Obituaries

Pamela Chaffin, a secretary and bookkeeper at Foxworth Galbraith Lumber Co., Winnisboro, Tx. , died in a plane crash atop a western Arkansas mountain on June 28, 1986. She was zt0.

A native ofEnnis, Tx., she had worked for Foxworth Galbraith for tuo years. Her husband, who piloted the single-engine Cessna aircraft, his mother and stepfather were also killed.

Mn. Chaffin is survived bv her son and daughter.

Housewarcs Exposition Refu nd

The Board of Directors of the National Housewares Manufacturers Association voted a 7 % refund ofexhibit fees to all exhibitors in the April, 1986, NHMA International Housewares Exposition. This action qas taken at the recent annual

loss Prevention Conference

The fifth annual Loss Prevention Conference will be held in Orlando. Fl..

March 18-20 1987, at the Embassy Suites Hotel.

Among those developing the program are Bert B. Rogers, Wickes Cos.; Ralph P. Huston, Sutherland Lumber Co.; John D.

lmpulse Buying ls Increasing

While d-i-y purchases in the home center and purchases in the supermarket may seem to be worlds apart, they are in realiry similar. Shoppers often enter both stores with specific lists of items to be bought and leave with carts full of unplanned purchases.

Findings of the Point of Purchase

Mvertising Institute on supermarket consumer buying habits apply equqlly uall to both supermarket and home center

Building Products Sales UP

First quarter sales of a broad sample of building products advanced 57o wer the year-ago period, but with costs rising while prices remained steady, profits were squeezed 4% below 1985'sfirst quarter level.

"Competitive pressure from lowerpriced imports was the main reason for meeting and continues the long estabI ished practice of the association.

Oscar W. "Andytt Anderson, a sales rep for Cameron Wholesale Co., Fort Worth. Tx.. died after a heart attack on July 2, 1986, in Fort Worth. He was 67.

A native of Kennard, Ne., Mr. Anderson moved to Fort Worth in 1944. He began his lumber career there at Castleberry Lumber Co., and later became regional manager of several retail outlets in the Metroplex area. He retired in 1980. He joined Cameron in 1984.

He was a past president of Lumbermen's Association of Texas and Fort Worth Lumberrnen's Association.

Mr. Anderson is survived by his widow, Julia, one son, one brother, one sister, and two grandchildren.

John J. O'Neill, owner and president of Red Rmster Lumber Co., Fort Worth, Tx., died following a stroke on July 12, 1986, in Fort Worth. He was 66.

Born in Berkeley, Ca., Mr. O'Neill worked for several companies including Sabine Lumber Co., Fort Worth, before founding Red Rmster in 1952.

He was a past president of the Lumbermen's Association of Texas, a past president and "Lumberman ofthe Year" of the Fort Worth Lumbermen's Association, and a Fort Worth city councilman from l9l ro1977.

Mr. O'Neill is survived by his widow Fat, one sister, three daughten, one son, and five grandchildren.

To date, more than $7.8 million has been refunded. The housewares industry remains the only industry worldwide which operates its own trade show on a not-for-profit basis.

Viryinia Blue l-u Challenge

A hearing on the Virginia blue Inp has been scheduled by the Virginia Supreme Court for sometime this fall. John W. Hechinger Jr. president and chiefexecutive of Hechinger Co., one of the challengen of the lau has estimated that Hechinger's Virginia Beach Store alone loses $1.4 million a year because of mandatory Sunday closings.

Phillips, Wickes Cos.; Theron V. Wasson, The Home Depot; Richard Wright, Forest City Enterprises, Inc.; Ron Simmons, Handyman; Anthony Simone, Wolohan Lumber Co.; Frederic W. Hirchert, Payless Cashway, Inc.; Robert C. Vereen. Home Center Institute.

merchants. The study found 8l% of all purchases are a result ofan in-store decision. The study also showed that only 19.3% of purchases were specifically planned, indicating that less than a fifth of all shoppen stick to their lists.

Impulse purchases are on the rise with specifically planned purchases down nearly 5O% fromthe 19f7 study. Unplanned purchases accounted for 6O.4% of all purchases in the latest study. Substitute purchases jumped from3% in 1977 to 5 % in the recent pilot study.

shrinking first quarter profit margins," said George A. Christie, vice president and chief economist for the Construction Information unit, McGraw-Hill Information Systems Co. Best resuls in 1986's first quarter were achieved by coatings (profits up 55%), gypsum (up23%), plumbing products (up 19%), and electrical products (up l07o).