MERCY KILLING OF OLD TREES

"How would you like to be eaten alive by bugs? Support mercy killing of old trees! A noble giant of the forest, ruler of his domain for several hundred years deserves a more honorable death than to be eaten alive by insects!

"And you sawmills can go a step further and give these proud trees a dignified memorial service by selling the clear lumber to us. We will make mouldings and door jambs from the lumber which will be sent to the Deep South where they love to apply a natural finish rather than hide the beauty of the grain with (ugh) paint.

"Really now, does a 300 year old tree deserve to be converted to plywood and be covered by a rug and walked on? Or be covered with vinyl and be put on a wall, made to look like ash or fruity pecan?

"We will treat your trees with the reverence and respect that they deserve. "

Contact your distributors for those products whose producen sponsor "HIT." Ask for their free literature and other promotional materials. Plan your store-wide promotional program, based on the "HIT" theme, "It's Home Improvement Time Inside Outside . . All Around The House." Pull your sales staff together, explain the 'HIT" promotion and explain the strength of its consumer publicity support.

A dealer's success with the nationwide promotion will depend on making the theme visible and an important part of a total merchandising program. It should be incorporated into print and broadcast advertising and consistently used at the point-ofsale,

The retailer may also suggest to area thrift institutions that the program can also help them promote home improvement loans. A special *HIT" marketing program is available for use by banks and savings and loans. Another program is designed especially for local newspapers. It provides materials with which to develop a special "Home Improvement Time" promotional issue.

A community program file contains everything an individual or local group needs to organize a community event.

It's time to plan your involvement in "HIT" and get the program working for you. Manufacturers interested in receiving a portfolio about the direct marketing benefits a Sponsoring Participant receives in this non-profit cooperative industry promotion and public relations activity should also write c/o the above.

NEW Standard Structures, Inc. office, Santa Rosa, Ca., will be a "showcase" of the many laminated wo0d products the firm manufactures, including glulam arches, Mini Lam beams, XL floor loists, entry arches, exposed decking, pedestrian bridge and even a laminated flag pole and light standards. The 5000 sq. ft. building is expected to be completed by spring I 978.

Housewares Sales Up 172%

The l0th annual National Housewares Manufacturers Association's marketing research study of housewares manufacturers developed the following highlights : ln 1976, electric housewares represented the single largest category of housewares in terms of dollar sales, at 3O% of fhe industry's total.

. During the years 1966 - 1976, the total annual sales of housewares by manufacturers rose from 4 billion dollars to I I billion dollars. a total increase of 172%. The Gross National Product for that same period inqeased 126%.

. The housewares industry outperformed most of the consumer economics indices during the past decade, including the rates of increase in personal income, furniture and household goods consumption, as well as durable goods consumption.

The total reported manufacturers' sales of housewares for 1976 was $10,963,000, a 13% increase.

LITTLE REN0 Nite, held this fall by the Shasta Cascade Hoo-Hoo Club, Redding, Ca., featured blackjack and crap games (all in fun - fuzz please note) plus a b-b-q. Left: Side attraction was a "Country Store" with home-cured ham, bacon and sausage; on left, Fred Scaife with club prez. Mike Webster. Center: High rollers throw the bones. Right Dave Shaller, George Rogers.

The number of manufacturers of decorative accessories, in proportion to all housewares manufacturers, has increased steadily during the past few years. 27% of housewares manufacturers reported sales at "less than one million dollars." However, sales in excess of S5,000,000 were reported by a comparable number of manufacturers. Approximately a third expect sales to exceed $5.000.000 this vear.