WEST COAST FOREST PRODUGTS

berman in the price and quality advantages of wood products.

Seiwell, lvho oversees American's do-it-yourself stories, said "most lumber dealers still think of themselves as warehousemen rather than as local retail merchants," and many are serving their shoulder trade in a "half-hearted sort of way." In a number of areas, he reported, "the local lumberyard is a place about as unknown as the local funeral parlor."

Addressing the 1955 spring meeting, Seiwell declared:

"As we all know, lumber is losing out to metals and plastics because people just don't know the facts about lumber. Maybe they should knorv these things but they don't and, until you tell them, potential customers will continue to go by the doors of your retail outlets and buy the products of your competitors."

To the more than 100 industry leaders gathered at Sea Island, the magazine spokesman suggested this approach to bolster do-it-yourself sales:

"The first proposed project for your association is an obvious one: education in the uses and virtues of lumber directed at the consumer and at the retailer not a technical discussion of lvood in industry terms, but education in the end uses of the product. You're manufacturing lumber, and you will sell it to the shoulder trade to the extent that you make working rvith wood enticing and attractive-and get across to the do-it-yourselfer its superiority of performance to competing metals and plastics.

"And we see this as an industry-wide job, with additional. specialized assistance from vour member associa- tions and individual companies. The consumer part of the program should stress recipes and pictures-in y6s1 case, full size woodworking patterns and instruction sheets, each with simply written, easily understood, step-by-step directions and drawings or photographs of such steps."

Seiwell identified these as problems of the retail lumber dealer requiring attention by lumber manufacturer:si:

"He needs guidance in establishing a modern retail outlet in dealing with the uninformed in lumber terms, with women customers (and their number is legion, and increasing) in setting up a self-service department, with prices clearly marked in staging seasonal displays in learning to talk customers' interests and having information on hand to help the customer with his current problem, whether it be a boat, lawn furniture, toys or a cabinet for his hi-fi set.

"In brief, he needs the sort of education that will help him develop a consistent, year-round business with the do-it-yourselfers of his community."

Seiwell said present NLMA efforts to help retailers and consumers are a start in the right direction but need "greater implementation." He added:

"An aggressive merchandising and advertising campaign aimed at the re-education of people as to the value of wood in home building and home decoration and furnishings will, in my judgment, pay off handsomely to you and your dealers. But it's got to be done through the exploitation of end uses rather than the raw products, just as the electrical companies, the gas companies, the alumi(Continued on Page 20)

Sqn Moteo Yord Even Puts on Sqlu

Molinee for Shoulder Trode

Shotgun Vfedding 0f Do-lt-Yourself and Volume Sales

Triggered in Handsome New Hillsdale Showroom

Ilillsdale lSuilders Supply Company, establisl-red in San N{ateo, Calif., during 1946, recently lifted "the wroughtiron curtain" and threu' open the doors of its brand-nelv shou-room for the public to inspect. Well over 1500 residents of San \[ateo trouped dor,vn to vier,v the "nerv look" the San Mateo yard rvas sporting. Nearly 1,000 homeo\\'ners registered for the drarvings and admired the modern, functional construction of the ner,v building.

Strategically located just across from a nerv $30,000,000 shopping center, and u'ith the yard entrance and big customer parking lot guarded by traflic lights, the new Hillsdale Builders Supply sholvroom is a natural for the drop-in trade, 'n'hich has already shou'n gratifying action in the short time tl-re shorvroom has been open.

Ffowever, Herb Crawford, general manager of the Hillsdale yard, has not been content to just sit and wait for the customers to come in.

Besides the original ltames gathered on the registration cards during the open honse (these cards sho."ved the person's current home interest, as prizes rvere given out in accord rvith customers' notes), Crawford has embarked upon a vigorous advertising campaign. Tn addition to rlaily spots on KVSM, the local radio station, semi-weekly spreads in the local netvspaper and the firm's own direct mail advertising, Crarvford has entered a variety of other direct mail and participation programs.

Hillsdale Builders Supp11- recently joined the "Your Neighbor Service," an organization rvhich greets each new arrival in the fast grorving San Mateo area. This service provides each nerv arrival in the area with a discount card, good for l0/o oft on purchases up to $100 made at any of the members of the service.

The service also notes any future home projects planned by the family and turns over those leads to the member firm that could be of help.

Hillsdale Builders Supply also participates in a direct mail campaign carried on by local merchants. The regular mailings, running up to 10,000 letters, include discount tickets from the member merchants. When anyone comes into the store to use one of the tickets, Crawford has him endorse the ticket rvith his name and address, thus gaining additional names for Hillsdale's mailing list.

In the short time that the new showroom has been open, Hillsdale's mailing list has grown from almost nothing to well over 3,000 home-owners.

Not content to stop the campaign at that point, Crar,vford goes even further and has each of the two men that run the new showroom call at least 10 of the names on the prospect list each morning. Many of these calls lead to in-person calls, a sale, and a friend and permanent customer for the yard. Crawford maintains a budget of approximately lfi/o of the projected gross volume for advertising and sales promotion.

HERB CRAWFORD, generol msnoger, is shown ot left by yord sign; before becoming Hillsdole heod losr foll' he wos mqny yeors with S. P. Milling ot Sonfo Borboro, Colif, Sign (center below) morks entry lo 25-cor cuslom€r porking lirjcontrqctors hove sepoiote entry ond ofhce by sheds in bockground-note troftic signols which moke Lnr".irig o, leo"ing yord o snop, Scene ot right, below, shows port of yord's 2 million b.f. inveniory behind bi!l' bocrd ind fence. ionelof pictures ot boitom of poge shows (top) streel Yiew of showroom wilh full-lengrh disploy windows; (center) inviiingly open ond modernistic outside oppeoronce of showroom with store exierior oll in iegiwn VG clear heort 1,,x8,,- iedwood wirh 1"x2" Redwood bofts, ond (boftom) the do-it-yourself lumrber deporlmenl sheltered by overhong ol reor of showroom; deporlmeni hqs tqble -sow ond is eosily qccessible from porking lor, wirh qll lumber in rqcks ond ploinly price-morked. The interior of the mognificent new showroom is seen ii the ponel on the opposita poge. Top photo shows ceiling of Hemlock suppoiled by Redwood beams ond counter to righr ond reor'oi picfure. Centir photo shows wide voriefy of movoble disploys yet Plenty of room for customer movemant; or leosr one disploy is chonged eoch week qnd oll moieriols ore priced with ow_n signmoking mochine like deporrment stoies rr". Bono- phoio shows plon books ond remodeling oids in comforfoble olcove-ofi moin showroom, which olso disploys gorden furnilure knits; noie huge shopping cenlet ocross slreet.

Once the prospective customer has entered Hilisdale's new store, the showroom practically invites him to brorvse further. Attractive do-it-yourself displays are abundant, with pickup or "impulse" items rt'ithin a step from the checkout counter. The trvo sales clerks are specially trained in merchandising and retail selling, and are ahvays r'villing to discuss and help rvith customer might have.

Hor,'r'ard Gregorsen, f ormerly any planning Problem the with Beronio Lumber Company in San Francisco, is manager of the new retail shorvroom, rvhich oPerates completely apart from Hillsdale's contractor and volume lumber business.

Did rve say volume lumber? Yes sir, Hillsdale Builders Supply Company is not just a do-it-yourself emporium ! The yard itself covers an averag'e inventory located on spur, is all better than four acres and carries of 2.000.000 BF of lumber. It is hard surfaced and includes some under-cover storage as well as a planer, 12" joinler, DeWalt radial saw and a table san'.

The yard has a separate entrance for contractors, a separate parking area and omce and even separate bookkeeping from the retail operation. Jerry Kearney, formerly assistant manager of the S. P. Milling San Luis branch, is yard foreman. Besides Kearney, there are 11 men and trvo drivers in the yard operation.

In short, Herb Crawford's "baby" is shorving remarkable grorvth since its baptism April 16. The shorvroom is currently open six full days a week and features an oPen house each Saturday afternoon, during rvhich time representatives of various national manufacturers demonstrate their respective products and help people $Iith their planning problems.

In addition, Hillsdale Builders Supply Company rvill soon be open Friday nights to tie in r'vith the Friday night opening of the huge ne'rv shopping center just across the st reet.

Tire immediate success of the operation is directly due to the planning, research and thought that Herb Crarvford and his employes have put into the project . . . a successful marriage of a do-it-yotlrself and a volume lumber business.