How J. C. Penney merchandised resilient flooring when they opened a new store

When an aggressive merchandiser like J. C. Penney Co. decides to get into the flooring business, you can be sure people hear about it, and fast !

Recently, the chain store opened a new retail facility in Scranton, Pa. To let shoppers know about the store's resilient flooring department, Penney's manager Don Griger staged a week-long Tile Truckload Sale, backed by extensive local advertising and point-of.purchase promotion.

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To make sure the public connected Penneys with flooring, they staged a truckload sale, backed up with newspaper and radio ads, p.o.p. material p.o.p. ma installation specialist put special displays. ;r;

Armstrong Cork's new self-adhesive tile was a featured item of the sale, along with several other new designs.

All in all, Penney's bought over 20,000 sq. ft. of their tile for the sale, including 250 cartons of Place 'n Press. More than one-third of this stock was sold during the first weekend of the promotion !

According to Griger, the principal aim of the promotion was to es. tablish Penney's as a major supplier of resilient flooring in the area. "The sale proved highly successful in this respect," he explained. t'Customers were receptive to our color and style selections, and favorably impressed with our prices.'?

"Best of all," he added, o'we practically moved the entire stock of tile during the week.long sale."

Griger pointed out that advertising was an important factor in the store's efforts. Penney's advertised on radio with a series of 30.second spot commercials, and ran quarterpage ads in the local newspaper. The ads carried special notes telling readers where to find the tile products.

Additionally, the store hired an installation specialist'to set up special displays demonstrating the use of the products, and to answer customers' questions on installation.

'oThe Truckload Sale is the first of a continuing series of flooring promotions planned for the store in the next several months," Griger explained. He noted that Penney's re. silient flooring department is already proving to be a major profit producer.

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\[/HEN Billy Nleredith. vp. of St. vv Malo Lumber Co." said that their new Builders Block operation was more than just a name change from their old place, he wasn't just kidding.

Their investment in land, buildings and inventory of more than $I million represents a total commitment to full scale merchandising for the firm.

The new place has been in the planning stages for a number of years, was well thought out in advance, and the results show it. The seven acres of land, acquired about l0 years ago, are on a four car railroad siding, just off Interstate 5, on the outskirts of Oceanside, Calif. They are situated almost eyeball to eyeball with a Fedmart discount store across the street. ooW'e don't really compete head on," explains Meredith, 'oso the traffic they develop can only help us."