Ililerchandising hardwoods at the retail level

A S " modern lumber and building A materials dealer. Southern Lumber Co. sells all the usual things, hardware, paints, tools and the normal complement of fir, pine, redwood, plywood and all the rest.

But the thing probably closest to the heart of owner Edwin W'. "Ed" Pohle in the store is the extensive inventory of hardwoods.

He's no newcomer to an appreciation of hardwoods. A forester by education, he has studied exotic woods durins qraduate studies at the Uniu.rsiiJ if California. travelled Central America in years gone by and worked in New Orleans with the largest {oreign trader in lumber in those days.

Yet despite his background of a half century of exposure to lumber, he observes that "every sale of a small piece of rare wood and the re- ceipt of every shipment of hardwoods fgives mel a kid's pleasure with a box of Cracker Jacks." He adds, with masterful understatement. "It is much difierent than that of sellins soft' woods."

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This retailer generates customer enthusiasm for hardwoods by getting across the fact they share their interest store's Wood Museum is a big draw firm even provides a workbench and tools for customers.

The San Jose, Calif., store has a special hardwood room, 5,000 sq. ft. of prime display space exhibiting 64 species of domestic and imported hardwoods. As their listings in the Yellow Pages put it, A Wood Hunt- ers' Parailise. The hardwoods are kept on display, not in inventory and have a valuation in excess of $50,000. They range from small carving blocks to timbers.

Blocks and slabs of woods are displayed on modern gondolas, topped with two color signs telling what is displayed. The wood is piece priced and identified as to specie.

Making it easy {or the customer is a constant cause at Southern Lumber. Their ads have Sylvester, their cartoon figure logo, saying, 'oW'here lumber is priced so you can see the cost-not guess. Courteous and helpful employees to serve you or you can pick out your lumber yourself." A small point perhaps, but that kind of customer service can bring in someone who otherwise might be re- to display his or her ignor-

YEIIEERS are effectively displayed on this pegboard wall (top lefl. Note gun stocks on top shelf. Spindled display rack (upper left-center) holds 24 soecies in role veneers. Multicolor sign gives species and prices to customers. One of the "museum pieces" (strictly not for sale) ,s a solid Diece of redwood 70" wide (upper rightcenter). Called the "most beautiful hunk of redwood burl in all the world," by owner Ed Pohle ftop righO it is 2"x58"x79". Backing up burl is island of piece priced Philippine mahogany, hardwood moulding racks are on right. Sign on picture f rame moulding racks (lower lefl invites customers to use tools and work area store provides for their convenience. Two m0r0 lelns: large panel of nana 3"x48r'x96" (lower center) monkey pod cross section leans against it. Carving wood display 0ower right) labels items, makes it easy for buyers.

The firm maintains a workshop for the customers and has supplied it with saws, miter boxes, clamps, rules and other tools.

The store has a W-ood Museum, started by Ed Pohle and continued by his son Bruce, the manager, that is without counterpart in the West. An enormous redwood burl at the en. trance (see accompanying pictures) is a foretaste of the unusual and beautiful in wood that has been coi. lected by the Pohle family. There is even a carving of the company mascot Sylvester, adding a light touch to the beautiful carvings and statues displayed.

The company has been in operation since 1904 and has'been owned by Pohle since 1939. The phrase "Lumberteria", incidentally, was coined by Ed Pohle and is a registered service mark owned by Southern Lumber Co. It reflects, we feel, the tirm's ability to think from the customer's side and of Southern's touch of reaching out and interesting the customer and involving him by projecting their own enthusiasm for what they sell.

Pohle doesn't think hardwoods alone eould. ever be profitable in the retail trade without being carried part way by other bade. In counseling others on'othe pleasures, the profit and the pitfalls of handling even a few of the many species of hardwoods." he strikes a note of caution,

He rvonders aloud as to horv many other dealers there are in the retail Iumber buslness that are emotionally equipped. He doesn't want to make selling hardwoods look too easy and thus cause someone to "fall. flat on their pocketbook."

He thinks they have been fortunate in having an exceptional location and that customers with an unusually high earning capacity have been an integral part of their !'uccess. That is undoubtedly true, but so is the fact that theirs is a firm that has found that an important part of their merchandising efforts has been the ability to. relate the romance and beauty of wood and transmit their own enthusiasm for it.