Paint your way to profits

l/lIOOD merchandising is the key to successful sales and lfprofitability - espJcially with coatings, paints and stains.

The following tips were developed by paint retailers who record high sales figures and Jim Mead, director of presentation, Saxon Paints.

O Know your customers and the types of painting projecs they do. The more you know about wbat a customer is doing, whether he is a d-iyer of a professional, the easier it is for you to suggest the products he'll need to do a good job. When you show an interest in a customer, you cultivate a greater sense of loyalty to you as a supplier.

O Provide superior customer servic€. Second only to value, service is a customer's primary reason for choosing a store. Your customers want to come into the store, get everything they need and be ready to complete the job without problems. Make it fast, easy, convenient and enjoyable for them by providing all the help they need. Drive home this issue of customer service with employees as well. Teach them that helping a customer is more important than stocking shelves, pricing merchandise, cleaning up the store or anything else.

O Offer price point presentations. When customers soe sale items, they're generally inspired to buy more of those products at one time in order to save over the long run. So, if you have a paint that sells fa $3.25 a can and you offer two for $5.99, you're likely to sell twice or even four times ds much to each customer during his one visit to the store. This kind of pricing helps you make the most of every sale.

O Develop merchanfising areas that enhance products and highlight store specialties. A Parching Center or Outdoor Painting Headquarters and other featured sections within the store encourage customers to buy more combinations of items and may even introduce them to a product they didn't think of buying until they saw it. Having specialized layouts tells your customers you are an expert in those areas.

O Packaging attracts and creaies a need in the customer. Look for and carry coating, paint, stain and painting accessory products that have both eye-catching and informative packaging. Labels should be easy to read.

O Present paint products to customers in more than one location. If you display all paint sundries together, a customef will only go into that section if he knows he needs these products. By placing painter's tape, drop cloths, ladders, rollers, trays and similar products with the paints, you are able o establish a new need for the customer or remind him of an existing need and create additional sales.

O Display products of like quality together. If a conEactor is looking for the highest quality paints, chances are good that he'll also want the higDest quality brushes and sundries. By presenting all of these itens in one location, you give him the opportunity to buy up on all products.

O Keep displays neat and orderly. Displays and shelves must be filled. Paint chips and color charts should be easily available in an auractive holder. This makes shopping easier for customers and creates a higher quality image for your store. Hang producB on peg hooks instead ofstacking them on shelves or throwing then into a bin. Choose spring-loaded displays that will automatically push the next product forward.

Story at a Glance

O Set up vignettes combining a painted surface with coordinating wallpaper and accessories to give customefs an incentive to purchase paints. Although it is convenient !o put these on top of gondolas, they are rnore effective at eye level. Home decorating magazines can offer ideas.

SHOWROOM features banks of workino interior and exterior doors, each in a different style ilith a unique hardware and moulding treatment. Separale areas showcase cabinelry, moulding and windows. Mos Lumber, Redding, Ca., devoles 2,500 sq. ft. of floor space to the new display area for building professionals and homeotvnets.