"Win a Real Live Girl" Cooper Lumber packs 'em in for openln9 with \\ wrn -a - person t' drawing grand

OMING UP WITH a {resh idea for a grand opening ceremony is harder than putting toothpaste back in the tube. Such events generally turn to the musty old cliche of a ribbon'cutting ceremony followed by cofiee and cake for the customers.

An energetic young Los Angeles dealer, however, swung open the doors to his new store last month with the most unusualand efiective-grand opening promotion in the history of the ,business. How's this for openers: sustained the interest in the grand opening with newspaper ads and a direct mail piece mailed to thousands of local homeowners.

"Win a real live girl! AU yours for five days! Nothing to buy, just come see Cooper's fabulous new store and sign the register. If you don't need another person around the house, you can have $250 worth of free merchandise instead."

The result? The store was jammed throughout the four-day grand opening period. Over the weekend, more than 9,000 visitors came to look over the new store. They also came to buy, attested to by the fact that 45 percent of the trade during the opening was in cash sales.

.,MISS GRAND PRIZE''

"Miss Grand Prize" was lovely Carol Andreson, a professional model, actress and registered nurse. And the lucky win' ner was Valter Hennig, a 64 year'old furniture plant worker.

A l(lSS F()R THE Wlilt{ER, Walter Hennig, a 64-year' old furniture plant worker, who took home the lovely "grand prize'' at the opening. Second prize was a DeWalt oower shop and third prize was a tv set, shown hbre (right) being awarded to a smiling youngster by Coopei Lumber's Bill Cooper. Dealer Cooper, who rlces'speedboats in his "off-duty" hours, reported crowds of 4,500 visitors per day during the weekend of the four-day grand opening ceremony.

The "win-a-person" drawing, the brainchild of dealer Bill Cooper, president of the new Cooper Lumber Store, set off a wave oI enthusiasm throughout Los Angeles. Local papers picked-up the story and ten radio stations discussed the drawing on their conversation programs. Cooper

As Hennig's name was drawn, Cooper asked if he would take Miss Andreson or the free merchandise. Smiling, Hennig slipped his arm around the lovely lass and retorted, o'I'll take ,his merchandise'"

Second prize was a D'eW'alt power shop and the third prize winner took home a portable tv set. Hundreds of other prizes were given away including power tools, glue guns, electric drills, hand tools, tool chests and pre-finished paneling.

Throughout the grand opening, Cooper Lumber conducted a series of product demonstrations and how-to-do-it clinics. These sessions included an antiquing clinic, power shop demonstrations, and other clinics on how to install wall paneling, how to use power tools and how to work with plastics.

..NICER THAN A WARM PUPPY''

The new Cooper Lumber Store (which their advertising says is "even nicer than a warm puppy") is the culmination of many years of careful planning and study by Bill Cooper, a dynamic, third geni:ration lum' berman.

In 1957, Cooper, fresh out of the Marines, took over the family business when his dad passed away. Founded in 1930, Cooper Lumber had long been a leading Los Angeles yard and had at one time operated a wholesale division. Soon after yoLrng Bill touk over opt'ration of the company, hc lregan to cast about for means to up-date the husiness.

DIRECT MAlt A0 sent to thousands of howeowners in Coooer Lumber's marketins area sustained interest in the grand opening. 0utside of mailer read, "Win a Real Live Girl. See inside for lovely particulars."

The first stcp was a self--servicc shed completed several vears ago adjacent to the existing showroom. The shed incorporatcd several of Cooper's merchandising ideas. Sales immediately spurted. The average cash sale rosc from $3.-tr6 to $5.40. Soon Cooper began planning an e'r'er larger expansion that resulted in the present 30,000 sq. ft. showroom.

"That self serr.ice shed served as a pilot for our remodeling." says Cooper. "After trying it for several years. I'm sold that self service doesn't work. I've found that only about l0-15 percent of our customers know what they want. 'fhe rest want to browse or want help."

"JUST BROWSING, THANK YOU"

To solve this problem, the new Cooper store offers customers a choice of two buttons as they come in. If the customer picks a red button that reads "Help, and smile at me," a salesman offers assistance. If the customer just wants to look around, however, he can wear a blue button that says "Just browsing, thank you. Your store is fascinating and I'm about to spend a considerable amount of rnoney."

Cooper's new store literally abounds with new merchandising ideas. gleaned from hundreds of different sources.

There is no directory in the store, and managers constantly move displays to different areas in the showroom. "I want a customer to hunt for what he wants. Wrile he's hunting. he'll probably find something else he necds," says Cooper.

A firm believer in pricing each item. Cooper will soon institute a polic,v that "If you find something without a price tag, you can have itl"

All the managers of the store have their "office" in a circular "information desk" in the center of the showroom. "l want mv managers out front where the customers can get to them if they need help," muses Cooper. "And I've found that if you put a man behind a dcsk, there's a temptation for him to just stay there."

Another new concept being initiated at the Cooper yard is the splitting of the shoulder trade and the contractor trade. The new Cooper store is a "one price to all" operation. The firm operates another yard on a rail spur in nearby Inglewood to serve contractors and industrials.

"I didn't want my contractor customers (Continued on Page 75)