& adhesives

up so they remain looking good and organized," says Thomas. "lf they're lying down, the label print might smear or the tubes might crease so it looks as if they've been used." Upright containers also are more eye catching.

But the key to caulk, sealant and adhesive sales is cross merchandising. "You don't buy it without a project in mind," says Dan Nixa, marketing manager for Macco Adhesives. "Not many people walk into a store to pick up l0 tubes of Liquid Nails just to have around the house. It's very project specific."

Position from a small selection to a stack of cases next to related products. Caulking can go by the windows, doors and bath products. Put adhesives near the mouldings, paint, subflooring, plywood, decking and floor and wall tile. Small squeeze tubes of adhesive make good impulse items.

For the most part, caulking, sealant and adhesive companies don't spend much on consumer adver- tising. Yet as the products become increasingly easy to use, they make nice additions to sales circulars. "They're good products for advertising. Tubes of caulk are great to sell at a real good price or to give away for promotions," says Thomas. "Now that they're easier to use, people are using them more freely. Everyone thought silicone was not the easiest thing to use."

Direct advertising and promotions to the correct buyer. "There are two different types of buyers: the building material buyer for adhesives and the paint/sundry buyer for caulking," says Nixa. individuals, opened in Birnringhanr, Al., to produce kiln (ried lunrber for export to Taiwan...

While an equally viable target, contractors are more difficult to reach. "Contractors go in the back door, pay by charge and walk out," Nixa says. "The contractor desk is a small area. There's not much room for displays, so dealers will usually show high end items like $300 or $400 power tools. You can't blame them. A tube of caulk goes for $3 or $4. A tube of adhesive, maybe 900 to $1.69."

They're low end items, but theY can be profitable ones when added to project sales.