Self-Seryice Supermqrkef Merchqndising ls rhe New Order clt the Builders Mqrket in Sqn Diego

The old slogan for lumberyard and retail store operations used to be, "Take two steps to the customer's one." But the "old order changeth" in this atomic era of supermarket merchandising, and retail lumberyards are not exempt.

Now California has one of the first building materials "supermarkets," but long before the Whiting-Mead Co. of San Diego opened its new Builders Market in the Southland city July 10, exhaustive surveys were made to determine that customers really wanted to "browse" in a lumberyard as they do in other stores, and that they definitely didn't want the salesmen constantly hovering around.

The new two-story Builders Market, located at l4th and K in dor,r'ntou'n San Diego, boasts a 10,000 square foot supermarket type sales floor, complete with self-service display racks and quick service check-out stand. Eleven different departments are represented in the supermarket section of the store. These departments include sash and door, roofing, wallboard, cement and plaster, hardware, electrical and plumbing equipment, appliances, paint and floor covering.

Four "floor men" are stationed on the main sales area to a-ssist customers as needecl and to provide technical advice on installation, construction, and application tecl-rniques.

In addition to these "advisors," the firm also maintains a plan department, which supplies the firm's "Save-Way" plan for do-it-yourself home construction. A model of a threcbedroom colonial home, built by the Whiting-Mead method, stands in the paved parking lot adjacent to the main store.

The San Diego firm was established in l9l2 as a brancir of the Whiting-Mead Co., of I-os Angeles. It became a 100/o San Diego-owned firm in 1944, when H. L. I\finer, the president, and his sons Glen M. Miner and F. Everett Miner, together with other longtime employes, purchased all the assets of the San Diego firm from the parent company.

H. L. Miner, who joined the San Diego organization in 1916, continues as president. 'Glen M. Miner is general manager and F. Everett Miner is sales manager.

In 1948 the firm was incorporated and the firm nan.re changed to Miner & Co., Builders Market. The business continues to be conducted as "Builders Market-WhitingL4ead Co. of San Diego," with the name "Builders Market" featured prominently in advertising, business forrns, ancl signs.

Designed and built by Virgil W. Cash of San Diego, the new supermarket has a 15,000 square foot warehouse adjacent to the main sales floor. Material may be moveC from the most distant point in the warehouse to its ds5ignated place on the sales floor in less than two minutes.

In addition to being designed to provide attractive and convenient quarters for the building materials supermarket, thr.r new store has been decorated to help provide ideas for home builders and designers. For example, the foyer and offices were finished to demonstrate the most modern use of plywood panels in decorative schemes. The fover is paneled in fir, gum and serrated plywood trimmed in redwood, and is lighted with both natural and artificial light coming through attractive wood "egg crate" ceiling.

Executive offices on the first and second floor are paneleC

"Sqve-Woy

Plon,, erected on the in a variety of woods, including ash, rotary and ribbon mahogany, birch, walnut, redwood, and gum. Exterior of the building is finished in two-tone green stucco with split brick trim. Two split brick planters flank one of the entrances. Radio, television and newspaper advertising was usecl to announce the opening of the Builders Market, and more than

5,000 visitors trooped through the new store building during the week-long open house celebration. Refreshments were served to guests in the yard's large employe recreation area on the second floor, and all visitors received souvenirs. The Whiting-Mead Co. Builders Market issued a cleyer invitation to the opening. The front piece, stating, "We

Cordially Invite You to ()ur Opening July lA-17," picturecl tn'o doors in a facsimile of the actual store front. When the invitation is opened, the doors also open and one reads, "The Home of l)o-It-Yourself," and it lists the products carried in the store and yard.

It also listed the do-it-yourself demonstrations to be seen Curing tl.re rveek of open house : Horv to lay asphalt tile, applying aluminum tile, taping and application of wallboard, the right and u'rong \\'ay of applying roofing, and the neu'est ideas on interior painting'

During the open house week, ten special exhibit booths '"vere in operation. Arrangecl and stafied by leacling manufacturels, these booths featured modern building materials and equiprrent. Among the suppliers of tools and basic materials exhibited at the opening were: Asphalt Tile Co., Black and Decker, Martin-Senour, U. S. Gypsum, Pioneer Flintkote, Alumiwall Tile Co., and Johns-Manville Co. Follou'ing the grand opening, the do-it-yourself demonstration and booth area reverts to the yard's finish clepartment.

The original San Diego yard was burned in a fire in 1944 ancl the Miner family did not consider it fitting to build a new store rvl-rile San Diegans still needed materials for homebuilding in the periocl of shortages immediately after the war. The present Builders Market location was the firtn's warehottse until the remodeling and building of the supermarket store that was opened last month.

Across the street, on what is left of the 1944 fire, stands the llargain Annex with "New and Used Building Nlaterials" -;1 uniqus operation in itself which will be reported in a later story.

E. P. Ervin is the store manager of the Builders Market ior the Nliners. He has served in that capacity for three and one-half years of his six years' employment there. And don't let the supermarket merchanclising theory in lumberyards fool yolr. Rrowsing for building materials may be a fine thing, and the pattern for the future, but the staff of sales clerks is still a very necessary thing for pricing, friendliness and good building advice.

Brown Selling Wholescrle OnlY

An article appearing in the july l5 issue concerning R. F, Brou'n. n'ho is u'ith Getz lJros. & Co., San Francisco. erroneously stated that he sells to the retail trade' Mr. Bro.,-' n sells the lurnber products of the firm only to rvholesale distributors in the Bay area and',ve regret any misinformation caused by pultlication of the July 15 article.

Fidler's Mqnufcrcluring Co. Moves To lorger Quorlers

The plant and oflice facilities of Fidler's \lanufacturing Co., Inc., n'holesale manufacturers ancl distributors <if harclrvood flush doors, has lteen moved to expandecl cluarters, announces Harry Iterry, presiclent of the concern.

The neu' location at 733 South Hindry Avenue, Ingleu'ood 1, Calif., consists of 100,000 square feet of production and mant-rfacturing space with air-conditioned offices for executivt' and clerical staffs. According to Louis Fidler, generai manager ancl secretary-treasurer of the firm, the nerv plant has a production schedule that r,r,i11 exceed 3.000 fl'rsh doors per shift.

"Our new expanded facility in Ingler'r'ood is one rlf the l.rrgest of its kind in California," declared President I'erry, "and our policy of distributing ottr products to retail dealers lrnd jobbers only has been tl.re major factor in tlur excellent growth," he continued.

Fidler's Manufacturing Co., Inc., has a nationu-ide distribution for its doors, which are produced exclusivelv in Caliiornia but have met u'ith ready acceptance throughout the east and middle rvest.

Tne new telephttne number of this pior.reer Southern California door firm is ORegon 8-8991. The executives o! ti,e company extend an invitation to all dealers to visit the plant, which is open daily Monday through Friday.

Arizonq lumber Shortoge

Phoenix, Ariz. -Arizona contractors, plagued by strikes ancl strike threats this summer, had a lumber shortage in July, reported J. C. Jorclan, exectttive manager of the Lumber Merchandisers Association. He said local lumber inventories were approaching depletion with the continued strike in the Northwest, and remaining stocks were already committed to jobs in progress.