Many don't show a stick on the floor. Some position it across the back of the store area to give them easy access to the warehouse inventory. That's a symptom of a retailer being more operations oriented rather than sales oriented.

All of the marketing programs we develop for dealers who are out to capture more of the big ticket d-i-y

New Hardwood Assn. Of f icers

R. Collins Sullivan, Sullivan LumberCo., Preston, Ga., isthenew president of the Southern Hardwood Lumber Manufacturers Association. Other officers for 1982 are Albert P. Whitson, Whitson Lumber Co., Nashville, Tn., lst v.p.,and Vincent Shurr, J.H. Hamlen& Son, Inc., Little Rock, Ar., 2nd v.p. George E. Kelly, Memphis, Tn., was re-elected exec. v.p./sec.

The 47th annual meeting held in New Orleans, La., March 24-26,was opened by Robert S. Cockroft, pres., The Southern Star Lumber Co., McKenzie, Tn. He reported on the activities of the association in marketing, governmental affairs and legislation. He urged the continued support of the lumber industry for President Reagan's goals to reduce spending and bring fiscal balance to

"Bring the lumberyard atmosphere inside! Let 'em smell it. Display lumber up front and make it self-selection. Let the customer see lumber the minute he's inside the front door.

If the showroom is 10,0O0 square feet or more consider splitting the center isle with lumber and building materials on the left or right running the full length of the store from front to back. Allow for wide isles and provide lumbercarts permitting the customer to serve himself and wheel the cart to a check-out counter. Stock the racks and shelves with studs, boards, plywood sheets, banks of paneling, moulding, insulation, even "takewith" millwork. The giant home centers let their customers load prehung doors, combination doors, windows and kitchen cabinets and other millwork on flatbed shopping carts. They keep sales help available to answer questions and solve problems but also make it easy for the d-i-y to self-select if he wishes.

Where space does not allow to inventory on the sales floor it's important to let the customers know what is in the warehouse and in the yard. Do it with signs and/or sampleboards. Let 'em know about the roofing, siding, plasterboard, and timbers. " the nation, adding that "we must push for a reasonable solution to the high interest rates."

Big showroom or small, every retail floor should "sell " the end product that their lumber and building materials create, the family room, dormer, fence, garage, shed, porch, deck, let pictures tell the story. Use photos from shelter magazines or manufacturer's spec sheets mounted on walls, columns and behind the lumber desk. Try merchandising and promoting "packages. " They're profitable and relatively non-competitive. And, while they may not actually sell as "packages," their success as a promotion can be measured in the increase in the sale of basic lumber items.

Lumber and building materials make up the largest portion of the dollar inventory at the home center. Show these products. Keep 'em up front. Don't get caught up in jazzy product categories that cloud your market position. Resist the pink fixturing displaying giftware and the Timex watches at the check-out counter. Remember your lumber heritage sell that difference between you and your mass merchandising competition. Sell it in print! Sell it in the showroom.

Think wood!

Merlin R. Toups, pres., the Greater New Orleans Homestead Association, one of the area's largest thrift banking institutions, told the audience that successful savings and loans must broaden their service to include insurance and other marketing efforts of advantage to homeowners ind businessmen.

William H. Stimpson, pres. of the National Forest Products Association with which SHLMA has been affiliated since 1937 and chairman of the board of Gulf Lumber Co., Mobile, Al., reported on a recent meeting he and other NFPA officers had with President Reagan and high governmental officials to discuss the plight of the forest products and homebuilding industries. He said they were encouraged at the concern expressed by the President for the present economic circumstances of the lumber and plywood industries.

Speaking on the pallet industry, W.B. Nelson, Jr., pres., W.B. Nelson Lumber Co., West Monroe, La., presented a look at a new marketing plan which will affect the market for lumber going into pallets.

G. Alex Bernhardt, pres., Bernhardt Industries, Inc., Lenoir, N.C., and lst v.p. of the Southern Furniture Manufacturers Association, told the hardwood group that his industry is feeling the effect of high interest rates, too.

Meeting in conjunction with the SHLMA were the Southwestern Hardwood Manufacturers Club and the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association.

JACK ALLISON executlve dlrector

llew PRESIDENT of the associaIltion, elected at the 56th annual convention in Williamsburg, is James S. White of Richlands.

Affiliated with W.B.F. White & Sons, Inc., he is a past president of the Hardware Association of the Virginias and is only the second person to be honored with the leadership of both of these important business organizations. A native of Richlands, he is a graduate of Hampton-Sydney College and the University of Virginia Graduate Business School. After serving as an Army finance and accounting officer for three years in Hawaii, he entered the family business in 1962.

Other officers elected to serve for the next year include Ray N. Horn, Natural Bridge Lumber Co., Natural Bridge, lst vice president, and Robert B. Taylor,

Taylor Brothers, Inc., Lynchburg; J. Howard Luck, Manassas Lumber Co., Manassas: and Burke Johnson, York Supply Co., West Point, vice presidents.

Thomas L. Ruffin, Rufhn & Payne, Inc., Richmond was re€lected treasurer for an l8th consecutive term. Newly elected to the board of directors were Freeman Spencer, Massey Builders Supply Corp., Dan Stark, Rocco Building Supplies, and Mike Harman, M W Manufacturers, both associate members.

William P. Ames, Jr., Murphy & Ames, Inc., was elected as a national director to serve as liaison with the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association. John H. Allison, executive director, was also re-elected as national director and secretary.

Delegates at the convention included representatives of the 129 member corporations which represent 212 outlets catering to both contractors and consumers.