Selling service, not price keynotes yard's growth

THE OLD truth that the small to me. r dium retail operation can success.

fully compete with the large discount store has never been more true than it is todav. llany western yards. even in areas that have experienced severe slumps in build. ing starts, find that selling service, not price, is still the best way to make the axiom come alive.

Dickenson Lumber & Hardware in La Habra, Calif., in the past twelve months has:

. Moved to larger quarters o Had their best year ever o Logged the best October since firm was founded in 1950 bv Dickenson. the Art

All this while southern California stag. gered along on a seeming handful of hous. ing starts.

Slory dI a Glonce

Courtesy and services are stressed as ways to successfully compete with nearby discounter. Yard profits from changes, expansion and hustle.

The yard is operated by Art's sons, Don and Bill Dicksenson, which frees their fath. er for travel and to generally oversee the business.

They moved to their new location in April, 1967, put up a 7,800 sq. ft. cement block building and decided to really go after the consumer.

As Don Dickenson puts it, 'olt was a conscious move, it wasn't a change that just happened."

They find the new store better in every respect but one. 'oWe miss the big, stone. fronted Heatform fireplace," Don laments. "We used to have a fire every cold morn. ing, the customers really likld it and we didn't exacdy object to it," he adds.

The original yard was on the {ar right side of their six acre parcel, the new one, which occupies ll/z acres, is on the opposite end and next to the railroad. The back part of the parcel has two rows of small