Hardware Connection February 2020

LOOKING BACK AT 75 YEARS OF DO IT BEST CORP. HISTORY

February 2020 Vol. 12, No. 1

THE INDUSTRY’S DIGITAL LEADER

How to ATTRACT the NEXT GENERATION of CUSTOMERS ALSO INSIDE: Q&A with Do it Best President Dan Starr Paint and Decorating Category Trends

1 Million Square Feet of New Products, Deals and Ideas Orgill Dealer Markets have everything you need to grow your business.

Join us February 27-29 for our Spring Dealer Market in Orlando.

Visit orgill.com/Dealer-Market-Advantage for a look inside an Orgill Market!

Don’t Miss These Highlights: Deep Discounts From Top Brands

•

eCommerce Solutions

•

New Product Launches

•

How-To Demonstrations

•

Idea-Generating Concept Stores

•

Workshops From Industry Experts

•

Complete Category Showcases

•

Full Access to Orgill’s Team of Retail Specialists

•

1-800-347-2860 ext. 5373 • information@orgill.com • orgill.com/Dealer-Market-Advantage

CONTENTS February 2020 ■ Vol. 12, No. 1

28

MAIN FEATURE: HOW TO ATTRACT THE NEXT GENERATION OF CUSTOMERS

DO IT BEST: 75 YEARS OF DO IT BEST CORP. HISTORY / Q&A WITH DAN STARR

6 8 12 14 16 22 28 36 44 50 54 57 59 60 62

Editor’s Note: Chris Jensen Trend Watch: Craig Cope Digby’s Hardware cartoon: Scott Jensen Amazing But True Hardware Stories How’s Business?

Shop Talk: Hardware Products Review Main Feature: How to Attract the Next Generation of Customers 75 Years of Do it Best Corp. History / Q&A with Dan Starr Dealer Profile: Trio Hardware Category Report: Paint & Decorating Products The Hardware Conference: Nominations Now Open for Beacon Awards In the News Upcoming Events Retail Ideas Behind the Numbers The Hardware Connection app is available for iPhone, iPad, Android and Amazon.

Download here.

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Like us on Facebook by clicking here.

36

Connection

TM

THE HARDWARE Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 3

DOUBT IS Out.

DO IT BEST HELPS MEMBERS LAUNCH NEW LOCATIONS WITH CONFIDENCE.

“Do it Best gave us the confidence that we had it right – they led us through

More customers, more opportunity. More risk, more challenges. Expanding

the process and really took the

your business with a new location can be a time of promise and peril. But

pressure off.”

as member-owners Tammy and Scott Moore discovered, Do it Best is ready to support you every step of the way.

The Moores started by collaborating with Do it Best on a thorough demographic and market analysis to confirm their chosen location was positioned for growth. Next, they worked with our Signature™ Store Design team to create the ideal store from the ground up. Guided by our market analysis, Tammy and Scott stocked their new location with comprehensive hardware and rental departments, along with a deep selection of outdoor living and home décor, including The Color Bar™ interactive paint department. Since their grand opening, Mountain View Home & Hardware has exceeded expectations, and the Moore family is already looking forward to their next location.

» Partner with Do it Best to grow your business without the worry.

Call us today at 888-DO-IT-BEST (888-364-8237) or visit doitbestretail.com.

Scott Moore Mountain View Home & Hardware Patrick Building Supply

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Ace Hardware Corp. | www.myace.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 August Home | www.august.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Blue Rhino | www.bluerhino.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Do it Best Corp. | www.doitbestonline.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Duracell | www.duracell.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Epicor Corp. | www.epicor.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Ettore Products Company | www.ettore.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Ganymede Technologies Corp./J3 Point-of-Sale | www.j3pos.biz . . . 20 Jack Link’s Beef Jerky | www.jacklinks.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Kaba Ilco | www.ilco.us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Orgill Inc. | www.orgill.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Paladin Data Corp. | www.paladinpointofsale.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 RapidFix / LHB Industries | www.rapidfix.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Retail Automation | www.retailautomation.biz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 STIHL USA | www.stihlusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 WD-40 Company | www.wd40.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 15 Yale Home | www.yalehome.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Connection

TM

91900 Overseas Highway | Tavernier, FL 33070 | www.TheHardwareConnection.com Publisher/Principal: Craig Cope craig@thehardwareconnection.com 804-690-0666 Editor/Founder/Principal: Chris Jensen chris@thehardwareconnection.com 317-514-8864 Founder/Principal: Tom Chasteen tom@thehardwareconnection.com 305-852-6126 Marketing & Creative Director/Principal: Dan Akers dan@thehardwareconnection.com 317-797-6609

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Senior Business Advisor: John Hammond jhammond@thehardwareconnection.com National Account Manager: Dan Beck dbeck@thehardwareconnection.com 518-852-9624 Contributing Writers: Andy Curry, Doug Donaldson, Gary Pittsford The Hardware Connection is published eight times a year by The Hardware Connection, Inc. All editorial contents copyrighted 2020 by the publisher. No editorial may be reproduced without the prior permission of the publisher.

THE HARDWARE Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 5

EDITOR’S NOTE

By Chris Jensen

Technology is Opening Up the New Age of Retail

P

ersonal computers were just the first wave of technology that transformed our lives, followed by tablets and smartphones. As it turns out, in-store kiosks, self-checkout systems, email and text marketing, remote access data analysis and digital signage were just the teasers to the appetizer.

Now we’re getting to the good stuff, but the main course is ever-changing on the menu of the New Age of Retail.

Welcome to retailing’s Tomorrowland, where technology becomes obsolete almost as soon as it is introduced.

Amazon is opening up cashier-less stores, which has to sound attractive to retailers who wonder each day if their cashiers will bother to show up for work. Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are driving change in retail and all other industries these days, and those companies that own the data hold the power and the keys to the kingdom. I’m still shocked at how willing most people are to surrender their privacy, as they go about their daily business blissfully unaware how their every action is tracked. I’m pretty sure I’ve bored my trackers to tears by now.

6 ■ THE HARDWARE Connection ■ February 2020

Turn to page 28 for this month’s cover story on “How to Attract the Next Generation of Customers.” Hint: it will be hard to do without fully embracing technology. My cover story will offer insights into digital marketing strategies such as geofencing, but I was only able to scratch the surface of the topic.

Expect more related articles as the year continues.

Technology can help you better understand your customers and target them more affordably and effectively than ever before, but you have to be clever, agile and open-minded, willing to fail more often than you succeed. It’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel, but you have to be willing to turn to outside experts for help. Or if all else fails, just Google what to do.

As an aging boomer (some days I seem to age more than others), I’m scared to death of the day all our kids are finally gone from the house. With them will go my free IT department and there will be no one to explain how to navigate my computer, phone, TV or whatever new-fangled screen or device the world is using then. There’s got to be a meme for that. ■ www.TheHardwareConnection.com

YOU’RE INVITED

CHICAGO SPRING CONVENTION Register to Attend

MARCH 11-14, 2020

myace.com 630.990.6900 TXT

TXT

TXT

trend watch

By Craig Cope

Digital Marketing Strategy Can Make the Difference

O

n January 14, 2020, Google announced it was acquiring Pointy, a company that specializes in helping local retailers with “automatically displaying your products online.” Pointy had been a topic of conversation in past Hardware Conference open dialogue sessions and other industry events, as retailers now must compete online as well as in-store.

This left me with two thoughts. First, this is a great sign for the independent retailers as Google sees value in helping local retailers compete online.

Second, this move signals the importance of digital marketing to all retailers regardless of size.

The impact of e-commerce on traditional brick and mortar retailers is a story that is currently being written and how it will end is anyone’s guess.

However, no one can debate the importance of hardware retailers having a strong online presence. Which brings me to a simple question: how does your store look online?

Websites and social media pages for small businesses are often something crossed off the to-do list once completed and they do not receive much

8 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

attention afterwards. Your online presence is just like your store’s physical presence—they need constant attention to deliver an acceptable ROI (return on investment).

Unlike items requiring your attention that enable your store to operate properly, a website and a social media account can be left alone without any perceived harm to the business. It’s the old “out of sight, out of mind” psychology. In today’s technology-driven world, small business owners must place an importance on online presence.

I doubt launching a new website or social media site is high on anyone’s favorite things. Trust me, I know, as The Hardware Connection is preparing to launch a new website shortly—stay tuned. However, just like with any project, you need to establish a plan that breaks everything down into simple steps. Start small and most importantly learn how to integrate the maintenance into the daily store routine. Without an established routine, even the best website will quickly become dated and filled with errors.

You can treat your website and social media activity just like you treat www.ThehardwareConnection.com

Click Here to View Our Profile

trend watch your store. When you stand in front of your store, what are the first things you notice? Store hours, contact information, special promotions, etc. Now, do your website and social media pages share the same level of accuracy? I am often shocked at how many businesses have incorrect store hours listed on their website. I highly doubt any brick and mortar store would go too long before the hours were updated.

After you have all the basic information correct the next step is marketing.

Many retailers lead with big brands as traffic draws. Your store website and social media pages are no different.

Manufacturers spend millions of dollars creating brands, so why not take advantage of their marketing efforts? If your store is a certified dealer for a certain brand or your store carries a desired brand of products (power tools, hand tools, apparel, etc.), then those brand names need to be listed on your site.

When consumers search for a specific brand your store is more likely to be displayed, especially if they are within close proximity.

Many hardware stores are leaders in their local communities and proudly display awards, sponsorship or accreditations on their walls. Simply listing these on your website is not merely enough. One tip or trick is to make sure your website and social media pages contains links to the organization that has recognized your store and their site 10 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

contains links back to your site. This will help your website and social media pages appear higher in search engines.

Now that you have handled the basics and your website/social media content is accurate it is time to think big picture. What role or purpose does your website play in the overall business plan? I know it seems counterproductive to not have done this first, but this step will take much longer than the other tips and you do not want to miss potential customers based upon incorrect information online.

Before it all becomes too overwhelming, follow the advice I learned from Mike Altendorf, retired vice president of information technology for Do it Best Corp., during a past interview I did with him: “Determine your business strategy and then choose the technology that best supports your strategy.”

You will not find a shortage of information on what you should be doing online, as well as businesses that are available to help you “fix” this problem. A good starting point is with your co-op or primary wholesaler, as many provide online support services for their members and retail customers. They understand your business and have the resources dedicated to online services.

Turn to this issue’s cover story on page 28 for a more in-depth look at how retailers are using digital marketing and new technology to attract the next generation of customers. ■ www.ThehardwareConnection.com

Dear Dealers: Happy New Year! It’s always exciting when we drive in to the New Year with fresh ideas and renewed energy.

For STIHL, customer satisfaction remains our primary focus and we continue to make long-term investments in our facilities, products, distribution and processes to ensure that STIHL customers have an experience they cannot find at Big Box stores or Amazon.

You, the STIHL dealer, play a critical role in this experience. It is why we continue to invest in dealer training, marketing and online resources. We know that even as online shopping increases, customers still value the personal experience only you can deliver.

Remember, more than 90% of retail purchases in America occur at brick and mortar locations and you now have the ability to offer the Buy Online. Pick Up in Store option for STIHL products.

Your dedication to customer satisfaction does not go unnoticed, as evidenced by the more than 38,000 dealer reviews STIHL dealers have received on our website, earning an average rating of 4.8 stars with more than 97% of customers saying they would recommend their STIHL dealer. While we have always known this was your unique advantage in the marketplace, and why we still don’t sell through Big Box stores or Amazon, it’s wonderful to hear our customers confirm it.

So congratulations and thank you. We sincerely appreciate your trust and confidence as we pursue superior customer satisfaction and increase STIHL dealer sales. Together we continue to win!

Best wishes for a prosperous year.

Sincerely,

Click Here to View Our Profile

BJOERN FISCHER – PRESIDENT, STIHL INC.

HARDWARE HUMOR

12 ■ THE HARDWARE Connection ■ February 2020

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Click Here to View Our Profile

Keys & more

Key Machines & more

Auto & more

Hardware & more

Kaba Ilco Corp. • 1.800.334.1381 • www.ilco.us

HARDWARE HUMOR

Amazing but TRUE

HARDWARE

STORIES

D

uring a power outage a few weeks back, we got some phone ca lls asking if toilets will still flush with the power out.

Russell Young Pini Ace Hardware | N ovato, Calif.

S

omething like this seems to happen two or three times a year. Just recently, we had a guy buy a snowblower from Menards. He just bought it off the shelf and they didn’t help with the setup. Because there was no oil in it, the engine seized and he brought it to our store to honor the warranty.

We had to politely tell him that he’d have to take it up with Menards. When we sell a product, we make sure it’s ready for the customer.

David Tennies Tennies Ace Hardware | Kewaskum, Wis.

ral town. e’re in a very ru one Seems like every e for am has a different n ’s a s, whether it parts or product piece of equipr o lt o b c fi ci e sp llmon name is ca m co e n O t. n e m d. nchor a redhea a te e cr n co a g in s who works for u y u g a e v a h e W red hair, so it’s t h g ri b s a h o h w g joke to always in n n ru a f o rt so s n someone ask e h w im h to t in po for a redhead. ithen Thomas McKe e Value McKeithen’s Tru sboro, Ga. te ta S | re a w rd a H

W

W

e’ve been in business since 1917. We’ve been in this location for 41 years. Before my time, we sold Crosley appliances. The founder of that company, Powel Crosley Jr., was ahead of his time and developed a small, efficient car that conserved gasoline. Because we sold Crosley appliances, we also displayed some of the Crosley cars. They were small enough that we could put them on the freight elevator and show them on the fourth floor. People were always surprised when they got to the fourth floor and saw cars.

Mark Bushnell Kentucky Mine Supply PRO Hardware | Harlan, Ky.

14 ■ THE HARDWARE Connection ■ February 2020

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Click Here to View Our Profile

How’s Business?

MIDWEST

Herb, Todd, Suzanne, David and Terry Tennies are the family members running Tennies Ace, which was founded by Ben Tennies in 1953.

Sales and customer counts in 2019? Compared to the previous year, we’re probably down about 1 percent.

It’s all weather related. However, customer counts are up over last year. With low interest rates, the housing market here is still strong and lots of building going on.

What are you doing to attract the next generation of customers?

We’re promoting our online presence through Ace Hardware. We promote all three of our stores on Facebook. We try to post at least once a week, and if there’s a major event, we post more. We try to get as many likes as possible. To do that, we run contests, giving away a $25 gift certificate. Our most popular social media posts are when our garden center opens in the spring. We’ll take cool pictures of flowers and that seems to get people to the store.

Best niche categories? We do a lot of business with Milwaukee power

tools. Our store is also a big Benjamin Moore dealer. We have a strong rental department with rototillers and trenchers in the spring. We have a small engine repair center that complements our big inventory of small engine parts. We also sell a lot of Weber and Traeger grills.

New initiatives for 2020? We’re looking at improving inventory control and becoming more present online and in social media and with Google search.

This year, we’re also looking to expand our battery-operated lawn and garden tools.

David Tennies Tennies Ace Hardware Kewaskum, Jackson and West Bend, Wis.

16 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

NORTHEAST

Sales and customer counts in 2019? We’re about 4

percent ahead of last year. But customer counts, feet in the door, weren’t up. What’s happening now is a resurgence in ordering online. People don’t have time. Ordering online is easier. The local economy is fair.

We see a lot of people coming up for weekend, second homes.

What are you doing to attract the next generation of customers? Having a website and online ordering is helpPaint is a key department ful. We also have a warehouse at Majestic’s Hardware.

10 minutes away, so customers can order and pick up in-store the next day. People just don’t have time to come into the store, so we’re making it as easy as possible. We think of ourselves as a brick-and-tech organization.

Best niche categories? Paint and housewares are our strongest niches. With niches, I believe it’s important to show customers that you’re an important player in the business, not dabbling.

To support our paint department, we have televisions in the store showing what can be done with Benjamin Moore paints. With Ben Moore and local painters, we have seminars once a month. People want to be informed; they don’t want to be sold. I see the store’s role as being part of that process.

New initiatives planned for 2020? We are continuing with our educational series once a month. We’ll also be expanding into services, such as knife sharpening and sharpening commercial Housewares is a niche at grinding wheels.

Majestic’s Hardware.

Michael Ciavolino Majestic’s Hardware | Gardiner, N.Y. www.TheHardwareConnection.com

THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 17

WEST

Ace Hardware just opened in Salem, W. Va.

SOUTH

Sales and customer counts in Sales and customer counts2019? Sales were in 2019? Sales about flat during the past year. Customer have been pretty good, count is up or last 2 percent. except for 1the coupleBusiness is picking up. The local economy has been of months.

With lumber commodity very good.

My20 store is located the a prices down to 25 percent,onthat’s side town thatrecent was rundown, and the big of part of the downturn. cityHow is starting to do in this area proud arethings you of your stanow. is improving a little tus My as abusiness Century Club retailer? bit every yearitfor the past three fourI Personally, means a lot to me. years. steady the town is enjoyIt’s thebeen history andand community, growing. being the oldest settlement West of What are you doing attract the Rockies.

My kids aretostill young, the generation but next I hope they followof incustomers? the business.

WeKey really haven’t taken any steps.

We’re moments in company history? trying to build up what We had a hurricane inhave 2007here withnow winds before looking younger people. over 100 mphat and no power for a week.

Best niche categories? We’re Jeff Newenhof known for selling nails and bolts by the pound and selling grass seed in bulk.

We don’t sell anything boxed; everything is loose.

New initiatives for 2020? We plan on expanding the lawn and garden and plumbing departments. Those look to

Kenneth and Donna Malone are the owners of Beaty Hardware.

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Beaty Hardware started in 1936 as a feed store.

be the highest-growth areas. We’ll be adding a wider line and deeper inventory in both of those departments.

Kenneth Malone Beaty Hardware Cleveland, Tenn.

SOUTHWEST

Sales and customer counts in 2019? We’re up about 6 percent. We have a good local economy. I attribute the increase in sales to our product selection and service. Here in Emory, we rely on farming and ranching. There’s been a lot of construction going on with new housing builds and people building additions to their homes.

What are you doing to attract the next generation of customers? www.TheHardwareConnection.com

How’s Business?

Hooten’s Hardware is a 40,000-square-foot store with eight-bay welding shop.

We try to keep a good website to let them shop online. We also have a Facebook page. I don’t know if we’re doing a good job reaching younger customers, but the people coming in the door have a good age range.

Best niche categories? We’re strong with outdoor power equipment and offer a lot of Echo and Stihl. We also offer commercial mowers with the

Cub Cadet line. We are big with sporting goods, guns, knives and ammo. We’re right between two lakes, so we have a lot of sportsmen customers. We also have housewares and home decor, with a lot of vacation homes nearby.

New initiatives for 2020? For the most part, not much new. We’re just trying to perfect what we’re doing and stay up with trends and freshen the product selection. We do want to do some employee training, and are fixing to upgrade our point-of-sale system within the next three or four months.

Kirk Reams Hooten’s Hardware | Emory, Texas

Fishing reels at Griggs Ace.

WEST

be in stock at all times. We want to keep the inventory balanced, so when a shopper comes in we have the right sizes.

Best niche categories? We’re extremely strong in sporting goods and strong in men’s clothing, work boots and shoe lines. We have a complete toy department.

New initiatives planned for 2020? We are looking at two more locations. We’re really positive about this area. We still think that even though everybody is going online and ordering, when you need a garden hose you’ll go into the store to buy it. And for shoes and clothing, people want to try it on.

Sales and customer counts in 2019? We’re up maybe 3 percent. We’re not a typical hardware company. We’ve been here 80 years and are known as a local department and hardware store.

We have 150 employees in our four stores and have built a solid reputation in the community. One of our stores is a 140,000-square-foot store that has a broad selection, clothing and lots of things beyond hardware. The economy in the tri-cities area is up dramatically.

There’s a lot of growth around here, because people are moving from the Seattle area because of the costs.

What are you doing to attract the Charles Grigg next generation of customers? That Griggs Ace Pasco, Richland and Kennewick, Wash. is a real tough one. The main thing is to www.TheHardwareConnection.com

THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 21

k l a T Shop H

S REV T C U D O R P ARDWARE

IEW

By Craig Cope

Product #1: ELEctric tAnKLESS wAtEr hEAtErS rELiAncE wAtEr hEAtErS

Reliance electric tankless water heaters are compact, easy to install for both the pro and DIY markets and offer wall-mount options for tight spaces. According to ENERGY STAR, water heating is the second-largest energy use in homes, but often goes overlooked until there is no hot water.

Reliance offers numerous features to extend the life and efficiency of the electric tankless water heater.

Reliance electric tankless water heaters feature Anti-Scale Technology utilized in the auto industry to extend the heater’s life, enabling a five-year limited warranty for the heating chamber.

Maintenance is simple with no moving parts and the ability to replace the element if needed. An advanced electronic control system addresses two common complaints with tankless water hearers: inconsistent water temperatures and lights flickering/dimming when the unit turns on. The until will shut down if it detects a leak and has an LCD showing current temperature, setpoint, and any diagnostic information if required.

Our tester installed a single element point-of-use model on a faucet not

plumbed to the home’s existing water heater. The installation was extremely simple and straightforward with a clear instruction manual and detailed labeling. The included wall-mount brackets made for clean horizontal installation without sacrificing storage.

Tankless water heaters have demonstrated strong year-over-year growth as consumers look toward the more energy-efficient household appliance.

They are an ideal efficient water heating option, especially for stores servicing the Southern Zone (see map) with higher inlet water temperatures than cooler zones. Although not traditionally a higher-margin product to stock, tankless water heater purchases lead to total shopping baskets that are offset with higher-margin items.

22 ■ THE HARDWARE Connection ■ February 2020

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Product #2: SKAtEPLAtE® circSAw tEchnoLogiES CircSaw Technologies is a new company to the market and offers a new power tool accessory designed for both the pro and DIY markets: SKATEPLATE®.The power tool accessory market is full of products and innovations designed to make power tools more useful and productive. Many of the accessories are either brand or application-specific, which can limit its appeal to the market.

SKATEPLATE has been designed as an accessory for one of the staples of power tools—the circular saw.

SKATEPLATE turns virtually any circular saw, including battery-powered ones, into a portable table saw. The SKATEPLATE also features dual polyurethane rollers that glide over surfaces, increasing cutting speed and eliminating scratching. Click here to see a video highlighting its features.

The SKATEPLATE assembles in three easy steps and includes all the mounting hardware. Once attached the plate does not limit the cutting options of the

k l a T p o h S E PROD HARDWAR

UCTS REV

IEW

circular saw or greatly impact its cutting depth—less than 1/8”.

The company also offers a water saw accessory to enable cutting of granite, masonry or concrete.

Our testers were a mix of professionals and non-professionals who tried the SKATEPLATE on various job sites or home projects. All of our tester’s feedback centered around two primary points: table saw cutting accuracy in a mobile package and how effortlessly the saw slides over the cutting material. The adjustable SKATEGUIDE® provides precision and serves as an

additional handhold. The rollers effortlessly glide over the surface, which reduces vibrations and user fatigue.

The company even offers replacement rollers if they become damaged or just worn out.

Since the potential market is large— almost anyone with a circular saw—the SKATEPLATE is a perfect addition to your power tool accessory assortment. It also makes a great gift idea for the customer shopping for something for the “person who has it all.”

Product #3: PEEL-tEK® 150 LiQuid MASKing tAPE PEEL-tEK

Peel-Tek® 150, a multi-surface liquid masking tape, removes the frustration caused by paint bleeding through traditional tape applied to rough or porous surfaces such as brick, stucco, cement and untreated wood. Peel-Tek can also serve as a temporary protective coating for both porous and nonporous surfaces and simply peels off cleanly when done.

Peel-Tek starts as a turquoise color liquid with the consistency of yogurt and dries to a rubber-like protective

coating. It can be applied with a roller or paint brush to almost any surface and dries in about 15 minutes depending on the thickness applied. Once dry, Peel-Tek can stay on for as long as required with no adverse effects and still be easily removed. If applied in an exterior location with UV exposure, it should be removed within five to seven days.

Since Peel-Tek is a new masking method, there is a small learning curve

k l a T p o Sh E PROD HARDWAR

UCTS REV

IEW

when compared to a simple roll of tape. The company’s website offers numerous videos demonstrating various applications on job sites and includes various pro tips. Click here to view. One video features the product used in combination with masking paper to protect from overspray.

One of our pro testers had the opportunity to utilize Peel-Tek in combination with masking paper when spraying a room with a rough surface. He typically would have applied tape with clear caulk to prevent the paint from bleeding onto

the protected surface.

He was able to reduce his initial preparation time and produce the same high-quality edge, with the added bonus that clean-up work was simple and easy. The product’s benefits proved an excellent combination of reducing his overall time on the job and increasing profitability.

While Peel-Tek is an ideal product for your painting contractors and homeowners, it has endless applications in crafting. Since it can be applied to almost any surface, its application is only limited by the user’s imagination. ■

Unlock the power of a smart lock.

August and Yale Smart Locks take any worry out of getting into your home. Use our top-rated app to control your door to unlock/lock, grant guest access, see who came and left, and let anyone in from anywhere.

Easy installation Installation takes a matter of minutes and only requires a screwdriver.

Virtual keys Create virtual keys for guests. Grant access for minutes, hours, days or more.

Activity Feed Keep up-to-date with what’s happening at your door.

August Smart Lock +Connect Wi-Fi Bridge

August Smart Lock Pro +Connect Wi-Fi Bridge

Yale Assure Lock SL

Monitor your door from anywhere and set up voice integrations with the included Connect Wi-Fi Bridge.

The ultimate smart lock including Connect Wi-Fi Bridge, HomeKit, and Z-Wave for a seamless integration into your existing smart home.

Key free access made even easier than before. Create unique codes for friends and family.

See August & Yale at the True Value Spring Reunion

August Smart Locks are now available via True Value Warehouse

Event

Location

Date

Booth

True Value Spring Reunion

New Orleans

Feb 14th-16th

3267

feature

How to ATTRACT the NEXT GENERATION of CUSTOMERS

By Chris Jensen

D

igital marketing is the new buzzword for retailers, and it encompasses lots of different tools. Digital marketing varies from traditional marketing in that it’s a targeted and efficient way for independent retailers to drive sales and attract footsteps. If you’re not doing digital marketing, you’re falling behind in the race to attract the next generation of customers.

Coming from a background in finance, Larry Dagley and his wife

28 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

Larry and Norma Dagley, with General Manager JP Pizzio (middle), are proud Circle Hardware is a Locals Love Us award winner for Best Hardware Store in Waco, Texas.

Norma bought Circle Hardware in Waco, Texas, in 2011. Seeing the world around him grow more mobile and fast-paced, with online shopping exploding, Dagley felt the benefits of supporting a hometown hardware store were getting lost. He set about to transform Circle Hardware into a 21st century hardware store that uses www.TheHardwareConnection.com

technology to enhance outstanding customer service.

The Do it Best store’s website has a section for customer reviews, which provides links to over 80 reviews of Circle Hardware on Facebook, Google My Business and Google Reviews.

That’s a smart strategy, because today’s customers check online reviews before they visit a store.

“Two to three years ago we started revisiting our advertising and marketing strategy,” Dagley explains. “Marketing for hardware and LBM retailers was historically circulars in local newspapers and ads in the Yellow Pages. No one looks at the Yellow Pages anymore or flips through the circulars.”

He adds, “We began to realize what kids were doing—they live in front of three screens: TV, tablet and smartphone. That’s how people are shopping too. We needed to be in position for people to find us, when they are looking for the types of products we sell.”

Dagley heard about geofencing from a speaker at a Do it Best market, and he was intrigued. “I came back to Waco and asked questions—what can we do?

How can we do it? Who can help us?”

Geofencing is the practice of using global positioning (GPS) or radio frequency identification (RFID) to define a geographic boundary. Once this “virtual barrier” is established, the administrator can set up triggers that send a text message, email alert or app notification when a mobile device enters (or www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Katelynn exemplifies the Circle Hardware focus on delivering exceptional service.

exits) the specified area. It is a way to engage consumers based in real time and via a hyper-local location, which can trigger immediate sales as well as help retailers better understand their shoppers’ mindset.

Dagley and his General Manager JP Pizzio found local people who are media experts and have skills in those areas.

“Not surprisingly, they’re all under 40— mostly all under 30. We heard more about the concept, thought it was interesting and educated ourselves,” Dagley says.

He explains that you start looking for data, which you can get from a lot of sources. “Who is the perfect customer to buy that product? Let’s say a homeowner, 25-55 years of age, likely to do the work themselves, income of $50-100,000. That data is available from census reports— that’s how you create a base. You can look at demographics of people within 10 miles of your store,” he points out.

There is a large, successful grocery store nearby and they put a fence THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 29

feature

per impression. Nationally, the price around the grocery store. “If the people for geofencing ranges from $4 to $15 CPM (cost per thousand impressions). going to the grocery store have their The size and number of geofences will phone on, then they are prospects for affect the cost. seeing our message,” Dagley says.

The tough thing is measuring the The team at Circle Hardware will then get notifications any time someone who’s effectiveness of the geofencing camclicked on the ad actually enters the store. paigns. “They can tell you the number of impressions, the number that clicked on It’s proven to be a unique way for the a message, plus the number that clicked store to engage potential customers in real time, and to be highly targeted and and then walked in our store. That leads efficient with its digital marketing budget. to whether we are seeing an increase in sales and traffic, but you don’t know if Other approaches are to put a fence some of those people would’ve come around a parade route or a festival in anyway,” Dagley says. crowd, and of course a radius around The geofencing campaigns they run the store can attract people already depend on the season and the product. in the area. Pizzio points out that they “Sometimes it’s a hot deal on one item or are sending banner ads to people’s a grill campaign in early March. We will phones and they are paying a cost

Click Here to View Our Profile

fence a specific neighborhood that we know can afford a nice grill,” Dagley says.

Others are general campaigns, capitalizing on the fact Circle Hardware is close to Baylor University and 16,000 undergrads. “In the fall, middle of August, kids are moving into dorms and apartments, so our campaign will be broad to introduce them to our store and what they need to get settled. At the end of the school year, we want students to come here for what they need to fix things before parents show up. We The staff at Circle Hardware includes l to r: fence the parking area,” he explains.

Jacob, Brandon, Tracey, Katelynn, David, Kellie, Nathan, JP and Kelli.

BeCoMing the Store of firSt ChoiCe Dagley says they pay a great deal of attention to the way people shop, Half Page Hardware Trade Ad Artwork R1.pdf 1 1/30/20 using key words with search engines

for Weber grills and bath paint. “When they start searching for a product, we 2:00 PM want them to find our Facebook page

MAXIMIZE YOUR JERKY CATEGORY & BRING MEAT PROTEIN TO NEW CATEGORIES JACK LINK’S BIG BAGS: LEADS DOLLAR GROWTH IN THE GROWING 8-10 OZ SEGMENT

JACK LINK’S ZERO SUGAR: BRING IN NEW CONSUMERS WITH 100% BEEF & 0% SUGAR

JACK LINK'S COLD CRAFTED: DOMINATING TODAY'S FASTEST GROWING SNACKING SEGMENT

JACK LINK’S BARS: BRINGING MEAT & INCREMENTAL GROWTH TO THE BAR CATEGORY

JACK LINK'S WILD HEAT: ADD AN INCREMENTAL OCCASION WITH TODAY'S HOTTEST TREND EXTRA HOT!

JACK LINK’S BEEF STEAK BITES: BEEF UP YOUR ON-THE-GO SET WITH 100% BEEF AND 17G OF PROTEIN

CONTACT INFORMATION: LINK SNACKS, INC. ATTN: CUSTOMER CARE, 1 SNACK FOOD LANE, MINONG, WI 54859 | 715-466-6608 | JACKLINKS.COM

Click Here to View Our Profile

feature other weekend. And they want to start on a Friday evening and be done by Sunday.

Whatever people are looking for, we want them to find us for it,” he adds.

JP’s wife, Katie, is Circle Hardware’s marketing manager and social media guru. “The three of us will conceptually look at what we want to try out. I’ll Using geofencing is helping Circle Hardware come up with ideas and we’ll bat things attract new customers in an inexpensive, around, and then Katie is great at exetargeted way. cuting those ideas,” Dagley says.

The local Builders Association sponand website. We don’t necessarily want people to go directly to our website and sors a home show the week after the Super Bowl, which Circle Hardware start scrolling through all the categoparticipates in. “We start a campaign ries—they won’t do that. If we know they’re looking for grills, they’ll go to the in January to come see us at the Home Show. It is social media, not selling grills section,” he says. media. We don’t want hard-sell posts,” Circle Hardware carries 20,000 SKUs Dagley says. On a Thursday or a Friday, with a 5,500-square-foot sales floor.

They are fortunate to be five miles from they will run a “What’s for Dinner?”

Do it Best’s Retail Support Center (RSC) campaign on social media and throw in Waco. “They have 67,000 SKUS avail- out ideas for what to grill.

Circle Hardware’s marketing slogan able to us in the RSC. We can get products every Monday through Friday, and is “First Thought, First Choice, First Stop!” As Dagley explains, “We want have a product for a customer by 9 the people to find us and recognize the next day,” Dagley says.

He adds, “We’re better than Amazon. If name, so we’ll be their first choice for you need a new lawn mower, we’ll have it the products we sell.”

Pizzio notes that they also work with a assembled and ready by the next morning and even take away your old mower. local TV station to go after OTT (over-theWe run a geofencing campaign for that.” top) users who cut the cord and get their TV and film content from streaming.

Historically, when you look at hard“When we bought the store, people ware store advertising, Memorial Day, came in and tried to sell us ads in TV Fourth of July and Labor Day were viewed as paint days, Dagley points out. or radio. People generally only shop within five miles of home. We don’t “Millennials don’t want to spend their want to pay for so many people who holidays painting. They’ll do it some 32 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Pointy is a simple technology tool to help ensure customers find your store when they search for a product.

are so far away,” Dagley explains.

“With streaming, we can identify the perfect customer and know we are reaching a specific audience within 10 miles of the store and the perfect candidate for that promotion. It’s not as easy as geofencing, but we find it to be very effective.”

Dagley is pleased with his store’s emphasis on digital marketing. “It’s much more effective. We can define the customers we want to target. We know we are getting our message out to people we want to hit. It’s better than sending out thousands of circulars,” he says, adding that store transactions and sales were both up by double digits last year.

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Adds Pizzio, “We’re definitely seeing new customers coming into the store.”

“The world is changing and how we shop is changing,” Dagley says. “Digital marketing is the advertising of the present and the future and we’re not going back to the old way.”

Staying relevant with Pointy If you want to attract the next generation of customers, it’s essential to have your store show up when people do

THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 33

feature Google searches for products. That’s where Pointy comes in.

“Pointy helps you turn online searches into in-store sales,” says Alan Masterson, channel sales manager for Pointy. He notes that only 10 percent of sales are coming from online transactions—the majority of that is on Amazon. “That means 90 percent of purchases are still made in-store, but 62 percent of offline sales are digitally influenced,” Masterson says.

If a local hardware store is using Pointy, they will come up during an online search for a product. Pointy plugs in between your POS system and barcode scanner, connecting the retailer to the entire Pointy platform. Pointy automatically finds the correct names and images for products using its barcode.

The scanned products appear on your store’s personal Pointy page.

More than 15,000 retailers (in and beyond hardware) use Pointy to get their in-store inventory onto Google and into their own Pointy page. When people in your area search for a hammer or a space heater, they will see that your store stocks what they want and they will be given directions to come into your store and complete the sale.

“You can view analytics on the Pointy dashboard such as search impressions and track visits to your Pointy page,” Masterson says.

Brian Mushel of Justus True Value Home & Garden in Clarks Summit, Pa., 34 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

Brian Mushel says Pointy is helping him attract young customers.

says he is focused on maintaining his store’s relevance on Google.

“We’ve been using Pointy for two years, and I can’t believe what we get for the one-time fee. The Pointy service ties into Google and makes everything locally relevant. Customers can see everything that gets scanned in our POS system. That’s really helped draw in the younger people. For the smaller items, like toilet repair, it’s not such a big deal, but for big-ticket items it gives us an advantage,” he says.

If you want to see what an individual retailer’s Pointy site looks like, click here to see one for Century Club retailer Burns Do it center in Clovis, N.M.

teSting the waterS What steps are other retailers taking to attract the next generation of customers? Since his store is located in a college town, Thomas McKeithen of www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Thomas McKeithen targets college students with promotions.

McKeithen True Value Hardware in Statesboro, Ga., says, “We’re always trying to think how we can get college students in the doors. We created specialized advertising just for students and have a student discount weekend. Around move-in time, we always sell lots of drywall patch kits, big Rubbermaid storage bins and power strips. The other thing we’ve sold to college students is small dog and cat supplies. Lot of apartments limit the size of animals, so we focus on small dog and cat supplies.”

McKeithen adds, “We have Facebook and Instagram accounts specifically for college students. One of the cashiers is well-versed in social media, so she runs it. We’ve found that if she goes on campus to push out ads, more people will see it because of her location. “ www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Cindy Troup of Troup True Value in Sinton, Texas, says their efforts are a work in progress. “Sometimes I’m baffled by all of the technology the younger generation uses, but I realize it’s second nature to them. Because we are in a small town, our customer base covers a wide age range. My husband Steven’s knowledge in all the core departments keeps our customers coming back. It’s not unusual to hear one of our younger customers say, ‘I knew Mr. Troup could help me.’ For items we don’t carry in the store, we encourage customers to shop online at TrueValue.com and use our ship-tostore option.”

“We’re getting involved with more social media,” says Russell Young of Pini Ace Hardware in Novato, Calif.

“We’re promoting barbecues and garden events that attract lots of people.”

Mark Bushnell of Kentucky Mine Supply PRO Hardware in Harlan, Ky., says they are in the process of setting up a website. “We’re looking at the best way to do a Facebook account.

Millennials are pretty much the future, so we have to figure out a way to get to them. Millennials don’t buy a newspaper—it’s all phone.”

To other retailers, competing in the New Age of Retail means adopting a different mindset about their business.

“We think of ourselves now as a brickand-tech organization,” says Michael Ciavolino of Majestic’s Hardware in Gardiner, N.Y. n THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 35

Q&A with DAn StArr

Do it Best President Focused on Driving

T

Dan Starr addresses members during the Do it Best Market in 2019.

Future Growth

The fuel that drives our growth engine is investment, and our strategic plan has identified key focus areas in the years ahead. One that never changes is our goal of helping our current members grow and achieve their dreams—and our success in doing so touches on a number of other investment initiatives we have in place. Their growth may come from adding new locations, expanding their current footprint or enhancing their execution at retail. We have solutions to help them achieve any of those aspirations. We’re also aggressively working to Jensen: What major initiatives attract new members into the Do it Best does Do it Best have planned for family. Everyone is fighting for market 2020?

Starr: Do it Best is committed to driv- share. But I’m confident in our team’s approach to appeal to independentlying growth as the first and best choice for independent home improvement. In minded businesses who want a co-op focused solely on their success. our highly competitive business enviIn reference to our engine for growth, ronment, growth is an absolute imperaI like to say that we’re fine-tuning that tive and we’re dedicated to fueling engine while the car is running. There’s growth in ways that drive sales for our members today while positioning us for no longer time to stop, adjust, test and restart. We’re more agile and responsive sustained growth over the long term. he history of Do it Best Corp. dates back to 1945, when Arnold Gerberding founded a dealerowned cooperative then known as Hardware Wholesalers Inc. (HWI). As the co-op marks its 75th anniversary this year, Chris Jensen, editor of The Hardware Connection, conducted an exclusive interview with Dan Starr, president and CEO of Do it Best Corp., about the company’s 75 years of history and future strategic plans.

36 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

www.ThehardwareConnection.com

when we’re making enhancements while we’re racing forward. So, we’re actively implementing changes and improvements to our supply chain, our IT systems, our marketing programs, and our vendor relationships and product mix. I’m so proud of our team’s ability to tackle all of that and make meaningful progress for our members without skipping a beat.

Our last big investment is in people.

And while we are certainly doing things to strengthen our own bench, what I’m talking about is how we’re helping our members attract and retain great employees. Here, training is key and we’ve either created or enhanced a number of our member-focused training programs to benefit store owners and their staff. In an era where others have shifted to online educational options only, we still believe the very best way to invest in people is faceto-face. That’s why our training programs are designed to be multi-day with a manageable class size. This ensures we’re building the participants’ confidence while also helping these employees grow their industry network.

So, we’ve invested in our Leadership Development Institute, LBM School, School of Design, Rental School and College of Retail Education.

The 1955 buying market was held in a big tent in the parking lot of HWI’s warehouse facility.

75 Years of Do it Best History

Jensen: What are the business principles that have remained in

1945: Hardware Wholesalers Inc. (HWI) is founded as a dealer-owned cooperative in Fort Wayne, Ind., by Arnold Gerberding, with nearly 100 independent hardware and LBM retailers banding together to get better pricing from vendors.

1946: First HWI buying market is held in Fort Wayne.

1948: First warehouse facility opens in Fort Wayne.

1955: HWI adds a private truck delivery system with two trucks. It expands and refines its delivery system rapidly, turning it into a major selling point by the end of the decade.

1958: HWI buying markets are moved to the Fort Wayne War Memorial Coliseum.

1964: IBM 1401 computer system is installed to handle data, enabling HWI to expand member services.

www.ThehardwareConnection.com

The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 37

Q&A with DAn StArr place since Do it Best’s founding in 1945?

Starr: There are several key ones that immediately come to mind. First and foremost, it’s that our only goal continues to be to help our independent members grow. It’s been our unwavering focus since Arnold Gerberding envisioned this company, and it’s only grown stronger over the years. In everything we consider doing, we always question whether it will help us drive growth. That has meant we’ve chosen to do some things very differently and we’ve chosen to stop doing other things just because we did them before. These types of choices can be difficult, but they’re necessary for proper focus.

In tandem with our growth mindset is our culture of servant leadership. Going back to our early days, our team was building a servant-led work environment long before that was even a business concept. Today, we look for it when we’re hiring and we screen for it before bringing someone on board. And here’s why: If you’re not fully engaged in serving others, Do it Best is not going to be a good fit for you. Fortunately for us, servant leadership is contagious and our team revels in exceeding our members’ expectations.

Finally, we are diligent in providing a consistently strong rebate to our members. In just the last decade we’ve distributed over $1 billion in working capital for our members to invest in their own growth. Those are dollars that fund 38 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

Dan Starr addresses members during the Do it Best Market in 2017.

store improvement projects and expansions, acquisition of new locations and other powerful growth initiatives.

Jensen: Explain the importance of maintaining financial stability during Do it Best’s history.

Starr: Financial stability is foundational to what Do it Best has been able to accomplish over the years. Stable is the key word here. It isn’t about being conservative or not, and it’s not about debt versus no debt. It’s about focus— being acutely aware of what we want to do and ensuring we’re well-positioned to do it. Stability for us has meant avoiding extreme highs and lows. Our working capital comes from our members. We owe it to them to manage it well. And we do. Because of our financial position, we’ve been ready and able to invest in the right initiatives to continue fueling growth and keep us firmly established as the first and best choice.

Jensen: What leadership lessons have you learned from your www.ThehardwareConnection.com

predecessors Bob Taylor, Mike McClelland and the late Don Wolf?

Does it seem possible that you are only the fifth president in 75 years of company history?

Starr: All of these people have actively lived out a model of servant leadership, each in his own way. With the exception of Mr. Gerberding, I’ve been especially fortunate to have personally witnessed their powerful examples of serving others as they’ve interacted with our members, vendors, staff and even me.

And going back to the days of Arnold Gerberding, there are countless stories still shared about these leaders’ singular focus of helping our members be more successful. Both of those are lessons I learned early on and I’m proud to ensure they are even more relevant today.

With Don’s passing last September, I obviously thought a lot about his 70-plus years of influence on our company and on my own development as a leader. Don never stopped learning, never stopped asking questions and never diverted from his core beliefs.

He called them his “4 Keys to a Happy and Productive Life” and they informed everything he did and said. As you’d expect, they also have deep ties to our company philosophy, mission and goal.

That level of focus and determination to continuous improvement has been deeply influential.

Honestly, when you think about that type of commitment to serving others, it’s not at all surprising that we’ve had www.ThehardwareConnection.com

The co-op’s buying market was held in the Fort Wayne warehouse for the last time in 1958, moving next to the Fort Wayne War Memorial Coliseum.

1967: HWI has 600 members and $35 million in sales when Arnold Gerberding retires. He is succeeded by Don Wolf, who would transform the company from a regional distributor to a multinational corporation with more than $1 billion in sales.

1971: Cape Girardeau, Mo., is selected as the site for HWI’s first standalone regional warehouse, opening up markets in the South and West.

1974: New distribution center opens in Dixon, Ill., to better serve the Great Lakes Region.

1976: First buying market held in Indianapolis at the Indiana Convention Center.

1977: New distribution center opens in Medina, Ohio, and quickly becomes HWI’s highest-volume DC. 1979: Panama Do it Center becomes the first international member.

1980: New distribution center opens in Waco, Texas, to better serve the Southwest.

The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 39

Q&A with DAn StArr

By 1969, HWI had expanded and refined its truck delivery system, turning it into an advantage.

such low turnover at the top. Each of us has stepped into that role knowing it’s bigger than any of us and that it takes all of us to be successful. When you can come into work excited to start In 1972, ground was broken for a new every day focusing on member growth, distribution center in Dixon, Ill., that would open in 1974. it’s something I don’t want to end. It’s why Bob, Mike and Don (before he themselves in a crowded marketplace? passed) regularly reached out to me It’s about creating that memorable and remain some of our strongest experience. That experience starts with ambassadors today. a store owner’s ability to reach their customers whenever and wherever Jensen: For Do it Best to conthey’re ready to shop with compelling tinue prospering for the next 75 reasons to buy from them. More and years, what does it have to do to more often, that means using digital help members attract the next marketing with targeted emails and generation of customers? How do backed up by a website that feels local independent hardware and LBM retailers stay relevant in the face of but has all the functionality and user escalating competition from online experiences expected online. Then, it’s about drawing them into the store and big- box companies? with an exceptional exterior design Starr: The key to continued reland interior layout with aisles that evance comes down to delivering on highlight innovative new products and the customer experience. In a world exclusive offerings. Shoppers are met where just about anything can be by well-trained, engaged staff who are purchased from anyone, how does committed to serve. And everything is an independent retailer differentiate 40 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

www.ThehardwareConnection.com

HWI reached $1 billion in sales in 1989.

Don Wolf (second from right) congratulates HWI members on reaching $500 million in member purchases in 1983.

Jensen: What are the three biggest decisions or initiatives Do it Best has made that benefited members the most?

Starr: Hands down, I’d have to say our commitment to be the single-source total solution for hardware, lumber and building materials has benefited our

1981: HWI introduces the revolutionary Do it Center® design with bright colors and signage.

1986: New distribution center opens in Lexington, S.C. to better serve the South.

1989: HWI reaches $1 billion in annual sales.

1991: New distribution center opens in Woodburn, Ore., to better serve the Northwest.

1992: Mike McClelland succeeds Don Wolf as president and CEO. His focus on serving members leads to strong growth despite the rise of the big boxes.

1995: Do it Best Vision store format is introduced.

1996: HWI establishes an e-commerce website and makes its 61,000 products available on CD-ROM. 1998: HWI merges with Our Own Hardware, a regional co-op in Minnesota.

The company name is changed to Do it Best Corp. to better integrate store and product brand programs.

1999: Do it Best reaches $2 billion in annual sales.

1999: New distribution center opens in Montgomery, N.Y., to better serve the Northeast.

www.ThehardwareConnection.com

The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 41

supported by a retail system with the agility to respond to new needs quickly, like home delivery and installation, two quickly emerging trends.

The good news for Do it Best members is that the major initiatives we’ve identified for 2020 are addressing all of these elements right now. Remember, we’re finetuning the engine while it’s running so members can implement some of these things right now and others are coming later this year. I can’t wait to share more in the months ahead.

Q&A with DAn StArr

Arnold Gerberding left his job with a small wholesaler in Indiana, Auburn Hardware, to form Hardware Wholesalers Inc. as a dealer-owned cooperative in June 1945.

Nearly half the initial members were LBM retailers, and this close mix of hardware and LBM business remains a defining characteristic of the company.

members the most. We’re the only ones in the industry who can provide the brand name product selection, mill relationships and reload centers, operational efficiencies, program superiority, experienced sales-driven team and ROI that we deliver every day. It’s how we’re building our strength as a first and best choice provider for today’s independent home improvement business owner.

Taking a page from our history, the launch of the Do it Center in 1981 created a seismic shift in our industry. No one had done it before and with such an impact in the marketplace. We take it a bit for granted today, but professional store design was out of the reach of most independent retailers 40 years ago. For Do it Best members, the best part is 42 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

Upper: As a former retailer, Bob Taylor brought unique experience to his tenure as president and CEO of Do it Best from 2001 to 2015.

Lower: The bright colors of the Do it center store format revolutionized store design in the hardware industry and served as an effective weapon against big-box encroachment.

that we continue to lead the industry in store design inside and out with the most flexible, scalable and customizable solutions available.

I’ll close by expanding on a point I covered earlier. The fact that we’ve never allowed our future as a members-first co-op to ever be endangered www.ThehardwareConnection.com

Spring City Do it center in Texas adopted the new Do it center format in 1986.

by risky ventures or outside investors has provided a tremendous benefit to our members. Our board of directors is exclusively made up of Do it Best member-owners who understand the needs and aspirations of all our business owners, from hardware stores to lumberyards, commercial/industrial suppliers to e-tailers, as well as international stores in more than 50 other countries. We focus solely on doing what’s best to generate maximum profitability for each of them. n

2000: After serving on the Do it Best board of directors, Bob Taylor leaves his family’s chain of Do it Best hardware stores in Virginia to join Do it Best Corp. as senior vice president.

2002: Bob Taylor succeeds Mike McClelland as president and CEO. He sharpens the retail focus of Do it Best and navigates the co-op through the recession and housing slump.

2014: New Retail Service Center opens in Sikeston, Mo., after a $34 million investment.

2015: Do it Best introduces an exclusive line of Channellock branded products.

2016: Dan Starr succeeds Bob Taylor as president and CEO. 2016: Do it Best surpasses $3 billion in annual sales.

2017: The Color Bar program is introduced to reimagine the in-store paint experience.

2019: The Do it Best Foundation is created to support community organizations and not-for-profit agencies that serve the needs of others.

2019: Do it Best has 16th straight year of member rebates over $100 million.

www.ThehardwareConnection.com

The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 43

Upper: Installing the IBM 1401 computer system in 1964 enabled HWI to expand member services.

Lower: Mike McClelland served as president and CEO of the co-op from 1992 to 2001.

DEALER PROFILE Todd and Ritsa Kirschner are co-owners of Trio Hardware in Plainview, N.Y.

Designing a New Store to ATTRACT the NEXT GENERATION Click here to of CUSTOMERS Trioview video of Hardware:

T

odd and Ritsa Kirschner were operating a very successful but small store in Plainview, N.Y. With just a 3,100-squarefoot sales floor, Trio Hardware was honored with the Indie Award as “America’s Best Independent Business” from Independent We Stand in 2013.

Do it Best execs such as President Emeritus Bob Taylor were on hand for the new store’s grand opening in June 2018.

44 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Todd and Ritsa Kirschner Trio Hardware Plainview, N.Y. However, the Kirschners knew they needed a larger store to continue growing the business, so with the help of the Do it Best Signature™ Store Design team, they moved to a new, larger store in April 2018.

Todd had started with the business while in high school in 1990, helping Owners Bruce and Francesca Carlow recover from a devastating fire in 1996.

At Trio Hardware, Todd would meet his future wife Ritsa, another long-time employee—the couple were married in 2004. In 2012, the Kirschners began a five-year succession plan to become full owners of the business. www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Upper: Trio Hardware’s new 6,000-squarefoot store opened in 2018.

Lower: The store has a long history of exceptional customer service.

THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 45

DEALER PROFILE Year Founded: 1963 Wholesaler: Do it Best Corp.

Square footage: 6,000 square feet Top categories: Lawn and garden/outdoor living, electrical, paint sundries.

Best niches: Screen/glass repair, push to start key fobs, remote battery replacement. # employees: Currently 14 employees.

How did you utilize the extra space with the new store? We expanded all our departments, added on-site laser engraving and Milwaukee power tools. Customer feedback from the Do it Best customer survey was extremely beneficial in keeping us from making big mistakes on new departments and offerings.

What was the impetus for moving to a new, larger store in 2018?

Was financing difficult?

The town traffic patterns were changing and a new development that incorporated homes and a strip mall was in the making. The developer came to us and offered us the opportunity to grow and stay within our community.

With the Do it Best Retail Start program, financing this major undertaking was not a concern. Their strong support of their members is never a worry.

What role did Do it Best play in helping you with the new store and how integral have they been to 46 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

Todd and Ritsa Kirschner, with Manager John Maggio (left), are committed to trying new things to attract the next generation of customers.

your success over the years? A huge role! The “Dream Team” that Do it Best Corp. has is, by far, the most professional, educated and creative team in our industry. They have multiple different programs for all different types of projects. From the initial conversations, to market research, to merchandising, without the team and backing of everyone at Do it Best, we would never have been able to continually grow.

How gratifying was it to have so many customers help you move everything to the new store? Beyond gratifying and very humbling. We expected several dozen people to help us move over the weekend. The first day dozens ended up being hundreds. We had so many volunteers, we had them break down our old location as well.

How has business been since the move? This is interesting. Since the move, our average ticket has increased, although our customer counts had www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Head cashier Marie Prodana has been making a lasting impression on customers since 1987.

How many SKUs do you currently carry? We stock over 57,000 different SKUs. In the hardware world, you need the stuff from 50 years ago, 25 years ago and today. We cannot be like the big boxes and only carry what’s Ritsa Kirschner and her husband Todd set common. We must stock complete an example for all staff on doing whatever it lines, even though you are going to takes to get what customers need. keep some “duds” on the shelf.

What is your sales per square been declining. They had been declinfoot? Sales per square foot averages ing over the past six years, but now over the past 18 months we have start- $420 annually.

How do you ensure you offer ed to increase. exceptional customer service?

Trio Hardware has always been Every employee from day one is eduknown for high levels of invencated on our golden rule: Treat every tory—is that a big part of your customer the way you would like to success? In our business, most of our inventory is what we consider a “now” be treated. Imagine every customer is your mother. You wouldn’t want to treat item. When your kitchen sink j-bend springs a leak, you need to repair it now. your momma poorly, would you? The www.TheHardwareConnection.com

THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 47

DEALER PROFILE lasting impression your staff makes on every customer must be a good one.

What steps are you taking to attract the next generation of customers? Social media is here. Our consumers are on different platforms depending on age: 18-21 Snapchat, 22-40 Instagram and 40+ Facebook.

There is overlap, but these three platforms really cover most. Most people today have their phone in their hand on average 50-60 times per day. If we can get a message to them on their phone, that is 10 times better than print advertising. We still do print advertising, but it is on a rapid decline. The next generation wants, actually requires, a digital platform. The Best Rewards program does just that. We can target market our current customers by rewarding them digitally to come back.

How important is online selling and being able to offer in-store pickup and delivery? Extremely important. When checking out a business, what is the first thing a consumer does: they Google it. From there, they go to the company’s website. You must have an online presence. We are currently in the process of remaking our site. It seems that we redo our site approximately every two to three years. We must stay on the cutting edge and offer all you can today to keep our customers engaged with us.

You both started out working for the store while in high school.

48 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

Did you ever think that someday you would be an owner of the business, or that you would find your spouse while working there?

Absolutely not! It is an amazing story, but one of which we both never would have thought of.

You went through a 5-year succession plan with the previous owners. Talk about the importance of executing a detailed succession plan. It is extremely important to put a succession plan in place years before you plan on retiring. Most small business owners try to put a plan in place five years before they want to “retire.”

The reality is that you must start putting your plan together 10 years before.

Things take longer than you want.

Finding the right person to take over your business does not happen overnight. It is a process. You want the right people in place to keep all your hard work running for years into the future.

Executing an agreement is an extremely important piece that you must draft to make sure no one gets hurt financially. We had our accountants work up the numbers. They know what your business is worth better than anyone.

How gratifying was it to win the Indie Award as “America’s Best Independent Business” in 2013?

Extremely gratifying! We never really knew how many people’s lives we have touched in such a great way. The comments we received, the votes, e-mails, www.TheHardwareConnection.com

texts … Heck, our customers even helped us move. When you give back to your community for over 55 years, they repay you over and over again.

What initiatives do you have planned for 2020? Becoming a Certified Woman-Owned Business. We applied with New York State office of Minorityand Women-Owned Business Enterprises in May 2019. We are looking forward to the many opportunities this certification will open up for us.

What is the biggest challenge facing your business?

Numerous times, repeatedly, manufacturers will sell a product to a retail company like “A” or “W” for a discounted price. As a small business, we are not entitled to this discounted price. The manufacturer puts a MAPP (minimum advertised price policy) in place and says the item has a minimum advertised price of $249.99. These companies will do anything to sell the product, so they violate the MAP policy. When we call the manufacturer, they give us a song and dance story that it was a special deal for this retailer or that retailer. I do not care that the manufacturers give better pricing depending on volume, but they must protect the MAPP. Once a product’s MAP is reduced, the product no longer has the same value. www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Todd and Ritsa Kirschner met while working at Trio Hardware and later bought the business.

The problem we also incur as a small business is the consumer will come into our brick and mortar store, check the item out, pull out their cellphone and search the internet for a better price. If the manufacturer has a solid MAP policy, then the consumer feels that they are not paying “too much” for the item, because it is the same price everywhere; online or in our store. As good as the internet is, shopping online has, and will continue to wreak havoc on the local economy and tax base. We’re just looking for a level playing field. n THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 49

category rePort

PAINT AND DECORATING TRENDS Sales of Interior Paint (Independent Hardware Channel) 12 Months % Change vs. Year Ago Interior Liquid Paint: Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -3.8% Interior Liquid Paint: Dollars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-3.0% Source: Vista Information Services, div. of Epicor Software Corp.

Unit Sales Breakdown for Interior Liquid Paint Total of 1,055 Items with Sales Total Category Top 5 Items % of Unit Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.6% Top 10 Items % of Unit Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.0% Top 20 Items % of Unit Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29.0% Top 30 Items % of Unit Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.7% Source: Vista Information Services, div. of Epicor Software Corp.

Seasonality of Sales of Interior Liquid Paint (Index=100) 120

120 110

122

11099

100

96

95

100

90 80

108 104

94

100 101

109 92

81

90

70

Oct. 80 2018

Nov. Dec. Jan. 2018 2018 2019

Feb. March Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019

Source: Vista70 Information Services, div. of Epicor Software Corp.

Interior Liquid Paint Share of Sales by Type (Latest 12 Months) Flat 0

5

32.5%

10

Eggshell

15

20

25

30

35

Semi

26.3% 20.5%

Satin

14.4%

All Others

6.3% 0

5

10

15

20

50 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

25

30

35

Source: Vista Information Services, div. of Epicor Software Corp.

Manufacturers and retailers use Vista’s retail POS and Consumer Panel data to better sell to their customers. Go to www.vistainfoservices.com.

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

Left: Small Town Supply in Gouverneur, N.Y., stocks a full aisle of spray paint.

Right: Landrum Hardware, a Do it Best member in Landrum, S.C., adopted The Color Bar format when it opened a new store in 2018.

Paint and decorating Buying uPdate

Green HC-125; Oxford Gray 2128-40 and Blue Danube 2062-30.

• “The Color Trends 2020 palette plays an integral role in supporting these core • Rust-Oleum has selected nine colors human ideals,” said Magno. “Color is for its 2020 palette: Ink Blue, Summer powerful but highly subjective, espeSquash, Red Currant, Island Coral, cially through the lens of different genRustic Pink, Metallic Gunmetal, Modern erations, relationships and moods. But Mint, Solstice Blue and Perfect Gray. from the saturated to bright and airy, all • Benjamin Moore revealed its Color of are easy to live with and easy to love— the Year 2020 as First Light 2102-70, whether they standalone, in a strong a soft, rosy hue. “We selected First pair or all cohabitate.”

Light 2102-70 as our Color of the Year 2020 to represent a new dawn of ideal- • To learn more about the Benjamin Moore Color of the Year and Color ism, design and living,” said Andrea Trends 2020 palette, visit www.benMagno, Benjamin Moore director of jaminmoore.com/colortrends. color marketing and development.

“First Light 2102-70 reflects a new def- • Pantone, provider of professional color language standards and digital soluinition of the home—a shift in mindtions, announced PANTONE 19-4052, set from the material to satisfying the Classic Blue, as the Pantone® Color core needs in life: community, comfort, security, self-expression, authenticity of the Year for 2020; a timeless and and ultimately, optimism.” enduring hue elegant in its simplicity.

• The Benjamin Moore Color Trends Suggestive of the sky at dusk, the reas2020 palette features: First Light 2102suring qualities of the thought-provok70; White Heron OC-57; Crystalline ing PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue highAF-485; Windmill Wings 2067-60; light our desire for a dependable and Buxton Blue HC-149; Golden Straw stable foundation from which to build as 2152-50; Thunder AF-685; Crushing we cross the threshold into a new era. n www.TheHardwareConnection.com

THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 51

Paint & decorating Products

Metallic Paint collection • Modern Masters, a member of the RustOleum family of brands, is refreshing its Metallic Paint Collection with the creation Masters arMor™ of nine new colors.

• The new colors include: Emerald, • Masters Armor™ is an interior, Amethyst, Glacier Blue, Rose Gold, Ruby, water-based clear finish that can be Cool Mint, Black Sapphire, Pink Topaz and used on floors, cabinets, furniture or Rose Quartz. almost any type of woodwork.

• The colors are available in three sizes: • Available in flat, satin, semi-gloss quarts, gallons and 6-ounce jars for samand gloss sheens. ple boards.

• It will enhance any wood project by being easy to apply and fast drying • Metallic paints are ideal for creating the “wow” factor on large corporate, hospitalwhile providing excellent clarity and ity and themed venue projects, as well as superior durability. residential projects when creating a fea• Suitable for bare wood and previture wall or accenting furniture. ously finished surfaces.

Rust-Oleum Old Masters www.rustoleum.com www.myoldmasters.com 518-928-6560 800-747-3436 52 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

HOLLANDLAC BriLLiANt 98

POLyAmiDe rOLLer COver LiNe • Cirrus X™ is a new roller cover that features a European polyamide yarn fabric that’s soft, resilient, easy to load and holds a lot of paint.

• New Cirrus X polyamide yarn roller covers are designed with extra capacity and durability to help tackle rough and even extra-rough surfaces. They are great for applying base and finish coats, as well as back rolling textured surfaces such as stucco or brick.

• Use these new roller covers with all flat, eggshell and satin paints to achieve fast and complete coverage.

• Cirrus X rollers have a green marbled look and will be available in 9”, 14” and 18” sizes in ¾” and 1” nap heights for rough to extra-rough surfaces.

The Wooster Brush Company www.woosterbrush.com 800-392-7246 www.TheHardwareConnection.com

• HOLLANDLAC Brilliant 98 is a highperformance, marine-quality enamel, unequaled in its ability to provide maximum protection and depth of color.

Available in white, 10,000 FPE colors and an unlimited number of custom tinted colors.

• Now with an even higher sheen, it possesses a mirror-like luminescence that may be used subtly or dramatically to create focus, space and light.

• The densely pigmented formulation provides superior coverage and hiding power. High concentrations of costly, color-fast pigments result in colors that resist fading. HOLLANDLAC Brilliant 98 White is virtually non-yellowing.

• Its unique self-leveling and filling properties result in a finish that dries to a beautiful, durable, porcelain-like surface whether applied by brush or spray. It does not require primer when applied over clean, previously painted oil finishes in good condition.

Fine Paints of Europe www.finepaintsofeurope.com 800-332-1556 THe HARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 53

BeAcON AwArds

Nominations Now Open for Beacon Awards Presented By

The 2020 Beacon Award winners will be honored at the 2020 Hardware Conference in Marco Island, Fla.

This year’s Hardware Conference, set for August 21-23 at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Fla., will give independent retailers a chance to network and share ideas with fellow dealers. The Hardware Conference, now celebrating its 32nd anniversary, will again be highlighted by the Beacon Awards, a recognition program that was introduced in 2013.

The Beacon Awards, which are cosponsored by The Hardware Conference and The Hardware Connection, are designed to honor the “best of the best” independent hardware/home improvement retailers while encouraging a new generation of retailers to make their mark in the industry.

Beacon Award sponsors for 2019 included Apex Tool Group, Epicor 54 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

Software Corp., Ettore Products and Rust-Oleum. Additional wholesaler sponsorship support comes from Ace Hardware Corp., Do it Best Corp. and Orgill Inc. The Beacon Awards honor the Retail Beacon Award winners for each of the participating wholesalers, plus the Best New Stores in two categories: under 20,000 square feet and over 20,000 square feet. Whether it’s an existing retailer opening a branch store or a newcomer opening a ground-up business, these new stores represent the future of the industry.

Here are last year’s Beacon Award honorees: • Best New Store, Under 20,000 sq. ft.—University Ace Hardware, Oviedo, Fla., owned by Walter Toole and Bill Asma.

• Best New Store, Over 20,000 sq. ft.

—Petersburg Do it Best Hardware, Petersburg, Ind., owned by Dennis and Sherry Bishop.

www.ThehardwareConnection.com

• Retail Beacon Award— Turner Ace Hardware, Jacksonville Beach, Fla., owned by Mike Turner.

The honorees and sponsors of the 2019 Beacon Awards.

• Retail Beacon Award— Brownsboro Hardware & Paint, Louisville, Ky., owned by • Should be a new ground-up store Jim Lehrer. or it can be an existing store that • Retail Beacon Award—Lee has been significantly expanded or Hardware & Building Supply, remodeled.

Waycross, Ga., owned by Denise • Can be a store built to replace one and Richard Lee and Heather destroyed by natural disaster.

Bruner.

• Store must feature all the core “Any time you get an award like this departments: electrical, plumbyou feel pretty special,” says Toole of ing, tools, hardware, paint and University Ace. “It means that they like lawn & garden. what you did.”

• Can be a branch store.

Get your nominations in now for The Beacon Awards Banquet will be the Best New Store award, as the held Friday night, August 21, 2020 at deadline of May 1 is fast approaching. the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Fla. Any dealer can nominate his store Honorees will receive: all-expenses and nominations are also accepted paid trip for two to the 2020 Hardware from wholesalers.

Conference in Marco Island including Judging will be based on any or conference registration, airfare, hotel and all of the following criteria: financial meals; Beacon Award plaque and feature performance (sales, profits, margins, article in The Hardware Connection. etc.); community involvement; store design; merchandising displays; proTO cOMPLeTe NOMINATION motion activities; specialized product Please include detailed information areas/niches; employee training/recfor each of the judging criteria, attach ognition programs; and innovative any relevant pictures, list the date of retailing concepts. new store opening and also provide retailer name, store name, square footage, address, phone number and email BesT New sTOre QUALIFIcATIONs: address. Email nominations by the May • Store must have been open at 1 deadline to Editor Chris Jensen at least one year, to a maximum of chris@thehardwareconnection.com. ■ 4 years. www.ThehardwareConnection.com

The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 55

CONFERENCE2020 AUGUST 21-23

reGIsTer Here TOdAY!

“Where Relationships Are Formed”

3 Days of Networking, Relaxing and Learning Meet colleagues and new friends at the industry’s largest conference for independent hardware retailers. Share ideas with top retailers on how to grow your business, interact with key vendors on how to increase sales in your store and attend educational seminars, all-industry cocktail receptions and dinners in an exclusive 5-star resort setting.

Learn More About Your POS System at the Hardware Technology Forum Epicor will offer full-day, hands-on training sessions for retailers.

Bring your tablet or laptop so you can log right into your store as you learn new “tips and tricks” to make your POS software more productive in your store.

Honor the Industry’s Best Retailers at the 2020 Beacon Awards The Beacon Awards are an important recognition program that honors the best of the best dealers who represent the future of the industry.

Presented By

FOr MOre INFOrMATION ABOUT ATTeNdING THe BeAcON AwArds ALONG wITH ALL OTHer edUcATIONAL seMINArs, OPeN FLOOr dIscUssIONs ANd sOcIAL AcTIVITIes AT THe HArdwAre cONFereNce, VIsIT www.THeHArdwArecONFereNce.cOM

IN THE NEWS NEW STORES:

• Interstate + Lakeland Lumber has opened a new rebranded store in Westport, Conn., that it had acquired from Torno Lumber & Hardware.

• Richards Building Supply has acquired two stores from GMA Supply in Concord and Holly Springs, N.C. • Michael and Michelle Cumberland have opened M&M’s Hardware in their Coffee Time shop in Omemee, Ontario.

• Barb Mathistad Warner and Mark Warner purchased Butterfield Hardware in Butterfield, Minn.

• Westlake Ace has opened a new store in a former Orchard Supply Hardware in La Crescenta, Calif.

• BMC Stock Holdings has acquired DeFord Lumber in Dallas-Ft. Worth market.

• Carr Hardware opened its eighth store in Lenox, Mass.

• Kenny Queen Hardware has opened its third store in Huntington, W.Va. • Bill Cotton has opened his ninth Cotton’s Ace Hardware in Granite City, Ill. • Aldo Aichfakir has opened Dawson’s Hardware in Topsfield, Mass.

• Dave Lewis is the new owner of Route 66 True Value Hardware in Baxter Springs, Kan. • Joel Jacobson has purchased Thompson’s True Value in Eau Claire, Wis., and is rebranding as www.TheHardwareConnection.com

• • • •

•

•

• • •

• •

Jacobson’s Ace Hardware.

Harps Food Stores is opening its first standalone Ace Hardware in Charleston, Ark. Ryan and Lisa Bubb have opened Riverside True Value Hardware in Middletown, Pa. Bell’s Ace Hardware & Outdoor Power Equipment has opened in Nashville, N.C. Mike and Gina Wilmes are opening their second Wilmes Do it Best Hardware in a former Shopko store in Sioux City, Neb. Steve White of White’s Ace Hardware in Carmel, Ind., has acquired Fishers Do it center in Fishers, Ind. Billy Atchison and Tim Gibson have opened Ace Hardware of Sun City Center in Wimauma, Fla. r.k. Miles is acquiring four stores in Vermont from Century Club retailer Allen Lumber.

Pleasants Hardware has opened a new store in Mechanicsville, Va. Outdoor Supply Hardware has opened its fourth store in a former Orchard Supply Hardware location in Berkeley, Calif.

Gerald and Jahron Strother are opening True Value Farm & Hardware in Van Alstyne, Texas.

Elder’s Ace Hardware has opened with Elder’s Mercantile and Elder’s Garden in Knoxville, Tenn.

KUDOS TO:

• Irvin’s Hardware & Auto in Homer, Mich., is celebrating its 45th THE HARDWARE Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 57

anniversary this year.

• Ace Hardware Corp. ranks number 6 on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® list.

• China International Hardware Show, set for August 7-9 in Shanghai, China, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

of Aubuchon Hardware, died December 1 at the age of 76. He started in 1970 at the business founded by his grandfather in 1908, serving as personnel manager, treasurer, and president and CEO, retiring as vice chairman of acquisitions in 2017. He is survived by his wife Tonia, sons MarON THE MOVE: cus III and Justin, daughter Court• Hal Lawton is the new president ney and six grandchildren. and CEO of Tractor Supply • Kristin Bernhart, co-owner of Company, replacing the retiring Freeport True Value Hardware Greg Sandfort. in Freeport, Maine, passed away • True Value Company has hired December 1 at the age of 62. She Chris Kempa to the new position of is survived by husband Woody and chief commercial officer. son John.

• Rocky’s Ace Hardware has hired • Ned Wolf passed Joseph Harrington as B2B sales away December 13 at the manager. age of 88. He retired in • Lowe’s Cos. has hired Marisa 1995 from Do it Best Corp.

Thalberg as executive vice after 47 years as vice president, chief brand and marketing president of purchasing. officer and named Tony Hurst Ned served nine years Ned Wolf president of Lowe’s Canada. in the Indiana National • Do it Best Corp. has promoted Scott Guard in the 1950s. He met his wife Kinkella to regional sales manager.

Katherine at Do it Best and they married in 1952. He is survived by sons OTHER NEWS: Ned and Scott and four grandchildren.

• Hayward Lumber has acquired the He was preceded in death by his wife assets of Buena Tool Company in Katherine; siblings Don Wolf, George Santa Barbara, Calif.

Wolf and Maxine VanHorn; and grand• Protective Industrial Products daughter Alexa Jo Wolf.

Inc. has acquired Boss Manufacturing’s gloves and safety business.

FOR THE FULL STORY: • World and Main, Bulldog and • Part-finder kiosk being tested at Shur-Line are changing their name Home Depot. Click here to H2 Brands Group.

• Google acquiring Pointy. Click here • Cologne International Hardware IN MEMORY: Fair set for March 1-4. Click here • Marcus Moran Jr., former CEO

58 ■ THE HARDWARE Connection ■ February 2020

www.TheHardwareConnection.com

UPCOMING EVENTS FEBRUARY Do it Best Corp. Spring Market February 7-10, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis Emery Jensen Distribution Spring Show February 13-14, Hynes Convention Center, Boston Florida Hardware Spring Market February 22-23, Double Tree Hotel and Convention Center, Orlando, Fla. Monroe Hardware Spring Market February 14-16, Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Orgill Spring Market February 27-29, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla. True Value Company Spring Reunion February 14-16, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans

MARCH Ace Hardware Corp. Spring Convention March 12-14, McCormick Place, Chicago

International Hardware Fair March 1-4, Koelnmesse, Cologne, Germany International Home & Housewares Show March 14-17, McCormick Place, Chicago LMC Annual Meeting March 4-6, Music City Center, Nashville, Tenn.

Wallace Hardware Spring Dealer Market March 25-27, LeConte Center, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

APRIL Home Hardware Spring Market April 5-7, Home Hardware Stores, St. Jacobs, Ont. Improving Customer Service/Adding Value Webinar April 1, Webinar Series by Epicor; Learn More

MAY

Blish-Mize Spring Buying Market March 19-21, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, Kan.

Inventory Management/Inventory Control Webinar May 6, Webinar Series by Epicor; Learn More

Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo March 12-14, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans

National Hardware Show May 5-7, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev.

For a complete listing of calendar dates, click here. www.TheHardwareConnection.com

THE HARDWARE Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 59

reTAil ideAS

Two Ace SToreS recognized wiTh ‘cooleST hArdwAre STore’ AwArd Ace Hardware Corp. has recognized two Ace Hardware stores with the company’s ninth-annual “Coolest Hardware Store” awards. The winning stores are Woodville Ace Hardware of Tallahassee, Fla., and Downtown Walnut Creek Hardware of Walnut Creek, Calif.

John Tovar, vice president-retail operations and new business at Ace, said, “The teams at Woodville Ace Hardware and Downtown Walnut Creek Hardware exemplify what makes Ace great—helpful, unique, and always striving to meet the changing needs of the community.”

Aside from its core hardware stock, Woodville Ace Hardware differentiates itself by expertly attending to the unique rural community it serves. From offering feed and seed, a large equine department for the many horse farmers in the area, a large garden and gift center so customers can avoid a trip to the city, or even beach umbrellas and coolers for the hour trip to the beach, Woodville Ace Hardware prides itself on being a one-stop shop for the community.

What sets Woodville Ace apart are the special events it hosts including an annual Ladies Night that attracts local women for fun times, fellowship and deals. During Science Day, the store welcomes students

from the elementary school across the street to learn about animals, plants and basic hardware.

Being the most helpful retail store in the area is the passion of the Woodville Ace team, and that desire is reflected in the store’s detailed employee training program. The store employs a training coordinator who oversees all onboarding of new employees, who each have a training goal set for them every month. The training also includes specialty vendor training for the feed and seed, equine and power equipment departments.

60 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

www.ThehardwareConnection.com

Upper: Employee training is a major emphasis at Woodville Ace Hardware.

Lower: Downtown Walnut Creek Hardware is known as “The Ace with the Train.”

Walnut Creek Hardware opened in 2008 and quickly positioned itself as the “go-to” hardware store in the area offering a wide selection of convenient core hardware and garden products. Catering to the higher-end demographics in the surrounding area, the store began to focus on designer Benjamin Moore paints and color consulting alongside a distinctive giftware section to take advantage of paint customers waiting for their product.

The store expanded into an unused parking lot and an adjacent building, creating a specialty nursery and dedicated outdoor living department featuring grilling and patio furniture. It offers free delivery to the local retirement community.

Known as “The Ace with the Train,” Walnut Creek Hardware features an extensive “G-scale” model train that runs around the store on an elevated track.

It includes two rail lines looping above the power aisle and around the checkout area. The track also showcases various handcrafted model replicas of famous bridges in the area, including the Golden Gate Bridge, New Bay Bridge, the Tower Bridge in Sacramento and a rail trestle bridge in Benicia.

BliFFerT lUMBer & hArdwAre STArTS 2020 in The PinK Century Club retailer Bliffert Lumber & Hardware, which has been serving southeastern Wisconsin since 1904, has added an unusual new delivery truck to their fleet. Instead of the traditional Bliffert white and blue, this delivery truck is sporting a pink paint job to support Susan G. Komen Wisconsin, a local nonprofit dedicated to bringing an end to breast cancer.

More than just a positive message, the truck also symbolizes a fun philanthropic effort by the Do it Best retailer: Bliffert Lumber & Hardware will donate 20 cents for every mile driven by the pink truck in 2020.

“Breast cancer affects us all, and the pink truck is a reminder that we need to fight breast cancer every day,” says Vice President Eli Bliffert. “We’re excited to contribute to the efforts of Komen Wisconsin while helping spread awareness for the great work that they’re doing in the community.” ■ Bliffert Lumber & Hardware has a special pink delivery truck for breast cancer awareness.

Click here to view Woodville Ace video.

Click here to view Walnut Creek Hardware video. www.ThehardwareConnection.com

The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020 ■ 61

e h t d n i h e B Numbers $3.449 billion

Do it Best Corp. 2019 gross sales, according to the 2019 Do it Best Annual Report.

$113.9 million

Member rebate for Do it Best members in 2019, the 16th straight year of rebates over $100 million.

13

Number of HWI staff who gathered in August 1947 for the groundbreaking of the company’s new facility in Fort Wayne, representing HWI’s entire work force.

$2.381 billion

Do it Best Corp. 2010 gross sales, according to the 2010 Do it Best Annual Report.

67,000

Number of SKUs available for online purchase at www.doitbest.com

8

Number of distribution centers operated by Do it Best Corp.

62 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ February 2020

www.ThehardwareConnection.com