Moulding Merchandising Tips

l. Display Moulding. Ciet it out of the stockroom and onto the selling floor in clearly marked stocking racks or profile boards.

For example, Pratt-Dudley lluilding Supply, Augusta, Ga., showcases high gloss enameled samples against a dark board. Says president Mark Pratt: "We have flat columns protruding out from the wall with samples wrapped around them. Crowns are up high, chair rails in the middle, bases near the bottom. Casings are shown at a 45o angle."

l)isplaying moulding in related departments can turn any paint, wallpaper, paneling, drywall, window or door sale into a moulding sale.

2. Merchandise Shorts. Get shorts out of the moulding racks and into a high traflic area. high end decorative products and provide a showroom they can bring their own customers to visit. lt's both a sales resource and a training tool. If you're going to spend a lot of money on a decorative product, you'd like to see more than a picture in a catalog."

3. Use Point-of-Sale Materials such as how-to and idea books to promote projects and applications.

4. Take Advantage of Co-op Advertising Funds. tlspecially successful during peak remodeling seasons (spring and lall) and in conjunction with promoting related items.

5. Tailor Your Selection to Your Market. Pratt-Dudley offers a 50% greater selection than their competitors. " A builder comes here knowing he doesn't have to run all over town to fill up a house with mouldings," Pratt says. "And moulding's high profit margin helps cover the large inventory, waste, two shipments that don't match, and so on."

Access to their display area is through a finished entry. Inside there are displays of doors, windows, decorative and brass hardware and ornamental mouldings. The employees who help those viewing the displays have had special training including upscale selling seminars. "Knowledgeable people are the best representatives of the company and the products we carry," Rourk said.

Canyon Drive LumberCo., Amarillo, Tx., stresses both quality products and service. Over the past 25 years they have developed a reputation for service with the professional builder and now the homeowner.

"We're the only lumber company in Amarillo with an in-house door unit plant," comme.nts Dean Barnett, general manager. "We can design and fabricate a door to fit individual needs."

The store also offers a good selection of wood patio doors, windows and doors as well as hollow metal commercial grade steel doors and frames. Canyon Drive Lumber specializes in hanging doors. "The company can custom fit any door to fit any door opening and assure that a remodeling project is done right the first time," Barnett points out.

"We strive to provide the kind of personalized service that has always been the trademark of an independent lumber dealer," said W. Wallace Poole of Poole Lumber Co., New Orleans, La.

In addition to service provided by 13 full time sales people, the store maintains standing displays of doors. Completed with side lights and transoms in many cases, the displays are identified by name and carry tags listing the benefits and prices. The family-owned business, run by Poole and his brother John, claims with pride that its employees have a combined experience of over 250 years. "We can build a house right out of our store except for a few things like concrete and heating and air conditioning," Poole said.

Payless Cashways in Antioch, Tn., uses a good portion of its 60,000 sq. ft. showroom flor door and window displays. Walls of installed doors and windows and free standing mock front entrances give customers a good idea of how the products will look in their homes.

Lowe's adds a sales counter to the door and window display areas in many of their stores. Customers can browse through the free standing displays and have someone readily available to answer their questions.

More and more dealers are recog- nizing that doors and windows are a big ticket item. Some find that they are being outsold by the competition. one store manager put it this way, "We're neglecting doors and windows while the guy a few blocks away is getting fat on them. We've got to get with it and show our customers we have what they want."

Customers want to see what they're going to buy without having to paw through dusty racks or stacks of doors and windows. Give the products a little glamour and you'll find you have your share ofdoor and window shoppers who buy.