Main Street ls Where lt's At

By Til Helvenston Marlite general sales manager

ment stores, fast food operations, banks, beauty parlors, barbershops, boutiques, auto agencies, motels, libraries, religious buildings, auditoriums, theaters and many others.

Many businesses on Main Street have picked up the decorating message from the merchandising minded leaders in their field and plan periodic redecorating, some as often as every three years. The dealer who is aware of this trend and gears his operation to the commercial customer should show substantial growth in the next few years.

Our marketing studies show that the overall commercial market remains strong. Many key segments of the commercial market are expected to continue the historic growth rate of about L07o per year.

During the past decade we have seen the development of a "second" Main Street as shopping centers bloom on the perimeters of our towns and cities. This trend will continue as stores, fast food outlets and other service and mercantile establishments continue to follow the general expansion of residential growth. This spells plenty of new construction business for the aggressive dealer.

Downtown merchants, however, are not giving up the ghost. There is more and more evidence that the "first" Main Street will be revi-

Story at a Glance

End less remodeling possibilities exist in "both" Main Streets, the one downtown and the one in the shopping center inthesuburbs. . .'virtuallyall firms are prospects for remodeling work. talized. Master plans are being developed in communities across the country to pump new life into the downtown areas. Some are quite ambitious, including malls and other customer-oriented elements. In many cases, the Chamber of Commerce is backing the movement to renew Main Street. This spells plenty of remodeling business forthe aggressive dealer.

The dealer interested in attracting this commercial business must communicate his interest to the various building trade factorslocal specifiers, remodeling contractors, and owners. Some dealers include commercially-oriented ads in their regular schedule in local newspapers. Others utilize direct mail. Those who are picking up additional business on Main Street train their personnel to be alert to these big ticket jobs; some even assign a salesperson full time to the commercial market.

To successfully service both the residential and commercial markets, most dealers provide design consultation and installation service. Our field surveys also show that a good point-of-purchase display can be used to sell both types of business.

And looking past Main Street, the horizons are even broader. Many dealers now are securing large remodeling orders from nursery schools, hospitals, medical buildings, nursing homes, summer camps, museums and club buildings.

Main Street is where it's at!