D-l-Y window market

!! UtlOIttC material retailers need lJonly look through the window to see an exceptional opportunity to cash in on the thriving 1976 home remodeling market during May Home Improvement Time.

The window in question is the display unit that sits on the showroom floor and is used as an effective selling tool by the promotion-minded dealer salesperson.

It wasn't too long ago that window sales relied almost entirely on the new construction market. Window installation was regarded as a job suitable only for a trained professional.

But all that has changed.

The fact is that window sales to the home remodeling market is one of the fastest-growing parts of the business of at least one manufacturer, Andersen Corporation of BayPort, Mn.

Secondly, the company placed increasing emphasis on over-the-counter sales to the do-it-yourselfer. Consider this: when a dealer sells their new Perma-Shield vinyl-clad window unit to a do-it-yourselfer, he is selling a ready-to-install, completely assembled, factory-engineered, low-maintenance, operating window unit with doublepane insulating glass and a prepunched vinyl installation flange.

Story at a Glance

How dealers can take advantage of the growing window replacement market, a market formerly reserued for replacement specialists. . .d-i-y information abounds, a number of manufacturers have floor displays, literature, installation info and other back up.

in their favor: (l) the energy shortage and (2) the growing window replacement market. Both factors emphasize the need for quality windows in existing homes. The second offers an oPportunity for lumber yards and home centers to cash in on a market formerly reserved for so-called replacement specialists (and for products frequently lower in quality than can be found in the average dealer yard or warehouse).

Here's how dealers can take advantage of the current market situation:

(l) Promote the advantage of precision-made, factory-built wood windows with double-pane insulating glass. Tie in with the national advertising and promotion programs such as those offered by Andersen CorP.

(2) Learn and sell the energy-saving benefits of wood windows and wood-and-vinyl windows. Sell the lowmaintenance benefits of double-pane insulating glass and rigid vinyl.

WIND0W and gliding door display models include cutaway version, revealing installation construction details. Designed to help window sales to do-it-yourselfers, these models include racks for d-i'y literature.

No exterior finishing is needed at time of installation. No storm window is required (double-pane insulating glass provides a major part of the fuel saving benefits of single glass and storm windows without the storm window bother). The window unit simply must be installed in plumb and level in the wall opening. Dealers also have two other things

(3) Display products with an eYe for the do-it-yourselfer. Let the customer see and touch the product. Andersen has a new cutaway window display model that not only shows how the window is installed in the wall opening, but includes nomenclature for the various wall details. The model includes a rack for how-to literature. They also have a new basement/utility window disPlaY and a floor-type display rack for their Perma-Shield vinyl-clad, wood-frame shutters.

(4) Offer helpful information that homeowners need to know before starting a home improvement project. A useful tool in this respect is the new remodeling answer book from Andersen, which provides helpful hints on various home improvement projects in question-and-answer form. Other sales tools include useful brochures, detail catalogs and a series of how-to folders on wildow, gliding door and shutter installation. Dealers may order these and other merchandising aids, including a new audio-visual film striP, through their distributors. All of these items are vital elements in a successful marketing plan.

Dealers in the West have onlY begun to tap this home remodeling market that has become big business in other parts of the country. They have some new products and merchandising tools to help them do it. Now all that remains is for the progressive dealer to go after the business.