ltrE|NEWS &VIEWS

HARRY MENDENHALL executive vice president

Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California

1055 Lincoln Ave. San Jose, Ca. 95125 tits$,$t.$..Esl,Iiiiri+[r.$,sssssssnffiij$#a+i4itei,$tirili+*!Hi.m.:,1f;8{#:sr.+.,

ERLE MENSINGER, vice president, American Lumber Co., Modesto, Ca., was elected president of the Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California, headquartered in San Jose, at the recent convention in Maui. Hi.

Mensinger, a native of Modesto, was educated in local schools, Modesto Junior College and the University of California, Davis. Holding positions of responsibility is nothing new to the new Lumber Merchants Association president. He is vice president, Boy Scouts, Yosemite Area Council; past president of the Modesto Rotary Club; president of the Downtown Improvement District, Modesto; past president, Valley Builders Exchange; past chairman, National Association of Credit Managers, Stockton; past president, Memorial Hospital Association; member of the Board of Directors, Modesto Credit Bureau, American Distributing Co. and pacific Valley National Bank.

I reckon you shouldn't place total blame for your high electric bills on the Arabs and your utility company. The Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society and other self styled "conservationists" should get a lot of the blame. They have long opposed dams, hydroelectric plants, nuclear power plants and coal fired generators-all sources of low cost electricity.

Mensinger

He is active in Stanislaus Lod,ge {206, F & AM, Scottish Rite, Stockton, and Shriners Ahmes Temple.

Mensinger has served in many positions in the Lumber Merchants Association prior to being elected as president of that organization at the May 13-15 meeting. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the industry at a time when home construction is at arecord low. Mensinger has established agoal to work toward the reduction of the high interest rates which in turn will spur housing starts for the thousands of Californians desperately needing homes for their families.

Super Salespeople

Use your sales personnel as problem solvers when it comes to situations they might have more insight into, since they visit trade shows and service hundreds of customers every year.

Seruing the lumber, building materials and home improvement markets in 13 Westem Stafes - Since 1922

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Only Game in Town

If you think a loop layout with belt-to-belt level, color grouping and cross-aisle display are techniques used in a new computer game, You'd better study this jargon list and learn the rules of the latest merchandising game.

Belt-to+ye level-disPlaY of impulse items in the easily seen area from waist to eye.

Loop layout-a floor Plan that exposes the shoPPer to more merchandise and departments as he moves through a racetrack Pattern which uses long, shallow sections.

Color grouping-arranging colors or tones together for visual impact.

Cross-aisle-placing related merchandise on facing gondolas.

Face lift-a periodic clean uP' paint, fix up to keep the store attractive.

Reformatting-increasing Productivity through re-organization of merchandise and changes in decor, fixtures, floorplans, etc.

Remerchandising-arranging merchandise in related categories, stressing fast selling lines, and eliminating slow moving items.

Vertical merchandising-arranging related items in a vertical section to allow the customer to see it all at a glance.

Package or product alignmentarranging packages so that top level is even or arranging products on perfboard in lines.

Fegture end-another name for the endcap fixture Put at the end of a gondolato display new products, impulse items, seasonal and Promotional merchandise.

Use-grouping-display of related merchandise in one location to build related sales.

Shop concept-creating small shops or centers by arranging related merchandise from various dePartments in open areas, Platforms or gondolas with promotional signing.

Other techniqu€s to imProve Your skill at the merchandising game include keeping signing uP to date; moving items from stockroom to salesfloor quickly to win more sales; and making frequent game Plan changes on end caps. KeePing the playing area and the players in tip top condition also racks up points at the cash register.