Divorce: is it ever worth the cost?

choosing the new supplier and, hope. fully, avoiding the mistakes of the past ?

Sfory dt a Glqnce

The fears involved in making a change with a major line sup- plier proved unfounded with this retailer . . better service, a greater price brbdk plus more merchandising back-up were the factors in choosing the new supplier.

A good exlrmple occurred recently when Cooper Lumber Company merchandising manager Bill Grable decided that the big Los Angeles retail. er's paint supplier was not satisfactory and that the time had come to change this major sales volume item.

Grable said that within three months after the decision had been made, the changeover had been effected and caused "no problems.'o Better service and a greater amount of discount from PFG, the line they chose, were the deciding factors. As Cooper Lumber also qualified for jobber status as a chain with the opening August 2, o{ their second big store, they were able to both buy better and to be jobbers for other PPG lines, such as Rez.

"We must have a quality paint line," Grable points out, "thatns why we only talked to the majors. And PPG also is the only firm whose line is completely lead-free. Additionally, they are nationally recognized and are good advertising/merchandising spenders, an important factor with us.

Coopers didn't hem and haw around the change. They announced it in their mailings to their customers. It cost them about $1500 in markdowns to move the majority of the old stock. They estiniate it will take about $I,000 to clear the rest of the old paint inventory.

"We think we can offset that with the additional lines, better price and service," Grable observes. They found that only about five percent of their customers were brand buyers and four of the five percent only because they were matching previously purchased colors.

The PPG line now accounts for more than half of the Cooper inventory. The other brands they carry are Sherwin-Williams and Consolidated Paint and their house label which Consolidated makes for them. Beverly Manufacturing's antiquing line has been a successful seller and profit producer. The department also has paint sundrieso stains and roofing adhesives.

Most fears experienced by dealers, it seems, are unfounded when really checked out.

Taking inventory, {or example - in paints, as in other materials, cats and dogs are bound to work their way into existing stocks. These items should be eliminated quickly by price reducing sales and other methods even if consideration is not being given to changing suppliers. Obviously, since they must be cleaned out no matter whether a change is made or not, these items should not be considered a problem if the supplier is changed.

In paint, most of the fast items are the very popular colors, and/or tinting bases from which any color a customer desires can be made, and these items can always be sold without any special problems or concern.

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Selling the end - use idea

When distributor, dealer, and manufacturer work together on a special advertising campaign, results exceed what anyone can do alone. Simpson Timber Co. proved it this year with a spring promotion that literally brought local dealers into the picture.

The company supplied the printed paper for a 3O-sheet outdoor poster, a tempting four-color display of redwood fencing and decking. The poster design included plenty of space for the dealer's own imprint, fully coordinated through color and t1rye style. They wanted to give dealers an opportunity to participate directly in the benefits of a spring campaign and to get in-store promotion outside where it could be seen by a vastly en' larged audience.

"In this campaign we weren't sell' ing two-by-fourg" stresses merchan' dising manager Doug [.pth. "We were selling a dramatic end-wse id,ea-a new deck, fence, patio, or entry way. We also wanted to identify the dealer closelv with that end-use idea."

Simpson offered to provide the sheets along with a comprehensive promotional package, including point of purchase literature, in-store dis' plays and direct mail material. Deal. ers were asked to arrange for their own outdoor space. Initial response brought orders for more than 130 posters nationally.

Knoll Lumber Co. in Kenmore, Wash., was the frrst in the Pacific Northwest to take advantage of the program. Owner Carl Knoll says that although it was hard to measure the precise effect, he noticed a definite increaso in customer interest in red' wood immefiately after installation of the board.

Knoll also was successful in pro' moting such special items as redwood siding, patio deckq deck furniture, paneling, and saunas-with Simpson's in store help.