Multiple producf merchandising

F VERYBODY talks about "do-it. ! yourself," but, unlike Mark Twein's weather, they're doing a lot about it.

Multiple-product merchandising, the grouping of a variety of related products at several price points in a single display unit, is a good example.

It is retailing's way of capitalizing on the reams of "how.to" information published each month for the do.ityourselfer in national magazines and local newspapers. And compiled in condensed or expanded form, illustrated and bound for him in hundreds of soft and hard cover books introduced each year.

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Todoy's well-informed d.i-yer reocts well to merchondising relofed products in o single disploy . it helps customers selecl products on on other-lhon-price bosis, helping move more high proftt items.

Never before has the American consumer been deluged with so much printed advice to help him solve household maintenance and repair jobs. Literally thousands of words on home fix-up are devoured monthly by millions of homeowners, family handymen d.i-y'ers.

It's not surprising that today's homeowner is no babe-in-the-woods when it comes to home fix-up.

He knows the kind of maintenance his house needs as it grows older, how to go about doing it, and especially the range of products available to help him do the job right.

Take caulking compounds, for example. A few years ago, caulk was caulk, and to heck with it. Not so, today. tUMffi: Dimension 'Shelving . Selects ' Fencing

Chances are, tlre do-it-yourselfer who comes in your store is well aware that he can choose from among oilbased, latex, butyl and acrylic formulations. He probably has a general idea of the strong and weak points of each as well as a good reason for preferring one over the others for the job at hand.

Perhaps he's looking for the caulking compound most compatible with the exterior house paint he has bought. Or, he's looking for a caulk that flows so smoothly and evenly it can help make up for some of the lapses in his gunning techniques.

Your customer may well prefer a caulk with extended service life so he won't need to re-caulk every time he paints. He may simply have his mind set on the caulk he knows will help the job at hand go as quickly and as easily as he can make it.

The point is-and it's an important one-your do-it-yourselfer customer no longer makes his buying decision in a single dimension-price. He has long ago acquired the product sophistication to expect the caulk he buys to do more than merely seal a joint.

Much more so than a professional, the do-it-yourselfer depends on the product he uses-and less on his own skill*-for assurance that the finished job goes quickly, looks right and produces the results desired.

Incidentally, that's an important reason nationally-advertised brands so effectively trigger in.store buyer response.

Multiple product merchandising is tuned to the improved product knowledge and heightened product dependence of today's do-it-yourselfers.

It presents your customer witl multiple opportunities to buy, multiple reasons to buy, making it easy to select the product (and frequently products) which best meet his individual needs and preferences.

And, of course, merchandising a broad selection of related products side-by-side puts a real wallop in display. It showcases product packaging for impulse buying and add-on product purchases.

Using caulking compounds, again, as an example, l0 popular caulks, at several price points, are merchandised together in a single, compact "fixer selector" display.

Its ability to produce higher sales and move a product mix that delivers larger profit margins is remarkable testimony to the potency of multiproduct merchandising.

Experience confirms that not only does the "fixer selector" stimulate sales volume, it dramatically steps up the proportion of premium-quality, premium-profit caulks sold, as well.

There's no mysterious secret why. Multiple-product merchandising Iets the customer sell himself up to the caulk performance he wants, tlle ease of application and convenience he wants, and the caulk quality he needs as assurance of a job well done.

It's good sense to let multipleproduct merchandising help you capitalize on the product sophistication of your customers. There are benefits to be realized in every department in your store.

MIf,tWORK Pre-finished Moulding & Paneling & PLYWOOD: Paint-primed Jambs & Door Frames. Particleboard lndustrial IterFC

FOREST BY-PRODUCTS: Decorative Bark . '.!3-Hour Log" Firelogs

Home lmprovement Month

T) EALERS can build sales and t-t profits by taking advantage of the marketing opportunities ofiered by translucent fiberglass panels. Particularly the new patterns in the bolder, brighter colors-reds, blues and whites as well as orange, lemon and lime-that have become the keynote of modern interior design and which are now making for a new look in exterior decoration.

When homeowners select materials for tleir own projects they tend to be more adventuresome than most remodeling contractors, according to Thomas C. Wright, vp.-marketing, Filon div., Vistron Corp., whose company has long kept a finger on the pulse of the consumer and often developed new products that anticipated tle coming demand. Wright noted that there are several major reasons why do-it-yourself sales of Filon fiberglass panels incteased 25lb in 1972 and why dealers can look for another record-breaking year in 1973. He notes: flThe over all increase in buying by homeowners with more leisure time, more money and less chance of finding a reliable contractor orhandyman. tf lncreasing acceptance of fi berglass panels as an attractive and serviceable material for patio roofs, awnings and fences. lfThe growing trend in building materials stores, home centers and hardware stores to display fiberglass panels attractively right on the selling floor. flAnd, not least by any means, an unprecedented advertising-promotion program aimed directly at bringing consumers into retail showrooms.

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New colors in fibergloss ponels hove odded merchondising opportunities disploys, od tie-ins ond other troffic builders ore oll helping to move more of this type of product.

'oThe striped products made fiberglass panels, generally, more visible to the average shopper," Wright notes. "For many they were the introduction to translucent patio roofing that provides weather protection while allowing difiused sunlight to filter through. Consumers who were not ready for the higher-priced striped panels bought the lighter weight corrugated economy grades."

But despite their customer appeal, Wright cautions that, like any successful product, fiberglass panels need effective merchandising. His company is concentrating on building trafrc by listing stocking dealers in its consumer ads, to cite one example. As an added attraction to do-it-yourselfers, the firm offers unique patio items at bargain prices with a discount coupon available at listed retailers' stores, o'At retailers' requests, toor" Wright said, "we've made available extensive aid in both local advertising and publicity, as well as full in-store promotion."

He said that the key problem in effective merchandising is putting together a complete package that makes it easy for the do-it-yourselfer to buy what he needs for his project.

Their Patio Center, for example, shows and stores up to 150 panels, plus the special wood moldings, sealant and nails required for a successful project. It includes a large rotatable display with full-color photos and a brochure rack that dispenses patio planning folders and complete plans and material lists for patio roofs, garden sheds, fences and other home improvements. All this in just B sq. ft., designed to fit at the end of a sondola.

In 1883, J. E. Higgins entered the lumber business and started serving the burgeoning city of San Francisao. And we've been growing ever since. Today, Northern California'$ largest supplier of hardwoods, plywood and related lumber products, we also carry a full line of better grade kiln-dried and air-dried softwoods. Plant facilities now include completely stocked yards in San Francisco, Sacramento and Union City. If you're not already doing business with Higgins, grve us a call; you'll be glad you did. San Francisco: 824-87M. Sacramento: V27-2727. Union City: 47t-49ffi.