Merchandising moves moulding

By BernardJ. Tomeslo Executive Vice President Wood Moulding & Milltrcrt Producers Association

E OR YEARS, dealen, distributors

F anO manufacturers alike aimed their wood moulding promotions at the contractor. The reason was simple. The majority of moulding uas sold for use in new construction.

Tbday, however, nxlre homeorvners are realizing that decorating with wood mouldings is one of the least expensive ways to change the look of a home. As a result, the consumer is one of the largest and fastest growing groups of wood mouldings users. And this trend is likely to continue for yean.

If you want to boost your uood ntouldings sales, it is necessary to set pur sights on more consumer business. And you are going to have o do it through better rnerchandising. Good displays (see p. 12) are obviously one way of doing that. Good cnrerall merchandising is another.

Retailen who have been successful in maximizing consumer sales of moulding have found the folloving six tips helpful. They can help you to do a betterjob of merchandising, too.

and \rarnishcs, apply a diftrent finistt to each of a set of moulding samples attactrcd toa kcy chain display.

(2) Be knowlcdgcablc

The average do-it-yoursclfer is not accustomed to using mouldings. Sdes personncl must be able to ansrcr qucstions ad recomnrcnd prdhs When dtcy do this, increasing moulding sales becornes easier.

Ttre key is a ndl+ducarcd sahs bre. WMMPA can help with a number of sales training aids. They include a l6-page pattern book, a 9Gpage salesman's guide and an t-pagc brochurc describing hos, to merchandisc shortlength mouldings.

(3) Merchandise "shorts"

Merchandising "shorts" to do-itpurselfen calls br different approaches than merchandising lottg lenglhs. Don't be afraid to display short-lenglh mouldings prominently for bener visibility and grcater opporunity o sell the product as an impulseitem.

(f) Make it easy to buy

Once the consumer has selected a pro. file, make the purchasing process as painless as possible. Here are some examples: Install a giant-sized ruler to make moulding and other wood products easy to measure. Construct the measuring stick by securing a uoodbeam at the floor and ceiling and indicating inch and foot marks on it up to 16 feet.

When motrldings arc stored in horizontal racks, removing each piece from its comparfinent to rneasure it can becorne a chore for the customer. To eliminate this problem, color code an end of each piece and provide a legend on the display explaining what each color indicates.

To show the differences in surface appearance that occur with various stains

When consunprs askabon rnanldfurys, show them the short-length mouldings first, if for no odrer reassr tran o idediry the profile. Often, the customer says "Tlrese are the lengtts I uanrcd anpay."

Stress the ease ofcarrying "shorts" honp and the monel savings.

Price by the piece. Consumers could care less aborn "so mrch per foot" when the piece is short.

(4) Use nrerchalrilisfuU aids

Check with your supplicr and wholesaler to sce what they have available. And, check with the WMMPA because we too offer a variety of sclling tools.

WMMPA has developed a library of

''how-to" pieces aimed at the consumer and dealing specifically with the correct use and installation of wood mouldings. These basic consumer education pieces are excellent point-of-purchase aids for every retail establishment that carries wood mouldings.

We have also developed several "idea" pieces designed to guide consumers to projects that involve wood mouldings, They range from an 8-page brochure describing the decorating possibilities of wood moulding to a 28-page book illustrating 500 different do-it-yourself projects.

Another very effective merchandising tool in a do-it-younelf information cent€r is an audio-visual presentation on wood moulding. One of the biggest benefits of this is that it can provide customers with ideas and instructions without taking a salesman's selling time. Place the equipment near the moulding sales area or in a strategic location that will draw the customer's atlention.

Story at a Glance

Six great ideas to help dealers profitably build moulding sales to consumens...your contnctor customers will benef it, too... where to get sales and merchandising aids and ideas.

Following the AV presentation, present the customer with literature that summarizes the program. The hand-out will reinforce the message of the audio-visual and help increase wood moulding sales.

(O Keep literature nearby

Always keep a good supply of moulding literature near the moulding display. Browsing customers get ideas from leafing through the material, or they may ake it home to read and come back as a moulding purchaser. Literature is also helpful as a reference when discussing mouJding uses and techniques with a customer Many dealers attach a copy to their moulding display. Many retailers also attach WMMPA s decorating booklet to their wood moulding display because it illustrates a wide variety of decorating ideas.

(6) Promote, promote, promote Stage in-store demonstrations that show consumers horp easy it is to use and work with mouldings. Every time you promote your paneling, paint, wallcoverings, windows, doors and drywall, promote your mouldings too. Let the customer know you have a good assortment of mouldings to build your image as the place to find and purchase wood mouldings.

Sales histories show that September, October and November are the best times to promote wood mouldings with March, April and May coming up fast. The weakest months are January, July and August. Remember this season pattern when making your promotional plans for mouldings.

To bring prospective buyers ofwood mouldings into your store, WMMPA has created an "Advertising

Clip Kit."

Hundreds of different camera-ready headlines and illustrations can be used to customize newspaper or magazine ads, inserts, folders, flyers, catalogs and other printed pieces. WMMPA also offers a similar kit containing everything retailers need to prepare a wall chart illustrating the wood mouldings they stock.

By using the tips discussed here, your chances ofincreasing your profits through more consumer sales of wood mouldings will increase greatly. However, these are not the only techniques that can be used to boost wood moulding sales. There are many more. To learn more about them and the merchandising aids described here, wrire to: WMMPA. PA. Box25Z78Portland, Or.W225.

C0I,ISUMER moulding sales can be increased by presentlng products in a way the nonprofessional understands. Storage system (top photo) makes it easy to find the right size and profile. Literature prominently displayed, but \,ell anchored, (middle photo) can stimulate interest and sales. Differences (lower photo) in surface appearance become clear when a different finish is applied to each wood moulding sample in a key chain display.