Hardware Retailing November 2023

Volume 225 • Issue 5 • November 2023 • hardwareretailing.com

Serving Hardware, Home Center & Building Material Retailers

Published by the North American Hardware and Paint Association

Home Sweet Digital Home Invite Customers Into Your Store With an Effective Website Page 22

Approach Your Digital Strategy From All Angles Page 28

Go the Extra Mile With Store Services Page 40

NOVEMBER ISSUE SPONSOR

With Do it Best, we can expand our vision without limits.

LET’S GET GROWING

Do it Best gives Kenny Trujillo and Richie Tabet the power to quickly and efficiently deliver building materials to customers across a vast 122,000-square-mile service area.

Our incredible buying power and logistical strengths have transformed RAKS Building Supply into New Mexico’s best and largest independent building materials dealer.

Join the company with a team of industry experts who are committed to take your business beyond your vision.

Read Kenny and Richie’s success story at doitbestonline.com/RAKS.

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Volume 225 • Issue 5 • November 2023 • hardwareretailing.com

Serving Hardware, Home Center & Building Material Retailers

Published by the North American Hardware and Paint Association

Home Sweet Digital Home Invite Customers Into Your Store With an Effective Website Page 22

Approach Your Digital Strategy From All Angles Page 28

Go the Extra Mile With Store Services Page 40

Take advantage of our group plan.

Finding affordable group health insurance can be challenging.

But there are benefits and safety in numbers.

YourNHPA.org/health-insurance

Volume 225 • Issue 5 • November 2023 • hardwareretailing.com

Serving Hardware, Home Center & Building Material Retailers

Published by the North American Hardware and Paint Association

Home Sweet Digital Home Invite Customers Into Your Store With an Effective Website Page 22

Approach Your Digital Strategy From All Angles Page 28

Go the Extra Mile With Store Services Page 40

The BEST screw for any wood project

BuildRight® Star Drive Deck Screw!

The ideal concrete screw for easy installation and MAXIMUM holding power

The Blue Star Drive Concrete Screw

800.444.7313 constructionscrews.com

CONNECTIONS

Follow Us Online HEADQUARTERS COMING IN DECEMBER

EXECUTIVE STAFF PRESIDENT & CEO Bob Cutter CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER & PUBLISHER Dan Tratensek CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER & EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS SERVICES David Gowan

1025 East 54th St. Indianapolis, Indiana 317-275-9400 NHPA@YourNHPA.org YourNHPA.org OUR MISSION

The North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) helps independent home improvement and paint and decorating retailers, regardless of affiliations, become better and more profitable retailers.

NHPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Jared Smith, Jared’s Ace Hardware, Bishopville, South Carolina EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN Jackie Sacks, Round Top Mercantile Co., Round Top, Texas DIRECTORS Alesia Anderson, Handy Ace Hardware, Tucker, Georgia Jay Donnelly, Flanagan Paint & Supply, Ellisville, Missouri Ned Green, Weiders Paint & Hardware, Rochester, New York Scott Jerousek, Farm and Home Hardware, Wellington, Ohio Joanne Lawrie, Annapolis Home Hardware Building Centre, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia Ryan Ringer, Gold Beach Lumber Yard Inc., Gold Beach, Oregon SECRETARY-TREASURER Bob Cutter, NHPA President and CEO

STATE & REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS MIDWEST HARDWARE ASSOCIATION Jody Kohl, 201 Frontenac Ave., P.O. Box 8033 Stevens Point, WI 54481-8033 800-888-1817; Fax: 715-341-4080

NHPA CANADA NHPA CANADA Michael McLarney, +1 416-489-3396, mike@hardlines.ca 330 Bay Street, Suite 1400 Toronto, ON, Canada M5H 2S8

CIRCULATION, SUBSCRIPTION & LIST RENTAL INQUIRIES CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Richard Jarrett, 314-432-7511, Fax: 314-432-7665

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ADVANCED RETAIL EDUCATION PROGRAMS Scott Wright, swright@YourNHPA.org EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INNOVATION & ENGAGEMENT Whitney Mancuso

A Decade of Learning For 10 years, the North American Hardware and Paint Association’s Retail Management Certification Program has provided the opportunity for retail leaders to learn skills to grow store sales and profits in today’s changing retail landscape. Next month, meet past students who share the positive impact the program had on their operations.

Hardware Retailing (ISSN0889-2989) is published monthly by the North American Hardware and Paint Association, 1025 East 54th St., Indianapolis, IN 46220. Subscription rates: Hardware Retailing (Payable in advance): U.S. & possessions $50/year. Canada $75/year. All other countries $110/year.

Single copy $7. The Annual Report issue can be purchased for $30.

Periodical postage paid at Indianapolis, Indiana, and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Hardware Retailing, P.O. Box 16709, St. Louis, MO 63105-1209.

COMMUNICATIONS

317-275-9400, editorial@YourNHPA.org COMMUNICATIONS & CONTENT MANAGER Melanie Moul, mmoul@YourNHPA.org SENIOR EDITOR Lindsey Thompson, lthompson@YourNHPA.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER Autumn Ricketts GRAPHIC DESIGNER Olivia Adam PRODUCTION MANAGER Austin Vance PRODUCTION & DESIGN ASSISTANT Samantha Mitchell SALES & PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Freda Creech MARKETING MANAGER Julie Leinwand

SALES NORTHERN REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Karen Hopkinson khopkinson@YourNHPA.org | 419-345-3306 SOUTHERN REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Faith Zucker fzucker@YourNHPA.org | 216-316-8203

All editorial contents © 2023 North American Hardware and Paint Association. No editorial may be reproduced without prior permission of the publisher.

ASSOCIATION PROGRAMS

REPRINTS: For price quotations, contact the Editorial Department at editorial@YourNHPA.org. Printed in the U.S.

DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES & EVENTS Katie McHone-Jones, kmchone-jones@YourNHPA.org

800-772-4424, NHPA@YourNHPA.org

DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT & CONSULTING Kim Peffley, kpeffley@YourNHPA.org TRAINING MANAGER & EDITOR Jesse Carleton, jcarleton@YourNHPA.org RETAIL ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST Renee Changnon, rchangnon@YourNHPA.org

Volume 225 | Issue 5 | November 2023 CONTENTS

In Every Issue 04 ON THE WEB 06 EDITORIALLY SPEAKING 08 TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS 10

NHPA NEWS

12

TRENDS

14

NEW PRODUCTS

44 CHECKOUTS 46 CALENDAR 47 LAST WORD

22

COVER STORY

Making a Digital Home

40

Hear from three retailers who share their digital strategies and how having a comprehensive website has led to a successful digital presence and finding their place online.

28

OPERATIONS

Find Your Online Footing Setting a good foundation is key to building a successful digital presence. See the blueprint one operation followed to optimize the effectiveness of its website and social media strategies.

32

PROFILE

Friendly Competition What others might call saturated, John McKenna calls success. He and his brother are the owners of The Paint Shoppes, a five-store operation in Rhode Island that has capitalized on the stores’ close proximity to one another.

40

CATEGORY SPOTLIGHT

Sold on Service Going beyond selling products, these retailers share the ways adding store services to their operations boosted the bottom line, improved customer service and led to more loyal customers.

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

3

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL

HardwareRetailing HardwareRetail

ON THE WEB

HardwareRetailing

ONLINE

Stay Informed

Scan this QR code or visit hardwareretailing.com/november to read these stories and more.

Find More Online OPERATIONS

Investing in Tech Gain insights into how companies are using technology and how they plan to allocate future technology spending.

CATEGORY

Tailored Amenities

COVER STORY

Building a Top-Tier Website While having a website is a good first step in expanding your digital presence, on Page 22 three retailers share their best practices for making your website work harder to engage with customers and broaden your digital horizons. Plus, discover other ways to improve your digital footprint below.

Expand Your Google Presence Learn how to take full advantage of your Google Business Profile to engage with customers and gain legitimacy with Google.

Reinvigorate Your Website If you’re not regularly auditing your website, it can become tired and ineffective. Discover five signs your website needs a refresh and how to bring it up to date.

Strategy First Independent retailers who aren’t in the digital space are missing a chance to meet consumers where they are.

Discover guidance for creating a digital strategy.

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

Combining your hobbies and the needs of your community into one hyper local service can make your business a key service provider across a wide area.

PODCAST

Meet the Young Retailer of the Year Honorees With a record 11 retailers, this year’s class of Young Retailer of the Year honorees proves the future of the independent channel is in good hands. In this episode, the third in the five-episode series, we’ll meet Austin Diehl and Katie Prus and hear about the ways they want to improve their operations and better serve customers.

Scan the QR code or visit the website below to listen.

YourNHPA.org/podcast

With Do it Best, we can expand our vision without limits.

LET’S GET GROWING

Our incredible buying power and logistical strengths have transformed RAKS Building Supply into New Mexico’s best and largest independent building materials dealer.

Join the company with a team of industry experts who are committed to take your business beyond your vision.

Read Kenny and Richie’s success story at doitbestonline.com/RAKS.

Do it Best gives Kenny Trujillo and Richie Tabet the power to quickly and efficiently deliver building materials to customers across a vast 122,000-square-mile service area.

CONNECTIONS

Send Melanie a Message EDITORIALLY SPEAKING

mmoul@YourNHPA.org Melanie Moul

Making Chocolate Milk

“Have you invested in the coaching, tools and time your team needs to navigate operations when you’re not there?”

W E H A V E R E A C H E D an important milestone in our house.

My son is 5 years old, so he’s past the stage of needing to try to do everything himself, but instead of actually doing something, he just adds 15 minutes to the task, and I have to end up helping him anyway. But he’s actually mastered some skills that make a marked difference in my day-to-day as a parent.

One of those skills is making his own chocolate milk.

He will ask me, “Mama, can you please make me some chocolate milk?”

And I will say, “You can do it, buddy.” He eagerly races downstairs, and I hear the fridge open, then the cabinet closes a little too hard.

About 3 minutes later, he comes back upstairs sipping a cup of chocolate milk that he’s made entirely himself.

I go downstairs to check his handiwork, and the milk and chocolate syrup are put away, and there are no spills to be found. We are now at the point where I trust him to make his own chocolate milk when I’m not in the same room.

How many people on your team could you trust to “make chocolate milk” in your operation without your constant guidance? Do you trust your team to not leave messes, and are you OK if something is done differently than you would have done it yourself?

Let me be clear: Making chocolate milk is not a skill my son mastered overnight. He has spent a good part of the last two years watching me or his dad carefully drizzle the syrup into the cup, pour the milk from the gallon and stir. We gave him opportunities to try it himself with our guidance, cleaning up messes as we went, and teaching him to clean up after himself.

So let me rephrase that question: Have you invested in the coaching, tools and time your team needs to navigate operations when you’re not there?

Building your bench and setting your team up for success is critical for the longevity of not just your business, but it’s the responsibility of every independent retailer for the longevity of the industry. Fortunately, your association, the North American Hardware and Paint Association, has tools and programs tailored to helping you do just that. Find the right program at YourNHPA.org/development to put your team on track to manage their own chocolate milk.

Melanie Moul Communications & Content Manager

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

Simplified.

Supported.

Success.

A Powerfully Simple Point of Sale Solution.

Call 800.725.2346 or learn more at paladinpointofsale.com

CONNECTIONS

Send Dan a Message dant@YourNHPA.org

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

Dan Tratensek YourNHPA.org/tcb-pod

Leaving a Legacy

“I guarantee that Bill’s passion is alive in the organization he helped shape.”

WHY DO Y OU GE T U P and go to work every day?

The answer might be simple for some among us, but my guess is that the real motivation for waking up and doing what we do is a little more complicated than “to earn a paycheck.” We all like to think that whatever it is we do for 40-plus hours a week is a little more important than what gets deposited in our bank account.

Sometimes I’ll look at my friends with nicer houses or bigger nest eggs than I have and think, “Man, why didn’t I go into finance or try my hand at commercial real estate?”

There is absolutely nothing wrong with either of those careers. But, outside of any pay, one of the things that motivates me to do what I do at the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) is I feel like we are making a difference.

We are a not-for-profit association. Our mission is simple—help our members be better and more profitable. Our members are small business owners, regular Jills and Joes trying to do their best to keep their family dreams alive.

No one knew this mission and had a clearer vision of why he got up and went to work every morning than NHPA’s former president and CEO Bill Lee. Bill and I both started at NHPA (then the National Retail Hardware Association) in 1996. We worked together for 21 years.

Like any working relationship, I guarantee we didn’t always see eye to eye. In fact, Bill and I probably argued about things more than anyone else I’ve ever worked with.

Even during these “robust discussions,” there was one thing I never doubted about Bill, and that was his motivation.

Saying Bill was passionate about helping independent business owners find greater success is downplaying his commitment to this cause.

I don’t know that I have ever worked with anyone in this industry who felt so strongly about supporting our mission than Bill.

Sadly, Bill passed away last month. Ultimately, it’s the same ending we’ll all face some day. When that day does come and we get to look back, it’s not the houses and boats that I think any of us will cleave to. I like to think we will measure ourselves by the impact we had on the things we cared about.

By any measure, Bill made an impact on the industry he cared so dearly about.

Independent retailers lost a strong advocate and ardent ally last month, but I guarantee that Bill’s passion is alive in the organization he helped shape, and we will all do our best to carry on with the level of commitment Bill helped foster during his years of service.

He will be missed.

Dan M. Tratensek Chief Operating Officer & Publisher

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

The industry’s marketplace for buying and selling independent home improvement businesses and posting jobs.

BUSINESS FOR SALE

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Northwest Farm & Home Supply Co.

Home Improvement Supply Store Location: Missouri Gross Revenue: $1.04 million

Location: Lemmon, SD Gross Revenue: $3.21 million The main building is a total 27,213 sq. ft. of retail and warehouse space on 4 acres. The main bldg. was constructed in 1994 with additions constructed in 2002 and 2004.

Single story with 22’ clear height in 11,459 sq. ft. of lumber warehouse, three grade level doors and two dock height doors.

BUSINESS FOR SALE

This historic home improvement and hardware store is a staple of its community and operates from its headquarters in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area of Missouri.

The Company is a long-standing retailer and installer of consumer and commercial improvement products.

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Hoosick True Value

Albrights Hardware & Garden Center

Location: Hoosick Falls, NY Gross Revenue: $1.26 million Price: $1.875 million This opportunity offers a turnkey sale of a general hardware business located in northeastern Rensselaer Co., New York. The business serves five towns and southwestern Bennington Co., Vermont, and 25 miles east of Troy, New York.

Location: Allentown, PA Gross Revenue: $1.9 million Price: $1 million

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Central Vermont Paint, Flooring and Decorating Business Location: Vermont Gross Revenue: $2.82 million Price: $1.1 million

Full-service decorating store providing flooring, paint, window treatments, kitchen/bathroom remodeling, cabinetry product offerings, design assistance, specialized service, and professional installation.

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Private Business

Location: Alabama Gross Revenue: $2.21 million Price: $649,000

Albrights Hardware is an established hardware store with strong neighborhood ties and has been a Lehigh Valley staple for over 50 years. The current owners have owned the store since 1992. Albrights serves its loyal customer base by providing quality products and exceptional customer service.

BUSINESS FOR SALE

SEEKING BUSINESSES

SEEKING BUSINESSES

SEEKING BUSINESSES

For our next acquisition, we are looking for:

We are looking for:

We are looking for:

The Aubuchon Company

• • • •

Single-store and multi-store hardware operations Located in northeast and southeast United States Store size of 5,000-30,000 ft2 At least $3 million in average store sales

Bolster Hardware • • • • •

Private Business

Location: Pennsylvania Gross Revenue: $1.6 million

Gold Beach Lumber Yard

Geography agnostic With or without real estate Store revenues of $1.5M+ We prefer to honor the family name and heritage in the local community by not changing the name We prefer to keep all employees as part of the acquisition

• • •

Single-store and multi-store hardware operations Located in the Pacific Northwest Store size of 5,000 ft2-30,000 ft2

Now Offering Business Valuations Post a Job | Sell Your Business | Buy a Store | Public and Private Listings Available To see full listings, visit YourNHPA.org/marketplace or email marketplace@yournhpa.org

MEMBERSHIP

What Can We Do For You? NHPA NEWS

NHPA is always working to add new programs, services and offerings to better serve its members. Learn more at YourNHPA.org/membership.

ASSOCIATION

Remembering Former NHPA President and CEO Bill Lee In honor of Lee and his contributions to the industry, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society at cancer.org/givehope.

I ND U STR Y LE A D E R and former North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) president and CEO Bill Lee died Sept. 29. Lee was a passionate supporter of the independent home improvement retail industry, serving the association for over 20 years before retiring in 2017.

Lee began his work with the association—then known as the National Retail Hardware Association or NRHA—as an outside marketing consultant for 12 years before starting as the association’s marketing director in 1996. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, NRHA launched its custom publishing department and catalog business under Lee’s guidance. In 2008, Lee took over as CEO and focused on making the association a more informative and valuable resource for members and the industry. Lee was also integral in developing the original version of the association’s product knowledge training course.

“Bill was a passionate advocate for independent home improvement retailers, and under his leadership, NHPA launched some of its most prominent and successful retail-facing programs,” says current NHPA president and CEO Bob Cutter. “The impact he made as an advocate for the industry will be felt for years to come.”

PRODUCTS

Outfit Your Team and Stock Your Shelves Shop for customizable merch for your employees and store at YourNHPA.org/shop.

READY TO make a statement?

NHPA’s online store is your one-stop shop for customizable home improvement and paint-inspired merchandise. Choose from adult T-shirts, hoodies, hats, totes, toddler tees and baby onesies. Outfit your team or stock your shelves with fun designs that are tailored toward industry professionals, DIYers and the youngest members of their families.

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

YOUR LOGO HERE YOUR LOGO HERE

EDUCATION

Explore NHPA’s Educational Offerings Visit YourNHPA.org/academy for information on our solutions for your growing business.

ASSOCIATION

Get on Track for 2024 From NHPA’s Cost of Doing Business Study to the NHPA Health Insurance Program, it’s time to plan for 2024.

A S 2 0 2 3 W I N D S D O W N , now is the time to make decisions for the coming year. As you explore options to make 2024 even better for your business and employees, don’t forget about the following NHPA offerings.

2023 Cost of Doing Business Study For more than 100 years, independent home improvement retailers have trusted this annual benchmarking tool to help them understand how their businesses compare financially to typical and high-profit operations, make informed decisions for their operations and strategize for the future. To purchase the complete 2023 study, visit YourNHPA.org/codb.

NHPA Health Insurance Program Affordable group health insurance can help you attract and retain employees for your small business. The NHPA Health Insurance Program, managed by Custom Benefits Insurance Group, is a group plan that allows independent operators to access benefits at lower rates due to the volume of retailers who participate nationwide. To learn more, visit YourNHPA.org/health-insurance.

TRAINING

Onboarding Resources for Your Next Hire Access NHPA’s Onboarding Handbook at YourNHPA.org/shop.

FINDING QUALITY EMPLOYEES to work for your business can be a challenge, so when you finally find the right fit, get them started off right with an effective onboarding process. Employees who are engaged, who have the knowledge they need to be successful and who understand the opportunities for future career development are more likely to stay for the long term. Effective onboarding is critical to employee retention, and NHPA has resources to help you develop a program. Here are three onboarding resources you can start using today.

Onboarding Handbook. This guide helps owners and managers develop their own onboarding program or improve on what they have. It includes best practices and a checklist for what to do on a new hire’s first few weeks on the job. It is available for purchase at YourNHPA.org/shop.

Joining a Retail Team. This online course helps new employees understand their new role as a retail sales associate.

In six short modules, the course covers teamwork, customer service and why independent retailers are an important part of the community. This course is available to NHPA Premier Members.

Visit YourNHPA.org/membership for more information.

Job Description Templates. Clear job descriptions lay out your expectations of a new hire and give them more confidence as they start their new job. NHPA has created a series of job descriptions to use as a guide for creating your own.

A starter pack of nine free job descriptions is available at YourNHPA.org/job-descriptions. For more template options and retention resources, you may purchase the Employee Retention Kit at YourNHPA.org/shop.

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

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RESOURCES

Light Up Your Bulb Selection TRENDS

See merchandising and selling best practices for creating a curated lightbulb section at hardwareretailing.com/lightbulb-selection.

T HE

LOW-DOWN

O N

LEDS

HOW THE NEW INCANDESCENT GUIDELINES A R E I M PAC T I N G R E TA I L ER S

A S O F A U G . 1 , retailers are no longer allowed to sell most incandescent lightbulbs under new energy efficiency rules enacted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Light-emitting diode (LED) lightbulbs will replace the incandescent versions, though many consumers have already been using the LED versions for months or even years.

The Biden administration’s new efficiency standards require lightbulbs to meet a minimum

LED bulbs last up to

25x

longer than incandescent bulbs

standard of producing 45 lumens per watt. Most incandescent bulbs only produce 15 lumens per watt.

The new guidelines are not a complete ban, as several types of lightbulbs are currently allowed to be sold as incandescent, including appliance lamps, black lights, bug lamps, colored lamps, infrared lamps, left-handed thread lamps, plant lights, floodlights, reflector lamps, showcase lamps and marine lamps.

Over the next 30 years, LEDs will cut carbon dioxide emissions by

22M

METRIC TONS

A 10W LED bulb emits as much light as a

60W

INCANDESCENT BULB

Source: Debunking Myths About Phasing Out the Incandescent Lightbulb, U.S. Department of Energy.

Visit the North American Hardware and Paint Association’s Trainer’s Toolbox to download the Lightbulb Selling Guide at YourNHPA.org/trainers-toolbox.

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

Jan. 25-27

2024

See more event details!

For more information, contact us today!

Pat McCutcheon, VP of Sales: 1-800-333-0520 | marketing@househasson.com House-Hasson Hardware Company: Knoxville, TN | www.househasson.com

PRODUCTS

Retailer Recommendations NEW PRODUCTS

Send a note to editorial@YourNHPA.org about products you can’t keep on the shelf. Include your name, your business name and reasons why you love it.

Exterior Painter’s Tape FrogTape High Bond Exterior Painter’s Tape™ is engineered to consistently adhere to difficult surfaces such as self-cleaning paints and rough textures, including stucco, brick and concrete. It is ideal for outdoor projects that require a strong, conformable tape that removes cleanly without shredding. It will adhere to painted wood, aluminum, steel and vinyl, and it features a crepe paper backing.

SHURTAPE TECHNOLOGIES frogtape.com or 800-321-0253

Deck and Siding Stain ExoShield Wood Stain features a new formulation that includes the addition of proprietary polymerized oil resins and the highest amount of UV blockers that can be added while still allowing the formula to stay in suspension. The new resins increase color retention, and joined with the proprietary blend of Tung oil, UV-blockers, fungicide and trans-oxide pigments, offer long-lasting results and superior penetration.

NOVA USA WOOD PRODUCTS novausawood.com or 503-419-6407

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

Reciprocating Saw Blade The Milwaukee Tool WRECKER™ with Nitrus Carbide™ has 6 TPI, ideal for fast cuts in wood, metal and abrasives. The unique carbide blend delivers fast cuts and long life, and its next-generation carbide teeth technology dissipates heat better than non-Nitrus blades. The WRECKER is available in 6-, 9- and 12-inch lengths.

“I like the thickness of the handle and that it doesn’t cramp your hand. I think this paintbrush offers a high level of consistency and holds paint better than other options.”

—Cody Justice, Blue Mist Paint and Flooring

MILWAUKEE TOOL milwaukeetool.com or 800-729-3878

Cordless Blower The Tornado by ZoomBroom is an air-broom that eliminates the noise, heavy equipment and bulky battery packs of traditional blowers.

At only 2 pounds, it stores easily on a wall hanger or floor stand and is cordless with a plug-in charger. The ZoomBroom offers a 2-year warranty and up to 40-minute run time.

ZOOMBROOM | zoombrooms.com

Paintbrush The Wooster Brush Co. Silver Tip brushes have excellent leveling and smoothing properties with all paints, but are especially suited for applying enamels to metal, varnish or polyurethane to wood and lighter or thinner water-based coatings.

THE WOOSTER BRUSH CO. Woosterbrush.com

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

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NEW PRODUCTS

Heavy-Duty Wipes Sellars Absorbent Materials’ WaterWeave T600 is a low-linting and latex-free product that can soak up oil and solvents and clean dirt and grime from surfaces without leaving particles behind.

Since the wipers are contaminant-free, they are a safer alternative to laundered rental shop towels and cloth rags, which studies show contain residual oils, chemicals and metal shavings.

The WaterWeave T600 wipes are available in an interfold pop-up box or jumbo roll.

SELLARS ABSORBENT MATERIALS sellarscompany.com or 800-237-8454

Reusable Barrier The ZipSheet is a ready-to-use, resusable barrier that comes with the option of a built-in door. The panels are available in various sizes and zip together to form a barrier as wide as needed. A ZipSheet barrier is quick and easy to set up using ZipWall poles. The white fabric limits disruptions and provides privacy on both sides of the barrier.

ZIPWALL | zipwall.com or 304-685-2129

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

Pizza Board The Fab Slabs pizza board is 12 inches in diameter and includes a handle. It is 100% Australian-made and naturally and permanently antibacterial, with no glues, joints or chemicals used in production. Crafted from a single solid slab of timber, each board has a unique color, grain and character and is gentle on knives and eco-friendly.

FAB SLABS | fabslabsusa.com 775-782-3000

Hybrid Adhesive Anchoring System MasterEmaco ADH 612 epoxy is a two-component, code compliant and high-performance adhesive anchoring system tested to ACI 355.4 and ICC-ES AC318. The silane-cementitious hybrid formulation is a 3:1 mix ratio by volume, providing outstanding performance with a wide installation temperature range between 5 and 104 F. It will cure fully in 45 minutes at 77 F and withstands freeze-thaw conditions.

MASTER® BUILDERS SOLUTIONS | master-builders-solutions.

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

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PRODUCTS

See More Products NEW PRODUCTS

To stay informed about new innovations and trends, subscribe to the twice monthly Hot Products newsletter at hardwareretailing.com/subscribe.

Crystal Knob The Reserve Contemporary Crystal Knob is a modern, timeless design that serves as an updated take on the traditional crystal knob. The Contemporary Crystal Knob is part of Baldwin’s Reserve™ Portfolio and can be paired with any of Baldwin’s contemporary finishes or rose designs. Each Contemporary Crystal Knob is available in full dummy, half dummy, passage and privacy functions and six finishes: PVD lifetime satin brass, polished chrome, PVD lifetime polished nickel, satin nickel, satin black and Venetian bronze.

BALDWIN® HARDWARE baldwinhardware.com or 800-566-1986

Boost Your Business Efficiency with Software Made Just for You Our integrated software covers you every step of the way: from quote to order to proof of delivery.

If you’re running your business with manual processes, multiple systems, and generic software, you’re missing out on productivity and profits.

Our software is made to help lumber, home, and building suppliers get time back and grow.

L E A R N M O R E AT E C I S O L U T I O N S.C O M/I N D U S T R I E S/ L B M

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

Towel Bar The Dawn Series Towel Bar’s rod portion is composed of robust acrylic material instead of tempered glass, which is easily prone to cracking. Both ends of the bar are made of durable solid brass with a diamond-knurled pattern to add chic, textured details to the space. The bar’s rounded form provides convenience for users by preventing the towel from being stuck on the bar like with square-shaped bars.

DECO & DECO | decondeco.com or 855-876-0846

23_001099_Gloves_CutResistant_HalfHoriz_US Mod: September 22, 2023 10:13 AM Print: 09/22/23 page 1 v2.5

π HARDWORKING GLOVES

NITRILE

PVC DOT KNIT

GRIPTION®

POLYURETHANE COATED

ORDER BY 6 PM FOR SAME DAY SHIPPING

COMPLETE CATALOG

1-800-295-5510

uline.com

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

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NEW PRODUCTS

Seam Buster This double-cutting wallpaper knife is ideal for use on vinyl and fabric wallcoverings. It does not cut into drywall and uses a double-edged blade for clean seams.

ADVANCE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING COMPANY advance-equipment.com

DEWALT® ULTRA-TOUGH DUCT TAPE was designed to tackle the toughest applications. The ultra-strong adhesive will adhere to both smooth and rough surfaces and works in all weather conditions providing ultimate performance to get the job done. Bulk up the supply at the jobsite for bundling, seaming, patching and repairing tasks with a high-performance tape you can count on.

888-898-7834 | itape.com Copyright © 2023 DEWALT and GUARANTEED TOUGH® are registered trademarks of DEWALT Industrial Tool Co., used under license.

All rights reserved. The yellow and black color scheme is a trademark for DEWALT Power Tools and Accessories. Trademark License: Intertape Polymer Group®, Inc., 888-898-7834, www.itape.com. A licensee of DEWALT Industrial Tool Co. www.dewalt.com

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

Flooring Scraper With a 6-inch blade that is ideal for removing carpet, wood flooring, ceramic tile, vinyl and their adhesives, the Bully Tools Floor Bully Flooring Scraper is also useful for scraping off paint from concrete, carpet tack strips and ice from your driveway. It is constructed from 11-gauge 100% steel and has a durable powder coat finish that helps prevent rust and extends the tool’s life.

BULLY TOOLS | bullytools.com

SCAN TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

FIND OUT WHY THEY’RE CALLED MAX USA Corp. • 205 Express St. • Plainview, NY 11803 • U.S.A. • Phone: (800) 223-4293 • www.maxusacorp.com All MAX products are protected by registered patents and design rights including trademarks. For details, please contact MAX.

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

21

MARKETING

Get on Google COVER STORY

Take full advantage of your Google Business Profile to engage with customers. Learn more at hardwareretailing.com/google-business-profile.

Beyond the Basics Improving Your Digital Presence With a Dynamic Website BY

W

L I NDS EY

THOM PS ON

e’ve come a long way since 1991, when the European Organization for Nuclear Research, home of the scientist who came up with the idea for the World Wide Web, launched the first website with text only and rudimentary hyperlinks.

Now, nearly 2 billion websites vie for consumers’ attention.

To gain a piece of the digital market share, a business needs an engaging website that answers customers’ questions and allows them to get to know your brand.

An effective website can also bring customers into your physical store. According to The OptiMine Index: 2022 Media & Performance Trends, an in-depth look at the cross-channel impacts of marketing channels, the in-store conversion rate for websites is 59%. The report found that an operation’s website leads to consumers choosing to shop in-store 30% more than they pick to shop online.

Whether you are launching a website for the first time or looking to make your current one more effective, follow the journey of three retailers who recently revamped their digital strategies by undergoing major website updates.

Learn from their processes and glean best practices to effectively use your website to drive your digital presence.

U.S. digitally influenced in-store retail sales

$3.8 TRILLION

2027 2022

$2.7 TRILLION

Source: 2022 Digital-Influenced Retail Sales Forecast U.S., Forrester

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

MEET ME ONLINE Handyman Hardware’s revamped website provides another way to engage with customers.

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

23

OPERATIONS

Digital Direction No marketing team? No problem. Discover easy-to-implement best practices to elevate your digital reach at hardwareretailing.com/digital-strategies.

COME ON IN Thanks to the new website, Handyman Hardware is able to reach new customers.

Growth Through Evolution

For over five decades, Handyman Hardware has been serving the home improvement needs of customers in the St. Louis, Missouri, area with exceptional customer service, a superb product selection and helpful services. Along with delivering quality products and services, owner Dave Otto recognizes the necessity of a comprehensive online presence as an extension of their in-store presence and customer service.

When the operation’s wholesaler discontinued its e-commerce ship-to-store platform, the leadership team, including Otto and other management-level employees, began rethinking digital strategy and what they hoped to achieve with a digital presence. The company’s priorities around building a digital presence included reaching new customers and giving existing customers a new way to interact with the operation, says director of store operations Jason Fank.

“One of our goals was also to be able to track the effectiveness of any digital marketing we were planning on doing,” Fank says. “The data and analytics we gain from our website, social media and other sources are key to determining whether our strategies are successful.”

Fank oversees the marketing strategies, which are managed by Christine Byrne, who joined in a full-time marketing role in 2013. The store’s IT expert, Walt Thomas, who has been with the company since 1996, has also played a major role getting the new website off the ground.

As leadership got deeper into digital strategies, in 2022 the company’s web developer introduced them to Mountain Mojo Group, a marketing agency based in Flagstaff, Arizona, that specializes in supporting small

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businesses and independent home improvement companies with marketing strategies.

“Hiring a marketing firm has made all the difference; they do all the heavy lifting from content creation to data analytics,” Fank says. “Thanks to their work, we found out our customers want to interact with our brand online—it’s a natural extension of the customer experience we provide in the store.”

A major focus of Handyman Hardware’s digital presence strategy was revamping the website to better reach new customers and connect with existing ones.

“Our stores have deep roots in their communities,” Fank says.

“Telling our story on the site and reinforcing that story in social media posts is essential for us.”

Because we are all inundated with marketing messages every day, customers are looking for authenticity, says Rand Jenkins, founder and director of strategy for Mountain Mojo Group.

“When they get on a website, they want to see photos of people they might see in the aisles of the store,” Jenkins says. “They want to see a company that cares about the community, they want to see local.”

As the core of your company, your culture should also play a major role in developing your digital presence strategy, Jenkins says.

Fank and his team followed Mountain Mojo Group’s suggestions and worked to inject personality and authenticity into the company’s website. Handyman Hardware’s website includes an “About Us” tab at the top of the home page and a link to that page on the home page. The “About Us” page shares the company’s mission, vision and history.

Who to Hire Where to Find Help Building Your Digital Presence Regardless of the size of your operation or your budget, a comprehensive digital strategy, including a website and social media, is possible.

Rand Jenkins, founder and director of strategy for Mountain Mojo Group, a marketing agency that specializes in working with small businesses and hardware stores, offers several options depending on your operation’s annual revenue.

At a minimum, an office administrator, technology savvy sales association or assistant manager who has eight hours a week to spend on digital marketing can be an option.

“That employee can also use that time to build out the job description and strategy in preparation for hiring a full-time employee or an agency,” Jenkins says.

Store revenue of $750,000 to $2 million Jenkins recommends hiring an independent contractor from a freelancing website like Upwork. This individual should have high ratings, at least three years of experience in communications and content creation and the ability to handle eight to 20 hours of work per week.

“For a solid U.S. contractor, you’ll pay $40-$100 an hour, and for an offshore contractor who may or may not be reliable, you’ll pay $5-$25,” Jenkins says. “You’ll also need someone from your team to have a firm understanding of marketing strategy to be the point person for communications and coordination.”

Store revenue of $2 million to $5 million At this level, a full-time equivalent (FTE) can be a good option to lead your marketing efforts. This person is typically in charge of social media and is decent at graphic design and photography, but most importantly understands how to build relationships and connect with people in a genuine way, Jenkins says. Expect to pay a salary of $52,000 to $60,000 with a return on investment goal of 1-2% growth from their efforts.

Store revenue of $5 million to $9 million For larger organizations, an agency can provide the level of marketing strategy and implementation you need to be successful. Jenkins recommends an agency with solid reviews, at least three years of business and a solid understanding of marketing strategy with the ability to create and distribute impactful content.

“Ask them how they report on their work to make sure they’re measuring and sharing with you their results,” he says. “For a group that will move the needle for your stores, you can expect to pay $1,500-$15,000 a month depending on your budget and growth goals.”

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

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NEW FACES Thanks to the website revamp, Chattanooga Paint and Decorating owner Jim Praytor (right) has seen an increase in traffic in both of his stores in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Keeping Google in Mind

“Christine, Walt and I participated in every step of the design of the new site,” Fank says. “Because none of us are experts at website development, we leaned heavily on advice from our partners, but we made all the decisions.”

Having live inventory on the website was another priority because consumers want to know if a store has the exact product they need and if the store has enough in stock, Fank says. To offer live inventory successfully, the operation had to have good SKU data, which it has gathered over the years thanks to Thomas’ efforts. The better the store’s data, the better the search function is on the site, which is critical for customers to easily find what they want to find.

In the end, the website had to deliver a great customer experience, so the site has to be easy to use, Fank says.

The team also wanted to put more focus on services like installation, screen and window repair and the operation’s remodeling partnership with a local construction company in an effort to better serve customers.

“Our website is still too new to determine its impact on the bottom line, but the research I’ve read says that most customers will find the product they need on the website but come into the store to make the purchase,” Fank says.

“So while the website may not pay for itself with online revenue, we expect it to drive footsteps to our stores. So far the number of visits to the site is very promising.”

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When Jim Praytor purchased Chattanooga Paint and Decorating in Hixson, Tennessee, in 2011, the company had a rudimentary website that was built and managed through a major paint manufacturer. A few years into ownership, on the recommendation of another local small business, Praytor hired a local independent contractor to take over the marketing of the company. This contractor built a new website, designed a new logo and started the company on a new trajectory for marketing.

“We did that for about maybe four or five years, and then I met Christi Broom through my office manager,” Praytor says.

Broom had been working for a home design company, managing a marketing budget of over $1 million, and when that company was bought out, she was looking for a new role.

Praytor hired her to take over the marketing strategy, paying her a monthly fee. During the website revamp, she took input from Praytor and other employees to create a comprehensive website that appeals to customers and expands the company’s digital footprint.

“She told us what we needed to do to grow, which was the goal,” Praytor says.

While connecting with customers was important as Broom developed a new strategy for the store’s website, she focused on using the website to improve search results on Google.

In the past, companies only needed a website that shared pertinent information with customers. Now, a website needs to have all the necessary components to meet Google’s search result algorithms.

“Today, a website needs to talk to Google,” Broom says.

“A website needs more content, pictures and other information that maybe the consumer doesn’t need to read, or never will read, in order to show up in search results.”

Broom was able to get Chattanooga Paint’s website Google verified and has been undertaking search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns to boost the website in search results. With the SEM campaigns, the company pays for ads to show up in search results for certain keywords, The company that hosts the Chattanooga Paint website sends an analytic report each month, and Broom is able to see the analytics for Google and the website at any time.

“Thanks to our SEO and SEM campaigns, the stores are able to show up online and be very visible when a consumer searches for the company, its products and services and even competitors in the area,” Brooms says. “Through these campaigns, we are inviting people to visit us online and in the stores and trying to stay top of mind of a consumer.”

As an added benefit, Broom uses the data collected from reports to make creative marketing decisions. She analyzes the data to see if what she has implemented is working and makes changes to get better results. She says that at times, she sees surprising trends from the consumer and uses that

information to improve marketing efforts on the website, social media and beyond.

While having an effective website is key, having that website communicate with Google and pairing it with a direct and strategic marketing campaign takes your efforts to the next level, Broom says.

“It all works together as a complete organism, reaching the consumer where they are, multiple times,” Broom says.

“It’s easy to slip through the online cracks if you don’t have a comprehensive strategy.”

As a paint retailer, Praytor says there are several components every business should include on its website.

Contact information that is easy to find on the first page tops his list of must-haves for a website, and he also thinks photos of your staff and an “About Me” page sharing the history of the operation and its people is crucial to showing authenticity and connecting with customers.

If you don’t offer e-commerce as part of your website, at minimum list the brands you carry.

“A lot of customers search for and are looking for specific brands online, so displaying at least your top brands on your website can help drive traffic to the site and then into your store,” Praytor says. “Just be careful not to overwhelm customers with information, especially on the first page.

Offer a nice basic home page and clarify with easy navigation to click through to other pages and additional information.”

Broom’s digital strategy and new website especially have brought in a lot of new faces, including homeowners and DIYers. The revamped website also helped when Praytor opened a second location in Ooltewah, Tennessee, in 2019.

“Our website is really targeted to new customers, and it’s paid off as we’ve seen an increase in those consumers coming in,” Praytor says. “We’ll get anywhere from three or four to 10 or even 20 new clients a month that we don’t have in our customer database.”

An effective website is just one piece of the digital presence puzzle; Broom says it is important to incorporate social media and take advantage of online platforms like Google Business Profile and Apple Business Connect.

“Google also looks at whether you’re sharing similar content on Facebook and Google My Business as you are on your website,” Broom says. “It is important to create cohesive messaging across all of your online and digital platforms.”

What Customers Want

When James and Megan Coté purchased Osterville Hardware in 2010, the store was in danger of going out of business.

The Cotés poured time, energy and money into revamping the physical store, adjusting merchandising and product assortments and providing a better flow.

They also turned their sights on the store’s digital presence, including delving into social media and making adjustments to the store’s website.

EYE ON IMPROVEMENT Osterville Hardware owner James Coté has focused on building a strong digital presence to complement the store’s physical updates.

“Almost immediately, I set up a Facebook page for the store and started using that to talk about the changes and promote the products we were getting in,” James says.

The process for developing a full digital presence strategy evolved from there, and led to Megan creating a new website using the website hosting and design platform Wix. Using Wix allows the Cotés to personalize the website and simplify the process of managing the site.

The marketing and digital tasks now fall on part-time marketing director Meaghan Didato, who had been a sales associate and expressed interest in running the operation’s social media channels. The Cotés empowered Didato to take on the social media duties, which led to her eventually completing a minor in marketing and taking over all marketing strategy for the store.

“We developed a position for her last year, and she’s been great in that role ever since, which has taken those tasks off our plates and allowed us to focus on other areas of the business more,” James says.

Two to three times a year, Didato reviews the website with the Cotés to ensure it is still effectively communicating the operation’s message and connecting with customers.

While the Cotés don’t use SEO frequently as part of their digital strategy, they do track Google Analytics and have a monthly digital ad budget that has helped drive traffic to the website. They have not gone into full e-commerce, but do offer online shopping through the store’s wholesaler.

“Our website might be simple, but we strive to give customers what they need,” James says. “We think our site achieves that goal.”

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

27

MARKETING

Online Improvements Learn how to make a good impression online and improve your digital customer service at hardwareretailing.com/digital-marketing.

M A R K E T I N G

Digital Cornerstone Define Your Online Strategy BY

M

LI NDS EY

THOM PSON

ore than just a buzzword, omnichannel strategies are driving the future of retail, as the lines between brick-and-mortar and online have blurred and customers expect businesses to meet them where they are. Whether online or in-person, commerce is commerce and retailers need to embrace both.

At Randy’s Hardware, which has four locations in Virginia, Austin Diehl, director of retail operations, calls his operation’s approach to building a digital presence the “hub and spoke” model. The goal of this model is to utilize as many digital platforms as possible to expand the company’s digital reach and drive traffic to the operation’s website, which includes information for all four locations on one website.

The Challenge of Content Creation

Creating content for various channels takes time and effort, so to cut down on both and become more efficient, Diehl says the team has been creating content that can be used as long-form, medium-form, short-form and stand-alone posts on social media.

“This strategy allows us to use the same base content across multiple sites while still reaching our audience in the way that they prefer to consume media,” Diehl says.

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

COME TOGETHER Randy’s Hardware director of retail operations Austin Diehl (right) and CEO Christian Herrick have been spearheading efforts to improve the company’s digital presence through an effective website, social media and videos.

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

29

OPERATIONS

Soft Skills Go Digital See what some of the most important soft skills are when working and interacting in a digital world at YourNHPA.org/digital-soft-skills.

No matter which platform the company disseminates information on, the ultimate goal is to maintain consistent messaging and continuity across all platforms, Diehl says.

To help achieve this goal, Randy’s Hardware has hired a marketing coordinator, Sarah Berry. The operation also partners with a local marketing company that provides guidance and monitors results. Diehl says the marketing team does most of the content creation and application while the agency acts as a marketing advisor. Utilizing the agency as an advisor and creating their own content keeps costs down because Randy’s Hardware doesn’t have to pay for the full agency services.

“There are also many free resources available online, including on the NHPA website for those interested in expanding their knowledge of marketing,” Diehl says.

A Strategy Is Born

Before you can start building a digital presence, you need to begin identifying its customer base and audience demographics. From there, find out what platforms those target audiences use and build the digital marketing plan from there.

Next, Diehl says it’s important to develop a marketing budget and determine if hiring a marketing person is in your budget. According to the North American Hardware and Paint Association’s 2023 Cost of Doing Business Study, typical hardware stores spend about 1.4% of their annual sales on advertising and promotion.

“We have found it is difficult to run the day-to-day operations and create content to use in our marketing plan,” Diehl says. “Just posting on Facebook or Instagram whenever you have time isn’t an effective strategy.

Different types of posts perform differently depending on the time of the day and the day of the week it is posted.”

If a dedicated marketing person isn’t in the budget, Diehl suggests being strategic with carving out time to do it yourself and plan time every week to create content and use the scheduling functions on social platforms to make sure your content is being delivered to your audience at the right time.

“Creating content that can be used across multiple platforms will be a more efficient use of your budgeted time and efforts,” Diehl says. “Keep in mind that the content you’ve created may perform better on one platform versus another. It is important to check in on how your posts are doing using the platform’s analytics tools to identify trends and adjust accordingly. This may seem overwhelming for some, and it did at first for me too, but if you can identify trends in your stores, you can identify trends in marketing.”

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

“Creating content that can be used across multiple platforms will be a more efficient use of your budgeted time and efforts.”

—Austin Diehl, Randy’s Hardware

Being successful digitally is a team effort, so Austin Diehl is grateful for the efforts of his fellow employees.

LOOKING FORWARD Each employee at Randy’s Hardware is dedicated to building the company’s brand and sharing that brand with customers through a dedication to customer service.

The Hub Spokes Work Together

An effective digital strategy will take more than just social media posts or a website; all of the spokes in the hub need to complement one another and work in tandem.

For Randy’s Hardware, the website is the hub of the marketing wheel and the other types of digital marketing are the spokes. Each spoke is a separate advertising channel or marketing platform used to drive additional traffic to the operation’s e-commerce website. Once customers come to the e-commerce website, they have are presented with two buying options: buy online and have the product shipped to them or choose to pick it up in-store.

“When they choose to pick it up at our store, we have the opportunity to showcase our brand of shopping experience,” Diehl says. “We make the process as frictionless as possible in hopes that the customer will buy into our brand and continue shopping with us in the future.”

Diehl says the company’s digital marketing strategy, e-commerce website and in-store experience all have to work together to deliver the Randy’s Hardware brand experience wherever customers engage with the company. The evolution of brick-and-mortar retail necessitates operating in the physical and the digital spaces.

“We are trying to blur the line between brick-and-mortar and online retail,” Diehl says. “Ultimately our goal would be for customers to be able to seamlessly shop however and whenever they want while still receiving our full brand experience.”

Diehl is also exploring going beyond traditional digital hubs, and the team is working with the marketing agency to produce YouTube videos. Right now, the videos are a mix of DIY project ideas, store event highlights and other high points from the stores.

“We want to tell our story and be more than just a place to go buy products,” Diehl says. “We want to build a brand people want to support.”

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

31

PROFILE

Nearby Growth RETAILER PROFILE

See how one retailer expanded his reach with multiple stores in one small town in Georgia at hardwareretailing.com/growth-story.

IN THE

Vicinity Multiple Locations Bring Additional Success BY

W

LI NDSEY

hat others might call saturated, John McKenna calls success. John and his brother Buddy McKenna are the owners of The Paint Shoppes, a five-store operation in the Providence, Rhode Island, area. The state is home to 1 million residents and Providence’s population is just under 200,000 people, but the five store locations have enjoyed big success in a small area.

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

TH OMPSON

McKenna opened the East Providence location nearly four decades ago, in a storefront two blocks from the existing location. From there, the company expanded to open stores in Providence, Johnston, Warwick and West Warwick, Rhode Island.

While the stores overlap some in their customer bases, McKenna says customers appreciate being able to visit one his stores wherever they are in the city.

Mike’s Hardware & Supply photos by Scott Myers | Scott Myers Photography

DESIGNER DIGS The Paint Shoppes’ Providence location features a beautiful design center.

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

33

CATEGORY

Invest in Paint Investing in your paint category situates your operation as the store customers visit to start their renovation project. Learn more at hardwareretailing.com/invest-paint.

“Contractors especially like our multistore model,” McKenna says. “They know they can get the same pricing and level of service no matter which of our locations they visit.”

The close proximity of the stores has also improved the company’s inventory management processes, McKenna says.

If a customer comes into one of The Paint Shoppes’ stores in the morning needing a product and that store doesn’t carry it, an employee can have it sent over from another store and in the customer’s hands by the afternoon.

“We have trucks running all day. Having the stores so close makes it easy to move inventory around,” McKenna says.

The Paint Shoppes works with a mix of retail and professional customers, but a majority of the operation’s audience are residential painters. Rhode Island has seen an influx in new residents thanks to lower home prices compared to the surrounding states, which has driven home sales and brought in additional contractor customers, McKenna says.

On the other side of that coin, the lack of inventory of homes for sale has also led to an increase in demand for residential painters, who are turning to The Paint Shoppes

34 HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

for paint and supplies, as homeowners opt to improve their existing spaces since they can’t move.

“We play in the other arenas—commercial, municipalities, retail—but our bread and butter is residential painters,” McKenna says. “As we’ve discovered from the start, those are the customers paint retailers need to be serving in our area.”

Productivity Meets Fun

McKenna’s parents started in the business in 1946, and he’s been part of The Paint Shoppes for over 45 years.

His brother-in-law Patrick manages the West Warwick location, and McKenna is also grooming his daughter Erica and nephew Nick to take over in the future.

“I don’t have plans to leave anytime soon, but my daughter, nephew and all of our employees know there is a place for them here,” McKenna says. “There’s a future in this business.

And not just here, but with all independents.”

The average length of time an employee spends with The Paint Shoppes is 18 years, and McKenna attributes the company’s fun atmosphere as a contributing factor to long employee retention.

“When employees are having fun, that positivity goes back over the counter to a contractor, and we can build those relationships.”

—John McKenna, The Paint Shoppes “I oversee the whole company, but one of my prime responsibilities is to ensure we have a fun and productive working environment,” McKenna says.

“When employees are having fun, that positivity goes back over the counter to a contractor, and we can build those relationships.”

Employees receive above-average compensation, a 4% 401(k) match and health insurance with minimum co-pays. As part of an independently owned business, employees also have flexibility in their schedules and opportunities to achieve a better life-work balance, McKenna says.

To foster a fun and productive environment even further, McKenna says the leadership team treats employees to occasional lunches and gives a year-end holiday bonus. Employees are the company’s most valuable asset, and McKenna says leadership strives to treat each employee with respect and provide a positive work environment.

“I’ve found a combination of fun and respect is our best formula for retaining employees,” McKenna says.

“I can pay you all the money in the world to work for me, but if I don’t treat you right, and you’re not happy with your job, the money doesn’t mean anything.”

The Paint Shoppes co-owner John McKenna works to create a work environment that is both productive and fun to keep employees engaged.

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

35

Employees at the East Providence location of The Paint Shoppes epoxied the floor of the attached warehouse to show customers a real-life example of how the epoxy looks and holds up to everyday wear and tear.

Surpassing Expectations

Along with high-caliber employees, the operation has found success by going the extra mile for customers, offering educational opportunities, delivery, design services and other conveniences.

The Providence store is located in the historic downtown area and serves a number of customers who are renovating the city’s collection of historic homes.

This location is the largest of the operation’s five stores and boasts a large and beautiful design center, which serves as home base for design and color specialist Jessica Saben.

A self-taught artist, Saben has years of experience creating beautiful color combinations and works with customers to choose the perfect paint or stain color, pick wallpaper or decide on window treatments.

McKenna utilizes the East Providence store’s 2000-square-foot warehouse to stock up on direct buys from his wholesaler and manufacturers. He also uses it to showcase different products the stores sell. His staff has applied several different epoxies the store sells on the warehouse floor.

“We take customers back to the warehouse to show them real-life samples of different epoxies,” McKenna says. “We drive our forklift over the epoxies constantly, which also gives customers a close look at how each type performs.”

The warehouse has also become a training center, with McKenna bringing in different vendors to put on clinics and seminars for contractors.

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

“We drive our forklift over the epoxies constantly, which also gives customers a close look at how each type performs.”

—John McKenna, The Paint Shoppes

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

37

PRODUCTS + SERVICE The Paint Shoppes offers a wide variety of products sold by knowledgeable employees.

Removes

Oil M Dirt FRO Dust Haze Streaks Smudges Grime Static Residue Smears Fingerprints Watermarks

Surfaces

Cleaner & Polish

Kitchen Sinks Cooktops Refrigerators Ovens Grills Ranges Hoods Countertops Faucets Dishwashers Microwaves Trash Cans Indoor/Outdoor Commercial/Residential

• Howard’s gentle, yet effective Stainless Steel Cleaner and Polish leaves no oily residue or harsh chemical smell • Our new rich and creamy formulation instantly cleans, and polishes in one-step • Specially formulated to require less wiping and to leave nothing behind but a beautiful, streak-free shine • Manufactured in the USA

~ Available Through Most Co-Ops and Distributors ~

For Wholesale Pricing Call Howard Products, Inc. 800.266.9545 Or Visit Our Website www.HowardProducts.com

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HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

Another way The Paint Shoppes go above and beyond for customers is through its Color Club. Members receive monthly e-newsletters filled with decor inspiration, trends and color news. They are privy to upcoming sales, new products and special offers and discounts on design services. Additionally, their purchase history—including color and stain formulas—is stored online for easy access the next time they need to reorder.

Growing by Going Digital

The company has been relying on TV advertising for many years, and while it still is an effective way to reach customers, McKenna says he has also been working on building the company’s digital presence.

He has allocated more of his advertising budget to email campaigns, social media and digital ads.

The operation’s website also recently received a makeover, and McKenna is using analytics from the website and the digital campaigns to fine-tune his new advertising strategy.

“TV was, and still is, good for branding and getting our name out in the community,” McKenna says.

“But the benefit of digital is tracking the analytics.”

So far, the emphasis on digital has produced positive results by driving more people to the company’s website, McKenna says.

“So many customers already come into the stores and show you on their phones what they want because they’ve visited Pinterest or other design websites,” he says. “Embracing online will help us serve those customers even better.”

Take Your Next Step Are you expanding your operation or looking for an exit strategy?

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HOME CENTER

FOR SALE

Ask us about valuation as the first step!

List your business for sale on the NHPA Retail Marketplace to reach interested and motivated home improvement retail buyers. Public and private listings are available.

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HOME CENTER

If you are currently looking to expand your business through acquisition, the NHPA Retail Marketplace can connect you with potential sellers in the industry.

Public and private listings are available.

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Find talented, qualified people in the home improvement industry. List your open position on the NHPA Retail Marketplace to find the best personnel fit for your business.

Get started today!

YourNHPA.org/marketplace

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Retail Marketplace 1

HARDWARE RETAILING | July 2021

COMMUNITY

Making Local Connections CATEGORY SPOTLIGHT

Discover how some retailers have forged relationships with local makers to add to their product mix at hardwareretailing.com/local-goods.

Leading With Service 6 Services to Set Your Business Apart BY

M ELANIE

A

MOUL

&

s consumers pinch pennies and competition from big boxes and e-commerce companies gets tougher, the need for independent retailers to differentiate their operations is even more important. One way local operators can become the place to be is to enhance the service side

40 HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

LINDS EY

THO M P S O N

of the business. Hardware Retailing editors have collected these stories from independent home improvement retailers who are leveling up in the service game and offering more to their customers. While some of these services are additions to common hardware categories, others are focused on community.

Stop and Smell—and Buy—the Roses Adding a touch of beauty and providing a well-received service in the area, Hagan Florist & Gifts has been serving the flower needs of Jacksonville, Florida, for two decades. The shop is located next to the Mandarin location of Hagan Ace Hardware, which operates nine locations in Florida.

The shop specializes in creative floral designs for special occasions, including birthdays, funerals and weddings. Director of store operations Jacob Hagan says they opened the floral shop because there was no nearby competition. It also provided an opportunity to offer a fun and unusual niche and draw from a different customer base.

“For many female shoppers, it serves as a nice getaway after completing their task list. Women have also brought their husbands in who shop in the hardware store,” Hagan says.

“Beyond everyday flowers, we’ve used different types of marketing to let customers know about our floral arrangements for prom, weddings, funerals, churches and more.”

Customers can shop in the store, call ahead and pick up their order curbside or take advantage of the shop’s delivery service.

“The niche has brought more sales to the overall store,” Hagan says. “With many DIY customers, the flower shop allows them a joyous shopping experience away from the current task at hand.”

Paying It Forward for Prom

Whitmore Ace Hardware, which has 13 different locations in Illinois, tragically lost beloved employee Melissa Michalowski in a car accident in 2008. To honor and remember Melissa and her friend Crystal Carr, who also died in the accident, the operation started Melissa’s Closet and Crystal’s Jewelry Box. During the organization’s annual event, it outfits high school students with $5 prom dresses and inexpensive accessories, says Whitmore Ace Hardware marketing director Laurie Becker.

“Melissa came to work every day happy to be there, sharing her smile and positive attitude with everyone, and so we wanted to do something in Melissa’s memory,” Becker says. “A number of our employees expressed how expensive prom is and were asking to work more hours to be able to afford it, and the idea for Melissa’s Closet was born.”

The first event brought in 120 dresses and has grown to over 1,900 dresses, tons of accessories, hair and makeup lessons and a scholarship fund. During the event, which takes place in early spring, 80 to 100 volunteers set up the shop and help students choose dresses and pick out jewelry.

To date, the event has dressed over 3,500 students for prom.

Community members and local stores donate dresses, shoes and purses. Students from the local Paul Mitchell School set up a beauty salon to do updos and makeup for free.

“It’s hard to explain what it’s like to experience this day and the joy it brings, not only to the students, but their parents,” Becker says. “This event makes life a little easier by cutting expenses for prom and brings us happiness to celebrate two beautiful girls who we miss greatly.”

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

41

TECHNOLOGY

Expanding Service With QR Codes Learn how the team at Van Well Building Supply maintained customer service despite staffing shortages at hardwareretailing.com/qr-codes-customer-service.

Samples Get an Upgrade In an effort to help customers choose paint colors, Adelaide’s Paint & Decor on St. Simons Island, Georgia, offers paint board samples. Customers can choose any color, including custom match colors, and the staff at Adelaide’s Paint will paint the colors they choose in 1-foot squares on a foam board.

Customers can take the sample boards to the space they’re painting to see how each of the colors will look and compare similar colors to each other.

The most common colors customers choose for the boards are various shades of white, but employees love creating fun color combinations, says sales associate and warehouse manager Kenny Newton.

Going Pro in Plumbing Over the last century, LeVahn Brothers has evolved from a plumbing contracting business into a full-service hardware store with a focus on plumbing repair items. Andy LeVahn took over the business from his father in 2018 and is the fourth generation to own and operate the business.

LeVahn Brothers employs three certified plumbers, who provide plumbing services for commercial and residential customers, including installations and repairs.

“If customers have questions, need a specialty item or want to learn more about plumbing, our business is the place to go,” LeVahn says. “Because we started as a plumbing business and expanded from there, we have the know-how and experience our customers need.”

Certified plumbers have always been a part of the staff since the start of the business in 1923. The current professional plumbers on staff have been with LeVahn Brothers for five to 15 years. The operation employs a plumbing estimator, who meets with customers directly to discuss their projects or repairs and finds the best solution. The estimator also assigns jobs to the plumbers on staff.

Offering certified plumbing services through the store has expanded the category overall and established the business as a reliable source, LeVahn says.

42 HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

“When customers come to our store for a project and it seems complicated or would be better tackled by a professional, we steer them toward our affordable and reliable services to get the job done right,” —Andy LeVahn, LeVahn Brothers “When customers come to our store for a project and it seems complicated or would be better tackled by a professional, we steer them toward our affordable and reliable services to get the job done right,” LeVahn says.

Filling a Community Need After a local power equipment dealership closed in 2014, Gladieux Home Center had the opportunity to go all-in with its outdoor power equipment (OPE) department. The business, located in Oregon, Ohio, had been serving customers’ home improvement needs since 1938 but began its expansion in the OPE category after STIHL approached the owners, Ron Gladieux and Brandon Zieglehofer.

Trent Harp, outdoor power equipment manager, hired three full-time mechanics to work in the store’s maintenance department, each with expertise in repairing equipment from major OPE brands.

Offering a large selection of mowers can make it overwhelming for the customer to choose the right one. To mitigate this challenge, Harp introduced test drives for lawn mowers, allowing customers to learn how the mower feels in their hands, experience its turn radius and test any additional features they may be interested in.

“Allowing our customers to test out the mowers makes them confident in their purchase and boosts their loyalty level,” Harp says. “They also get to see what maintenance services we offer so they have the highest confidence in their purchase.”

Tackling Tax Time To ease the stress that can come during tax season, J-town Hardware and Rental in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, has provided a convenient place for customers to have their taxes done.

For the last three years owner Bradley Carson has given up his office every Saturday from February through May for five hours to allow a local tax accountant to use it as a home base to prepare taxes for customers.

“At times, she has 10 people waiting to have their taxes done, so the service has been a great way to bring new customers into the store,” he says. “It’s been an excellent way to drive traffic, but we also enjoy providing an extra level of service to our customers.”

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

43

SHARE YOUR IDEAS

Engage With Your Customers CHECKOUTS

Have an idea? Send an email to editorial@YourNHPA.org to have your story considered for publication.

Bear Hardware owner Curt Scroggins commissioned a giant flag and bear mural to honor his brother’s memory and other U.S. military veterans.

OPERATIONS

Artwork That Honors B E A R H A R DWA R E ’ S M A S S IVE M U R A L PAYS T R I B UT E TO VE T E R A N S AT BEAR HARDWARE STORE, what started out as a small idea turned into a giant artwork tribute to the owner’s brother and other U.S. veterans.

Owner Curt Scroggins had always wanted to have an American flag painted on the roof of the store in Nashville, Indiana, and thanks to artist Adam Long, that wish came true.

“We met Adam and began talking to him about the project, and the longer we talked, the bigger the project got,” Curt says. “We wanted it to be a big deal and make a statement that shows we are patriotic. It also

44 HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

honors the artistic community we are a part of here in Brown County, Indiana.”

The new flag mural, which covers the store’s 10,200-square-foot roof, includes a painting of a large bear, which pays homage to Curt’s brother. Barry, who went by the nickname Bear, was killed in 1991 when he interrupted a burglary in his home. Curt purchased Cook’s Hardware in 1999 and renamed the store Bear Hardware in memory of his brother.

“Barry served in the U.S. National Guard,” Curt says.

“So the mural is a tribute to him and all U.S. veterans.”

NICHES

Fashion Forward Hardware Stepping outside the normal categories for a hardware store, Alspaugh’s Ace Hardware of The Woodlands in The Woodlands, Texas, features a highly successful gift, jewelry and clothing department.

When owner Dorothy Alspaugh purchased the business in 2012, the gift department was the seventh best performing department in the store. By 2013, it had an official name, Dorothy May’s by Alspaugh’s, and had jumped to the No. 2 selling department, experiencing a 76% increase in sales.

“The dramatic increase was great, but in hindsight, we probably grew too quickly. We had a lot of backstock that led to dead inventory and lots of markdowns,” Alspaugh says. “The way we operate now is much smarter. We know what is and is not selling to avoid tying up space and dollars on the salesfloor.”

Within the department, jewelry, candles and handbags are the top selling products. Alspaugh says she has found success in the department by bringing in product lines that fit a broader range of ages and carrying a variety of items within each product line so there’s a price point for everyone.

“I believe it’s important to have lines that are well-branded and already have an established visual image,” Alspaugh says. “I’m constantly traveling to markets and communicating with our sales reps to stay on top of social trends for all age categories. Whether they are buying a hostess gift or a special occasion gift for a loved one, we want our customers to leave completely satisfied with their purchase.”

Alspaugh’s Ace Hardware owner Dorothy Alspaugh has turned the store’s gift shop into the No. 2 department in the store.

MARKETING

Store Dog Inspires Canine-Themed Section on Website Capturing the hearts of customers near and far, Coconut serves as official store dog and customer greeter for San Diego Hardware in San Diego, and has inspired a canine-themed section on the store’s website. For more than six years, the Samoyed has been a presence at the family-owned business, entertaining guests and asking patrons for pats.

Coconut has gained a loyal following on the San Diego Hardware Instagram account, which led to the creation of Coconut’s Corner on the store’s website. The online shop features pup-approved decorative dog-themed cabinet and drawer hardware, dog collars, pet bowls, dog beach day kits and unique dog toys.

“Everyone loves Coconut. She’s practically the store mascot,” says Hannah Haynsworth, San Diego Hardware manager and Coconut’s owner. “She’s bringing in many new shoppers and families from our community who want to meet her and shake her paw.”

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

45

NETWORK

This index is provided for the convenience of our advertisers and readers.

The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

Make a Plan Visit YourNHPA.org/cal to find more industry events online.

CALENDAR

Do it Best ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5 doitbestonline.com/raks ECI Software Solutions .................................................................................................................................. 18 ecisolutions.com/industries/lbm Everest Ice and Water Systems ........................................................................................................... 36 everesticeandwater.com House-Hasson .........................................................................................................................................................13 househasson.com Howard Products ............................................................................................................................................... 38 howardproducts.com

7-10

TUE-FRI

13-16

MON-THU

Intertape Polymer Corp. .............................................................................................................................. 20 itape.com

NHPA Retail Management Certification Program – Visit 3

Max USA Corp. ........................................................................................................................................................21 maxusacorp.com

INDIANAPOLIS, IN

Midwest Fastener Corp. .........................................................................................................................IFC-1 constructionscrews.com

ISSA Show North America

NHPA Foundations of Retail ..................................................................................................................BC YourNHPA.org/foundations

LAS VEGAS, NV

NHPA Retail Marketplace ............................................................................................................................ 9, 39 YourNHPA.org/marketplace

25-27

THU-SAT

Orgill Inc. .........................................................................................................................................................48-IBC orgill.com

House-Hasson Winter Market

Paladin Data Corp. ............................................................................................................................................... 7 paladinpointofsale.com

NASHVILLE, TN

Uline .................................................................................................................................................................................. 19 uline.com

Events are current as ofMagazine press day.

Hardware Retailing

2 9 8 9

9/14/2023

2 9 8 9

To add your event to the industry calendar, Monthly 12 send an email to editorial@YourNHPA.org.

1025 E 54th Street Indianapolis, IN 46220

$50.00

Woodland ................................................................................................................................................................... 37 pinecar.com

Austin Vance 317-275-9400

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only) 1. Publication Title

2. Publication Number

Hardware Retailing Magazine

0 8 8 9 _ 2 9 8 9 9/14/2023

4. Issue Frequency

5. Number of Issues Published Annually

Monthly

12

6. Annual Subscription Price (if any)

$50.00

7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not printer) (Street, city, county, state, and ZIP+4 ®)

Contact Person

1025 E 54th Street Indianapolis, IN 46220

Telephone (Include area code)

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not printer)

13. Publication Title

3. Filing Date

a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541.

(Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing, and Internet (1) requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.)

Austin Vance

317-275-9400

1025 E 54th Street Indianapolis, IN 46220 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor (Do not leave blank) Publisher (Name and complete mailing address)

b. Legitimate Paid and/or In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541.

Requested (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing, and Internet Distribution (2) requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, (By mail employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.) and outside Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter the mail) (3) Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS®

Dan Tratensek, 1025 E 54th Street Indianapolis, IN 46220 Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

(4)

Managing Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

Melanie Moul, 1025 E 54th Street Indianapolis, IN 46220 10. Owner (Do not leave blank. If the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give the names and addresses of the individual owners. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, give its name and address as well as those of each individual owner. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address.)

Complete Mailing Address Full Name

d. Nonrequested (2) Distribution (By mail and outside the mail) (3)

1025 E 54th Street Indianapolis, IN 46220

�

Full Name

Complete Mailing Address

September 2023 Average No. Copies No. Copies of Single Each Issue During Issue Published Preceding 12 Months Nearest to Filing Date

34,690

32,271

20,960

19,867

1,446

1,302

Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include sample copies, requests over 3 years old, requests induced by a premium, bulk sales and requests including association requests, names obtained from business directories, lists, and other sources)

22,406

21,169

11,541

10,573

In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include sample copies, requests over 3 years old, requests induced by a premium, bulk sales and requests including association requests, names obtained from business directories, lists, and other sources) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail (e.g., First-Class Mail, nonrequestor copies mailed in excess of 10% limit mailed at Standard Mail ® or Package Services rates)

278

235

e.

Total Nonrequested Distribution [Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4)]

11,819

10,808

34,225

31,977

(4)

11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities. If none, check box.

None

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below

Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g., First-Class Mail®)

c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4))

(1)

North American Hardware and Paint Assn

Hardware Retailing

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation

Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include pickup stands, trade shows, showrooms, and other sources)

f.

Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and e)

g.

Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4, (page #3))

h.

Total (Sum of 15f and g)

i.

Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by 15f times 100)

465

294

34,690

32,271

65.5%

66.2%

* If you are claiming electronic copies, go to line 16 on page 3. If you are not claiming electronic copies, skip to line 17 on page 3.

12. Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates) (Check one) The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes:

� Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months

Has Changed During Preceding 12 Months (Publisher must submit explanation of change with this statement.)

PS Form 3526-R, July 2014 [Page 1 of 4 (See instructions page 4)] PSN: 7530-09-000-8855

PRIVACY NOTICE: See our privacy policy on www.usps.com.

46 HARDWARE RETAILING | November 2023

PS Form 3526-R, July 2014 (Page 2 of 4)

OPERATIONS

Digital Refresh If your website includes any of these five red flags, it’s time for an update. Learn more at hardwareretailing.com/website-refresh.

LAST WORD

10

MARKETING

Elements t0 Make Your Website Shine

A S Y O U L O O K to create a comprehensive digital presence for your operation, your website is a key aspect. But to be effective, your website needs to have several important components. Discover these must-have website elements below, and turn to Page 22 to learn why a website is crucial for connecting with customers and compliments and enhances your brick-and-mortar physical location.

1 2 3 4

Easy-to-read font High-quality photos 1 1

Optimized for mobile Easy-to-understand call to action

5

Effortless navigation

6

Testimonials

7

“About Us” page

8

Search bar

9

Contact information

10

Social media icons and links

E

E HER

2

5 8

EBSIT UR W

YO

3 6

9

4 7 10

Sources: 8 Must-Have Elements for Your Franchise Brand or Business Website, Entrepreneur and What Consumers Want to See on Company Websites, Hubspot

November 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

47

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