How a leading rctailer beefs up promotions

OORE'S Building Supplies, the 88 store chain headquartered in Roanoke, Va., is approaching its 3fth year in business with the launching of an aggressive new marketing campaign utilizing both tv and radio blitzes.

The biggest tv blitz in the company's history is part of an eggressive new marketing campaign the major building materials and home center retailer has launched in support of its stores and warehouses in 22 markets.

"The addition of broadcast, which includes high quality production, a good strong selling message, familiar talent and a high level ofreach and frequency, will become a regular part of Moore's media mix," said John Sphar, senior vice president and director of marketing. "This kind of media mix is designed to be most effective and pro- ductive in today's highly competitive retail environment."

Moore's has retained Finnegan & Agee of Richmond and Roanoke, Va., to assist in the effort.

"With the help of their sophisticated computerized research and staff analytical capabilities, we have developed hard data on sales potentid and demographics of each store in every market," notes Jim Schaffer, vice president and director of merchandising. "This has enabled us to really sharpen our pencils on strategies and expenditures, market by market. Moore's wants to substantially expand on its strong base. Sales per square foot already are in excess of industry averages for both stores and warehouses."

The October campaign is a good example of the aggressive direction in which the company is headed. ,,Our corporate theme, 'Moore's Pours It On,' was really exemplified," commented Al Colgrove, director of advertising.

"Our annual Once In A Blue Moon sale, featuring a Vl-page, four-color catalog, was supported this year for the first time with extensive television use in major tv markets and with a powerful radio schedule in remaining markets.

"This was followed by a systemwide broadcast blitz promoting our Ttuckload Sale, which was supported by a l2-page newspaper insert. The month ended with a big push for our annual Energy Sale with an 8-page broadsheet."

Moore's is increasing space in its proven circulars program, intensifying its employee motivational progr:rms, and expanding its in-store promotional and special sale efforts.

"We want to build even stronger consumer loyalty among our existing customer base, and bring new traffic into our stores," said Colgrove.

"The Journal of Advertising Research reports that the combination of television and pre-print advertising increases the response by 9590 and reduces the cost of acquiring the response by 4la/0. Research also shows that readers of any given circular are already shoppers in that store, but television and radio reach out to new customers and thus extend the market," Colgrove said.

To strengthen internal communication and motivation, Moore's distributes a monthly planner to all employees that is a detailed presentation ofstrategies, goals and objectives. And it has implemented an ongoing campaign to remind all employees that "The Moore's Promise" makes customer service and satisfaction the No. I goal.

The first tv commercial with John Moschitta, the fast talking star of Federal Express' national tv campaign, enabled Moore's to tell its story about value and depth of inventory in an interesting but fast (30 seconds) way. Part of this was accomplished by his ability to deliver an astonishing yet intelligible eight words per second. But keeping the conveyor belt loaded with products moving in front of the spokesman was another problem. It took more than 20 people loading merchandise to keep up with the fasttalking Moschitta!

From small beginnings, Moore's has become a part of Evan's Products retail group, one of the three largest major chains in the $70 billion home center industry.

It all began in June, 1956, when a revolutionary new retailing idea was born. Sold on the belief that building materials could be successfully retailed on a cash and carry basis, a group of idealistic, young businessmen launched the original Moore's by opening the first store in a converted tobacco warehouse in Richmond, Va.

With creative ideaswholesale for everyone, inventory control, high caliber and knowledgeable sales people, aggressive advertising, dockside pickup and a policy of complete customer satisfactionMoore's grew and flourished.

The well known orange "fox" trademark symbol was adopted in

Story at a Glance

Tv and radio blitzessupport 88 stores in 22 markels. com. puter research develops sales potential & demographics new approach blends with es. tablished logo, sale themes and policies.

1962. The letter "M" represents the face of a fox to create the impression "you're smart as a fox to trade at Moore's.tt

Moore's now operates in nine MidAtlantic states, selling to the do-ityourselfer and to contractors. This year it opened the fourth and fifth of its new, giant warehouse facilities (big l0O,00Gsquare-foot retail showcases and drive-through lumber yards in Virginia Beach, Va., and Raleigh, N.C.), and unveiled a new Moore's charge card for home improvement projects up to $5,000. Whole new departments have been introduced to appeal to a wider segment of the market.

But what makes Joseph Vaeth, Moore's senior executive, proud is "The Moore's Promise."

It is a system-wide program to reinforce employee commitment to customer satisfaction. "We want to make sure that each and every employee understands what we are saying to our customers and what Moore's means to both our employees and customers," said Vaeth.

Employees wear "Promise" buttons, and know by heart that at Moore's the philosophy can be summarized in one word: People, Responsiveness, On the job, Motivated, Interested, Service oriented, Enthusiasm.

Home Quarters Warehouse will open an 83,000 sq. ft. unit in Norfolk, Va., in late 1986 . ' Babcock Building Supply.Inc., Melbourne, Fl., has opened its seventh Babcock Building SuPPIY Home Center in Indian Harbour Beach, FI....

Nqtional Home Center (Previously known as National Lumber Co.), Springdale, Ar., oPened a 24A,W sq. ft. unit including a snack bar in Little Rock, Al., on Oct. 13 . . All HomeOwners Warehouse stores have been resigned to Mr. HOW Warehouse with the Coconut Creek, Fl., unit now being remodeled . .

McCoy's Building SUPPIY Centers opened stores 63 and 64 in Gainesville and Orange, Tx., with grand opening celebrations Lindsley has renovated its Z-yearold store in Hollywood, Fl'

Scotty's, Winter Haven, Fl., has retrofits of four stores Plus a replacement store in Lake City-and four 4O,000 sq. ft. "stores of the future" under construction in addition to plans for 12 ScottY's Hardware Stores to open mid-'86.

K mart is reformatting 280 of its stores with Home Care Centers T. H. Rogers Lumber Co., Clinton, Ok., lost a lumber storage building in a recent wind storm l|'estern Forest Products is a new wholesaler in Raleigh, N.C. SouthernMil/s isa new wholesale co. opened in New Orleans, La., bY Carslina Mill, Conway, S.C. .

Homecrafters Warehouse, Birmingham, Al., will sell or close two stores in Nashville, Tn., and four in Denver, Co., bY the end of the Year (see p. 50 for details) Yard King witt 6pen its first lawn, garden and outdoor store in Jacaranda, Fl., in Jan. with plans for 6 more units in 1986.

Lowe's opened its 279th store in Greeneville, Tn., in earlY fall . ' Payless Cashways has oPened a new unit inOklahoma CitY,Ok. .

Williams Brothers Hotne Centers, Atlanta, Ga., has signed a letter of agreement for Blue Circle Industries, London, England, to purchase its t home centers and 27 ready-mix concrete Plants .

Speer Hardware Co., Fort Smith, Ar., has changed its name to Speer Associated Distributors Inc.... Belknap Inc., Louisville, Ky., is closing its recently oPened distribution centers in Charlotte, N.C., Dallas, Tx., Orlando,Fl. .

Genuine Hardware Co. wholesale divs. in Atlanta, Ga., Greensboro. N.C., Jacksonville and St. Petersburg, Fl., have been renamed Generol Hardware Co., reflecting their acquisition from Genuine Parts Co. by General HardwareCo....

Pensacola Builders SUPPIY Co. Inc.has moved into a new 8,000 sq. ft., $250,000 office and showroom in Pensacola, Fl., Swain Management Co. Inc., Leland, Ms., parent co. of Swoin Building Moterials, plans to change its name to Data Currency Corp.

Simpson County Lumber Co., Franklin, Ky., has been sold to Zeager Hardwood Co. . . . Idaho Timber Corp., Boise, Id., has opened a hardwood sales office in Sheridan,Ar....

Southwest Forest Industries is selling 73,000 acres of hardwood wetlands in Florida to Northwest Florida Water Management Dist rict for approximately $21 million . Klumb Lumber Co., CrYstal Springs, Ms., has opened a reman plant in Mobile, Al.

Red Mountain Brokers, Inc., is a new wholesaler in Birmingham, Al., Bill Reed, owner

Ceorgia Timber SPecialist has opened a Hot Springs, Ar., sales office, Phillip Cross and John Drake in charge . . . Ole South Forest Products is a new wholesale div. of Gray Lutnber Co., Green Pond, Al., Ed Nelson, mgr. .

Bill Carden Lumber Sales, Seekonk, Ma., has oPened a new finger jointing plant manufacturing casings, boards and other millwork items Georgia-Pacific has officially oPened its ne\r O.S.B. plants in Grenada, Ms., and Skippers, Va. '

Bruce Distributing Co., Lexington, Ky., is now representing l,l a t u ra I V i ny I Floor Co., Florence, Al . Visador Co., JasPer, Tx., is acquiring BeautiDoor Co., Dallas, Tx.. for an undisclosed sum. . .

Moster Lock, Milwaukee, Wi., is acquiring the Dexter Lock Dil. of Kysor Industrial CorP-, Auburn, Al., for an undisclosed amount . . Millers Falls Tool Co., Alpha, N.J., has expanded with a 21,000sq. ft. addition . .

Keramik Holding, Laufen, Switzerland, has acquired International American Ceramics, Inc., Tulsa. Ok. Hoboken Wood Floors, East Rutherford, N.J., has acquired A diro ndac k Wo od FIoo r' ing Corp., Watervliet, N.Y.

Hubbell Lighting Div., HarveY Hubbell Inc., is building an advanced engineering and training center at its Hq. in Christiansburg, Va. . W. R. Bonsal Co. will move its Flomaton, Al., mfg. Plant to a new 15,500 sq. ft. Plant in Pensacola, Fl., earlY next Year

Decreasing in every region, housing storts for SePr. diPPed 9.390 to a seasonallY adjusted annual rate of 1,583,000 units single family home starts were down 10.490 at a 962,000 unit rate, the lowest since Aug. 1984 . . multis sagged 7.6s/o ro an annual rate of 621,000 units...building permits issued rose 0.790 to an annual rate of 1,796,000 units marking the 5th consecutive month of Permits exceeding the level of starts