Ways to improve architectural millwork sales

DACK in the boom years of the IJ'70s and'80s, moulding was a simple sale for most retailers with customers usually content to buy ranch or colonial profiles while the truly adventurous bought chair rail or crown moulding.

Today is another story. Architects, designers, builders and consumers have discovered the beauty, creativity, adaptability and luxury of moulding.

Story at a Glance

How to work with manufacturers in marketing fine hardwood mouldings ... suggestions for display boards, literature, participating in model home programs selling builders on the value of mouldings.

They are seeking and finding ways to personalize and add both real and perceived value to their projects by using a vast assortment of moulding.

Standard lumberyard mouldings can't create the desired effect. Everyone is looking to duplicate the character, grace and elegance of the large, well defined mouldings found in homes built round the tum of the century. Moulding styles are expanding to satisfy tastes ranging frmr contemporary to eclectic.

Decorative hardwood mouldings are popular with consumers. They offer the warmth and beauty of real wood combined with excellent machining and finishing characteristics. To help dealers cope with the task of providing their customers with value intrinsic products while gaining a high margin for the stoe, decorative hardwood mouldin g manufacturers are creating special merchandising prograrns.

Programs offered vary although most are based on attractive consumer-oriented display boards offering a multitude of handsome spocialty mouldings with graphic suggestions for their use. Because the displayed mouldings are readily available through specialty building material distribulors, the retailer needs o stock only the most popular p'rofiles, yet he can offer a wide assorErcnt in a timely manner with little or no investment in floor spaoe or inventmy dollars.

To further help the retailer maximize the dollar potential of moulding, many manufacturers offer informative, idea-generating literature for their customers and help them to educate their sales staff to creatively upsell nouldings.

In addition, these marketing progrirms illustrate for the dealer how decorative mouldings can be nateted at the builder level. Farticipating in model home programs and sponsoring clinics or programs can demonstraE the valw of rchitectural millwork to builders and convince them decorative mmlding can help o transform a strndard home into a custom show place with exceptional reurn on investmenl

ATTRACTIVE dtsobv boar& sudr as tis can attracl, der and rid'agcnrets m tre ccraC ol uocadfim tldl mqi&ro qri$as€s. h aG tion i6 boiig an eflicieni inerdrandiser, the board €naH6 a dailer to slod( frs fdc sime he can nadlly order whd lis qdms needs from a mouldm dstbdor. Ilanuhcluss sudr as $Jtrile firpr. rtt*r cretod tis display, are olledng numerous prognms designed lo help a rdailer incrsase sahs ol adrledural mcuHrB.

With architects, designers, builders and consumers creating greater demand for fine decorative hardwood trim, service-oriented retailers are using the perks offered by architectural millwsk mensfxsturers to reap many benefits. An atEactive display bodd, infsmatirre, idea-generating lit€raure and an educated sales force plus a little effct and ingenuity re all i1 rekes to make decorative hardwood noulding one of the most sought after and profitable lines a retailer can offer.