Creative door displays provide hands q appeal

By John W. Shoemaker Executive Vice President National Wood Window & Door Association

THE BOOM in residential renoI vation and remodeling continues to fuel demand for exterior doors, creating new opportunities for door retailers.

National Wood Window & Door Association research estimates remodeling and renovation will account for approximately 450/o of all exterior door sales in 1988, reaching 3.6 million units. That represents an increase of 9o/o over the previous year.

Not only does the do-it-yourself market continue strong, a new buyit-yourself market, in which products are purchased by the homeowner and installed by a professional contractor, is also emerging. That is good news for retailers who market to the end-use consumer as well as those marketing to the trade.

Paul Pierce, manager, product development and technical services, Simpson Door Co., notes that homeowners purchasing a door for a renovation project are typically looking at high-end products to upgrade their entryways.

"When you are looking at someone who is replacing their front door, they are looking at upgrading," he says. "They don't want to just replace it with what they have got. These are the people who are looking at home centers for a new door."

Because the homeowner mav not be as familiar with building products as a professional builder or remodeler, retailers must develop innovative displays that answer questions and address the homeowner's concerns.

"Certainly in the last three to five years, consumers have become more sophisticated and more involved in the selection of products for their homes," says Steve Riley, manager, advertising and promotion, Morgan Products, Ltd. "As they become more involved, they also become more selective about brands that go into the home, including doors. Therefore, it is important to show them how the door is going to look. A catalog can only go so far."

To meet these demands, retailers are turning to increasingly creative methods for displaying the doors they sell.

Jim Glasgow, director of advertising and public relations, Nord Company, a division of Jeld-Wen, says creating a strong floor display is similar to creating a good advertisement.

"Generally you need a good visual hook to get people to stop and look at the product," he says. "You have to have enough sizzle to get the customer to stop walking and at least consider the option."

Displays typically fall major types: into three o Single unit,

. Multi-unit, and o Built-in vignettes. that will grab the person's attention and get them to stop."

Single-unit displays usually incorporate signage above and beside the door, calling out features and benefits ofthe specific product. A rack for product literature is often included.

Multi-unit displays feature a rack with several doors mounted on rollers, allowing the customer to slide a specific model out for examination. Not only do they Provide the customer with an opportunity to view a variety of doors, they also conserve valuable showroom floor space.

As with the single-unit disPlaYs, multi-unit displays typically incorporate signage and literature materials pointing out specific features and benefits of the products displayed.

"The customer can look at a number of doors and feel them, as well," says Pierce. "It gives him a sense of the weight and heft so that he has a good feeling about the door being a substantial piece of highquality wood work."

Story at a Glance

Ways to get in on the growing doors-for-remodeling market .9o/o increase expected this year examples of good displays. merchandising tiPs.

The third type of displaythe vignette is rapidly gaining popularity, particularly as retailers look for new techniques to appeal to the home owner.

"You tend to show a real showstopper on the single-door merchandiser," says Glasgow. "Many times, the customer maY Pull out the literature and decide the door displayed costs more than he wants to spend, but he may see another door at a different price point that has enough sizzle to convert the sale. However you have to have a disPlaY

"A number of Simpson retailers become heavily involved in the showroom concept of disPlaYing doors," says Pierce. "Quite a few have developed vignettes that show the door surrounded bY single or double sidelights and possibly a transom on top. This is a very effective selling tool, particularly for the customer who does not have a strong background in construction or millwork. Imagining a door in an opening is a lot different from actuallY seeing one."

He adds that being able to see the door physically in a setting similar to that in which it will be installed pro- vides a comfort level for customers who see the door as a major expenditure. lUl That's the answer of a veteran window and door merchandising man when asked how a home center or lumber yard can best compete with the specialty doors-or-windowsonly merchandiser.

"If a customer is buying a door, a couple of sidelights and a transom, he could be looking at a substantial investment," he says. "If he is making a large investment, he is going to take the time to go out and see the door. The vignettes do a goodjob of showing the customer what the door will look like."

ERCHANDISE their dreams.

He explained that a dealer can successfully merchandise upscale although his customers may not be able to afford or use the high end products. "Show them a quality divided lite patio door with round top even if they want only a basic patio door," he recommends. "They'll be encouraged to buy the best they can afford."

The retailer who wants to be perceived as an authority offering quality merchandise, expert service and advice should be concentrating on four points.

First, he must dedicate space for displays. A special shop within the store with distinctive signing is the beginning. Amenities such as carpeting, plants and dramatic lighting are pluses. Windows and doors should be displayed as if they are actually installed in a house. Shoppers should be able to visualize the completed installation as well as actually operate the products. Opening, closing, looking or walking through capability is important.

Next, the display must be reinforced by a specially trained staffthat knows all there is to know about windows. These sales people must be able to answer questions and provide information on style and size as well as insulation technology, such as low-E glass, and energy efficiency. Many dealers send the staffto one of the special training schools offered by manufacturers.

A staffed counter or answer booth complete with lots of take home literature, pictures and catalogs is the third essential. This center is often the customer's first stop. It also is helpful in holding his interest if the sales people are occupied with other customers. Selling doors and windows requires staff. These products are not serve-yourself-and-carry-tothe-cash-register items.

Although buy-it-yourself customers outnumber do-it-yourself buyers in most door and window depart- ments, a retailer must have a staff able to serve both equally. They must be able to counsel a d-i-yer in self installation information or recommend an installer as easily as they can cooperate with a contractor or architect in helping his client to select the specified products.

Although many dealers choose to be stocking dealers with a small custom shop to assemble special orders, this is not essential, according to Jack Ullrich, manager of sales promotion at Andersen Corp. A dealer can stock "what you see" and "be a partner with his distributor," he says. This is often better economically because it avoids a large inventory. The dealer.who lets his distributor back him up can sometimes be more competitive.

About 650/o of the windows sold are for remodeling or replacement. New houses and commercial developments account for the rest. Door sales. too, tilt in favor of replacement.

Advertising, the fourth essential, "should romance the product," Ullrich points out, while establishing the dealer as an authority. Shoppers, who like to consider themselves knowledgeable and selective, are attracted to stores they perceive as superior and informed. Ullrich recommends that dealers join in a group to use co-op advertising supported by the manufacturer and distributor. While this may focus on the product more than the store, it reinforces the image of being a specialist.

Story at a Glance

Four essentials for building door & window sales... ways to help customer perceive you as a specialist howto save money on inventory and advertising.

Newspaper, magazine, radio and tv advertising as well as home show participation have been successful for many dealers. Banners, truckload sales, parking lot sales and clinics also bring results.

However you do it, remember "customers like to dream," and your store can fullfill those dreams.

Rl,Y"'?.l}iil?

markets for dealers.

and renovation strong window

For the first time since 1982 remodeling and replacement use with 20.6 million units has exceeded new construction which required only 18.0 million units. This trend is projected to continue although the total residential window market of 38.6 million units in 1987 is forecast to drop 7o/o to 35.9 million by 1990.

Wood window sales including vinyl clad and metal clad units, which took the lead from aluminum in 1987, are expected to stay ahead in new construction at least through 1990. Sales for 1988 are projected in millions at 8.2 for wood; 7.7 for aluminum; .2 for vinyl and .2 for other materials.

In remodeling and replacement use, wood units, again including vinyl and metal clad, are expected to exceed those of aluminum and vinyl. While aluminum sales have been gradually eroding since 1981, vinyl sales have increased from .3 to a projected 5.3 million units in 1988, Wood window use also has grown steadily from 4.8 million units in l98l to 8.8 million units expected in 1988.

Residential patio door use bolstered by a strong R&R market is expected to reach 2,850,000 units this year, down slightly from 1987 when close to 2.9 million patio doors were installed. The aluminum door