HOME GENTIER MERGHANT

BILL FISHMAN

Bill Fishman & Affiliates

11650 lberia Place

San Diego, Ca.92128

llEW YEAR'S Day sale at Forest IlCitv was an annual event in the Clevehnd market. It gave us the largest volume day of the year with traffic bought with radio advertising.

Radio stations can't sell commercial time on New Year's Eve. National advertisers don't want it. Most retailers shy away from it. The stations run all night long dance parties from 8 p.m. December 3lst thru 8 a.m. January lst. We bought 'em all-dirt cheap. The stations were happy to negotiate for a total package for this one evening.

Each year we sponsored the all night programs on as many as a dozen different stations at a cost that was less than our regular 12 page newspaper tab. You couldn't push a button on a car radio without hearing'that the "Annual Clearance Sale Starts Tomorrow (Today) at all Forest City Stores. Free coffeefree aspirin for all shoppers." The radio promotion was backed up with a double truck ad in the holiday newspaper. Our headline read: "Starts today-New Year's Dav."

Except for the blizzard one year, the crowds were waiting for us to open the doors. Plenty of onesie and twosie damaged items, display models, weathered goods, and our overstocks and buyer's mistakes were promoted. Basic items were marked down a little too-to sweeten the pot.

New Year's Day gave us a great kickoff for our three week January clearance. It's nice to start the new year with a winning promotion.

Some holidays are a natural for home center promotions. Some will never work. Here are a few of my winners and losers.

VALENTINE'S DAY: A total flop. Twice we invested in promoting our stores for gift items. We used plenty of hearts in our ads, ran a wishing well contest entitled "Win Your Heart's Desire" and even offered free gift wrapping. Nothing worked. I don't think it ever will.

PRESIDENT'S BIRTHDAY: Combining Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays makes a good handle for a short term sale. Clever merchandising is the key to profitability. Without carefully analyzing the merchandise presentation a retailer can get 22 cented into a corner with lots of traffic but only only a small dollar volume.

EASTER: Leave it to the ready-to-wear retailers. The week before has traditionally been slow for hardline retailers.

MOTHER'S DAY: Even though our chain merchandised housewares, giftware, small electrics, major appliances, television and audio, we could not peak these departments. The overall store figures did not reflect any significant increases.

MEMORIAL DAY: This signals the kick-off of the outdoor season. We were able to buy Sunday circulation for weekday rates for our tab section. Holiday store traffic was big. The average ticket was big. The total week registered the highest dollar volume of the year. Sales in every department were strong: summer seasonal is the leader. Lawn and garden, outdoor building projects packages and (Please turn to page 42)

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FRANK DAVIS executive vice president

|Flun REQUESTS for a special Ycourse of action by HUD in regard to their "biased favoritism" to masonry wall construction are now on record.

Dean Drake, general manager and vice president of The O'Malley Company's retail division, Ray Lopp, vice president, Babbitt Brothers Lumber Co., Flagstaff, John Martin and Harry Horrocks, National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association. Ward Hitchins, National Forest Products Association, and I met in Washington, D.C., with six HUD officials to present our grievances. Cal Brand, deputy assistant secretary of HUD, chaired the meeting.

Our delegation presented our position based on existing studies which document that wood construction has energy saving advantages over masonry construction. In addition, we pointed out that giving masonry construction lower U values than wood is misleading to the home- owner who is paying inflationary utility costs.

We requested the following three courses of action by HUD:

(1) Investigation of the possibility of administrative relief, with HUD, through a regulatory process, withdrawing the masonry exemption in the states affected.

(2) An attempt to expedite the research which is currently being conducted at the National Bureau ofStandards.

(3) Delay of any expansion of the masonry construction exemption in areas of 4500 winter degree day zones or less as PreviouslY contemplated in the HUD staff working draft dated April 15, 1981.

On this last request, will all of you who have written to Secretary Pierce regarding the masonry exemption staff working paper, please send to me copies of any official HUD response?

We are appreciative of the membership contributions on this very important program. We will keep you advised as further action is taken to insure that our requests are granted.

See Thousands Of New Products For Your Diy Customers

"t have attended this show for several years, and it is the best on€ | have seen anYwherei'

David H. Beene, President, Alamo Lumber Company, San Antonro, Texas

No other industry event presents the complete diverse range of Products for home improvement, remodeling, malntenance, decorating, recreational/leisu re and related needs.

See them all at the bigger-than-ever Eighth Annual National Home Center Show at the Dallas Convention Center, February 27'March 2, 1983.

"Our buyers found new products and gained from the displays of the manY products showni' Don Trioo, Senior Vice Presrdent, General Merchandrser-Hardltnes, Fred Meyet Inc, Portland, Oregon.

More than 1200 exhibitors will display thousands of products.. from building materials to tools, hardware and lawn and garden items. from plumbing and electrical to decorative products everything your customers need to tackle their do-it-vourself projects.

Learn Better Ways To Operate And Sell To Maximize Profits

"The Show also provides an excellent opportunity for-our buyers to pirticipate in some of the most rewardingslminais that are available in our industryi'

Rav H Cooney, Presrdent, Scotty's Inc. Wrnter Haven, Florida' Come and drscover why the National Home Center Show Seminar Program is considered unparalleled in the industry. The program is designed and presented bv successful retail leaders tn vour industry who have iaced and overcome many of the challenges that you face today.

February 27-March2

Dallas Convention Center

"Your attendance may be the best investmont you make all yeari'

Kenny Stout, Stout's Building Centet Mt Washrngton, Kentucky

See Home Center of the Year Award Winner ideas on display at the Awards Exhibit. See how they did it... how you can do it, tool Stop by the HOME CENTER Magazine's ldea and Marketing Centers for personalized research and marketing information.

PRE.REGISTER

Tiiow

I

"l would rate the National Home Center Show a 9+ on a scale of O to 1O. I also would like to emPhasize that it is a must for those lumber companies who have recentlY or who are thinking of converting to a home centor oPerationl' F.L. "Pete" Chown, Lamperts Yards. lnc.. St. Paul, Mrnnesota Seminar leaders will share their expertlse on such vital toprcs as: How to make the most oroductive use of the space you have. New and effective merchandising, promotion and advertising techniques that really move products off the shelJ. Proven methods for recruiting and retaining top personnel and similar subjects.

Give and take ideas at round table discussions following the seminars. Talk about your bustness problems and successes as you learn about operations of other retailers. " as you meet with seminar leaders and participants' Gain ideas for your own ad programs at the tndustry's most comolete collection of home center retail advertising at HOME CENTER Magazine's Ad DisPlaY'

AT tTO CHARGE...SAVE $5.00... GAIIU PRIORITY HOTEL RESERVATIOilS rREE PRE-REGlsrRATloN lNsrRucrloNs

1. Must be received in the show office by January 28, 1983. Confirmation of preI ,"gistration and hotel reservation forms will be mailed within three weeks Free . Oadges will be mailed after January 3, 1983

Z. Late mail registralions will not be processed. Register again at show' (At-show registration fee $5.OO)

3. hEGrsrRATioN coMPUTERIZED. ALL INFoRMATIoN MUST BE FILLED lN.

4. NO ONE UNDER 16 YEARS OLD ADMITTED.

IMPOHTANT: PLEASE LEAVE SPACE BETWEEN FIRST NAME OR INITIALS AND LAST NAME

FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 2, 1g83/DALLAS

IMPORTANT: In order to Process Your registration, your company's business activity must be indicated below:

(l) ! Retailer/Dealer

(J) !Wholesaler/Distributor

(P) tr Other (please describe)-

Note: Exhibitor personnel should not use this form. Please use form provided in Exhibitor Kit.

(Continued from page 24)

Addressing the nearly 600 attending the 89th convention in Denver, Co., Sept, 23-25, he pointed out that mortgage retirement accounts have been proposed by Sen. John Tower ofTexas as a means of allowing homeowners to pre-pay mortgage principal with tax sheltered retirement money. Funds invested in an MRA could be rolled over to a new MRA upon sale of the home.

"The benefits ofthis proposal could be enormous to all segments of the thrift, housing and building material supply industries," Beardall, pres. of Anderson Lumber Co., Ogden, Ut,, said.

"The Economic Recovery Act was designed to encourage savings and the repayment of debt is savings. Mortgage lenders would benefit as their loans would be repaid in less time, freeing funds for new loans. Funds attracted in this manner would provide a tremendous pool that could be re-invested in mortgages repaid by owners under a tax deferred savings program, he emphasized.

The MSLBMDA is writing letters to other associations, key lumber dealers and congressmen and senators in the Mountain States region, pressing for passage of MRA legislation throughout the 1983 congressional session.

Cal Brand, HUD; Douglas E. Ashy, pres. of the NLBMDA and Bob Mathias, two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner, were among others addressing the convention.

Jack Davis, manager of the Pecos Valley-Houston Home Center, Roswell, N.M., took over as president. The first honorary life memberships were present- ed to Carmon Allen, Wes Anderson, Max Ker and Chet Nortz.

See the Personals section of the November 1982 Merchant for names oJ other officers and directors elected-ed.