Gash in with door &windowdisplays

ByJohnW. Shoemaker Executive Vice President National Wood Windor & Door Association

OT LONG ago, wood windows and doors took a backseat in lumber prds and home centers. Displa5ru were unorganized, ineffectirc ard boring. As a result, they did not attract custorners and they did not sell producs.

That's not the case anymorE. Through more innovative merchandising methods, today's retailers are shorring and telling the uorld all about tlre inherent appeal of uood windorc and doors, including their natural beauty, warmth, durability, strength, ease of operation, ease of maintenance and energy efficiency.

Installing new windows and doors has become one of the most popular home improvement projects, whether done professionally or by a do-it-yourselfer. More and more consumers are falling in lwe again with uood. There is a return to the traditional with a growing trend toward upgrading by consumer and builder alike.

Selling more uood windom and doors hinges on one hard and fast rule: better displays. Products with charisma strch as wood windorps and doors lose their selling edge stacked in a warehouse out of sight.

But, can these big, bulky items be rnerchandised like tlrc specialty products? Yotl bet they can and here are some ways to do it: up your inventory and devote enough space to give windows and doors a departmental image. Cret intothe market withdominarrce.

Giving the cusomer uriety is critical. Your windop and dmrdepartment must have more than a handful of styles and selections. Your product mix must be broad enough o supply the entire house and satisfy a wide range of customer tastes.

Since there is aredtcnard hlying dte more elaborate and decorative, include top-of-the-line items among those you display. High-style wood entryways, geometrically-shaped unod wfutdom and both boil ad bay wfudors sttould rwirc prominent positions.

Make a commitment to become the wood window and door headquarters in your area. Ex@nd your product line, beef install windows and doors, they seem to want the more luxurious units and a variety of the new features that manufacturers are offering.

Group uood wirdows and doon qntematically by type and price range. Arrangement of ircms by type, such as all louvered bi-fold doors or all interior passageway doors, rather than bY manufrcnrer, rnakes it easier br thc ctstomer. This systemetic, side-by-side approach invites customers to compar€ differcnt designs. In additist, dte imprct of door after beautiful door down the length of the aisle catches the attention of shoppers.

Use functioning window and door displays whenever possible. They encourage shoppers to see, touch and operate the products. Demonstration can help sell more products. Smart retailers demonstrate a wood window or door the same way they demonstrate a shed or deck. They set it up and let the product sell itself. Curious customers will add the necessary human touch by operating it as well as examining it.

In windows, those features include exterior cladding, removable grilles and heat reflective glazing systems. In doors, they include carved panels and leaded or beveled glass.

Try displaying wood windows and doors in a simulated house that encompasses other building materials such as roofing, siding, gutters, downspouts and so forth. A display house within the window and door department shows how these products contribute to a home's overall look. The composite effect of the house works to the sales advantase of every product.

Story at a Glance

Encourage builders to direct their custom home buyers to the wood window and door displays in your store. By doing so, you'll achieve two satisfied customers for every sale: a consumer pleased with the wood windows and doors he has chosen for his new home and a builder who will return with other prospective home buyers.

Sell wood windorvs and doors as part of projects. For example, to sell a complete remodeling project around one door, apply the look-of-home approach to an interdepartmental display. Build a frame around a promotable door; then surround it with siding, entryway light fixtures, decorative hardware, and so forth.

Vary the finishes in your displays for accent. Shorv natural, richly stained wood doors as well as doors painted red and blue. Different shades of paint and stain suggest the decorative versatility ofwood doors. And, whenever you stain or paint a door or add decorative hardware. alwavs cross reference items.

Sell the benefits, features and options of your wood window and door lines. Display signage should emphasize such nords as "lorv maintenance," "cut energy costs" and "beauty plus economy." Show customers the benefits and features first hand. Use displays that show cutaway views of the important elements in construction.

Similarly, use displays that show cutaway views of installation. As customers become more aware of their abilitv to

Finally, merchandise with imagination. Draw on your expertise as a merchant. Make up your own list of the benefits of wood windqvs and doors. Then develop displays to tell their story of solid construction, graceful design, distinctive grain, inherent good looks and natural insulating prop€rties. In short, develop displays that allow you to cash in on the charisma of today's wood windows and doors.

EFFECIIVE uood window and do0r displaF take many forms in showrooms around the country

Top photo instantly makes clear the difference between wood bow and bay windows. lmpact of 36 different doors displayed (center photo) attracts mmediate attention. 0ctopus display (lower photo) offers a variety of wood windows jutting out from a central core of door designs.