Get cooking in the outdoor B'B'CI market

IrIME and time again the home I center manaser is told to "cover the basics" to Jnsure good profit margins and store performance. Nowhere is this more true than in selling outdoor cooking equipment, such as gas barbecue grills.

From a standpoint of a manufacturer, home centers represent one of the biggest growth areas for the sales of gas grills. Figures compiled by Arkla Industries with the aid of Keller-Crescent Co. reveal that home centers accounted for l39o of all gas grill sales in the United States during 1982. Compare that with figures that show virtually no gas grills were sold in home centers during 1970, a year when gas utilities sold 8290 of all outdoor gas appliances, and natural gas grills were the rule.

During 1983, we expect home centers to increase their share of sales of gas grills to 1890. The National Home Center Improvement Congress estimates that 440/o of all home centers sold some sort of barbecue equipment during 1982, of which some 235,000 were gas grills.

For many home center managers, the question is often a matter of how soon after Christmas should barbecue grills be put on the floor, along with the patio furniture, the lawnmowers and the like. The home

Story at a Glance

Hardware/home centers selling more gas grills . . . early spring promotions best related outdoor living Pur- chases high volume growth expected to continue.

center retailer, after considering in January where he should set uP his display, should be ready by February to have atrulybigmonth. Heavy promotions, such as a Washington's Birthday Sale, should be the rule.

The home center should not be caught short-the public should come to think of the store as the barbecuing center which will serve everyone's needs, from grills to accessories to aprons and hot Pads.

Gas grill manufacturers, such as Arkla, have done a good job in offering premiums, point of purchase materials and other incentives to home centers, who should Pass them on to customers. For examPle, it costs very little to offer a free rotisserie or a cookbook with the purchase of a certain grill on sale. Entice people to buy early-and they will come back for other related outdoor living purchases because they think of the home center as the place to acquire such goods.

In setting up your outdoor cooking

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