Hardware Connection March 2023

THE INDUSTRY’S DIGITAL LEADER

How to Revitalize & Reinvent Business with C/I Sales

ALSO INSIDE: Learning to Navigate Google Advertising Hand and Power Tool Trends

The Orgill Advantage:

Many

One of

Bryan Gilbert 19 years with Orgill Texas Rep

One of Many Scott Rizzoto 21 years with Orgill Northeast Rep

We have an aggressive growth strategy, and Do it Best makes

LET’S GET GROWING

Our merchandising and LBM expertise, retail insights, store design, and growth-driven mindset have propelled member-owner Ryan Ringer’s family business into an eight-location powerhouse.

Join a company that’s committed to taking your business as far as you can dream it.

Read about Ryan’s success story at doitbestonline.com/GoldBeach.

Publisher/Principal: Craig Cope craig@thehardwareconnection.com 804-690-0666

Editor/Founder/Principal: Chris Jensen chris@thehardwareconnection.com 317-514-8864

Marketing & Creative Director/Principal: Dan Akers dan@thehardwareconnection.com 317-797-6609

Senior Editor: Doug Donaldson doug@thehardwareconnection.com 646-508-7904

Founder/Principal: Tom Chasteen tom@thehardwareconnection.com 305-852-6126

Senior Business Advisor: John Hammond jhammond@thehardwareconnection.com

National Account Manager: Dan Beck dbeck@thehardwareconnection.com 518-852-9624

Contributing Writers: Gary Pittsford, Craig Webb

Service counts and knowledgeable dealers are part of the STIHL difference. With 95,000 online reviews and counting, STIHL Dealers have an average 4.8 star rating and customers overwhelmingly say they would recommend their dealer to others. Thank you for your dedication and the essential services you provide your community. Together, we are STIHL Strong.

“The staff was helpful in assuring I got the best product to meet my needs.”

— Barry

By Chris Jensen

Amazon Remains Intent on Disrupting Our Industry

First it was the Sears & Roebuck catalog business that was going to put independent hardware retailers out of business. Then it was Kmart and Walmart and the mass merchandisers, then it was the warehouse home centers who would make other retailers obsolete. Now it’s Amazon that is the big bad wolf blowing down everyone’s house.

Amazon is definitely a disruptor, but they have also created an awareness about ecommerce business that independent retailers can capitalize on. Grant Morrow, Orgill’s program director, retail technology and ecommerce, gave a presentation at Orgill’s spring market on “5 Ways Amazon Will Continue to Disrupt our Industry.”

Amazon built its own technology and tools and became one of the first ecommerce sites when launched in 1994. “Your margin is my opportunity,” is the oft-cited quote from Jeff Bezos to his suppliers a decade ago, and Amazon’s founder got to work proving his point.

1. Amazon Under Pressure—Amazon missed its earnings in 2022 and cut 18,000 jobs, putting pressure on its Amazon Web Services (AWS) division to bail out retail. “Amazon will leverage everything at its disposal to return retail to profitability,” Morrow said. “Their weakness is figuring out brick and mortar.”

2. Buy with Prime—“They are stretching Prime off Amazon.com and onto other sites,” Morrow pointed out. “You can add Prime to your website, but that will give them all your data.”

3. Selling excess distribution capacity—”Amazon delivers more than one-fifth of the packages in the U.S.— they’re bigger than Fed Ex,” Morrow noted. “Storage fees are going to become an auction to highest bidder for sellers to buy the space.”

4. Amazon ads are a co-op dollar drain—”Amazon now controls 13 percent of advertising online. They are a major co-op dollar drain,” according to Morrow.

5. Disruptors (distractions)—”They are closing all the Amazon Fresh, Amazon Go and Amazon Book units, while the Prime air drone test was nothing but a distraction. They just wanted to get their competitors to spend money in these areas,” Morrow said.

Independent retailers should not cower in fear at Amazon’s power. Instead, they should get to work developing a local ecommerce solution for their customers. Turn to page 29 for our special section on ecommerce and learn from three experts on how to beat Amazon at their own game. n

By Craig Cope

Artificial Intelligence Offers Applications for Retailers

In last month’s Trend Watch, I explored the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in part one of a two-part series. The article even featured an AI-written section about AI—click here to read it. I must admit the original idea was not my own, but what I consider to be one of the most critical steps in showing the world the power of AI.

If you are unfamiliar with the story of Almira Osmanovic Thunström, she’s a doctoral researcher at Gothenburg University, who used OpenAI’s algorithm to write an academic paper about itself and then tried to have it published. She typed into GPT-3 simple instructions: “Write an academic thesis in 500 words about GPT-3 and add scientific references and citations inside the text.” She then described her experience in Scientific American: “As it started to generate text, I stood in awe. Here was novel content written in academic language, with references cited in the right places and relation to the right context.”

While the experiment generated a host of legal and ethical questions, it also provided a glimpse into the

future of AI’s potential impact on the labor market. What other industries are ripe for disruption if AI could supplement or potentially replace a professional researcher? My answer is virtually all, and the idea of governments providing “universal basic income” to their citizens is a real possibility. So much so, Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang made it a focal point of his campaign in 2019. While no one knows what the future holds for AI, I think it’s safe to say the technology will be used for generations to come.

The question for our industry is how can independent hardware retailers take advantage of this technology right now? Below are a few real applications of how AI can be implemented in your store with minimal financial investment and limited technical experience.

• AI-written social media posts, web content or email correspondence. Writing content can be extremely time-consuming and, if done poorly, ineffective. While I cannot recommend one service over another, I have experience

utilizing ChatGPT and Rytr when researching for this article. Some platforms can customize the message for the proper medium (social, web, email, etc.) and aid in keyword inclusion for search engine optimization. Many of the services offer a free trial period that you can use to choose the one that best fits your needs.

• Adding a chatbot to your website to aid with customer service. A web chatbot uses natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to understand and interpret users’ inquiries and provides 24/7 access for customers to ask common questions. Chatbots can handle repetitive inquiries like product availability, pricing and store hours. A chatbot can handle order detail inquiries if your store’s website features online ordering. Lastly, chatbots can collect customer data and feedback, providing insights that improve the store’s products, services and customer experience.

• Utilizing AI for human resources-related tasks, including hiring and training employees. AI can streamline recruitment by automating repetitive tasks, such as screening resumes and scheduling interviews. It can also use

A WEB CHATBOT USES NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING (NLP) ALGORITHMS TO UNDERSTAND AND INTERPRET USERS’ INQUIRIES AND PROVIDES 24/7 ACCESS FOR CUSTOMERS TO ASK COMMON QUESTIONS.

data to identify the most qualified candidates. AI can even help train and develop employees more efficiently by providing personalized learning experiences. For example, AI algorithms can analyze employee performance data to identify knowledge gaps and recommend training modules. This is by no means a complete list of how AI can help independent hardware retailers right now, but a starting point to consider using this still-developing technology. What the future holds is anyone’s guess, but what is clear is that consumer expectations will continue to increase, employees will be more expensive and we all must “do more with less.” n

HARDWARE HUMOR

Welcome to The Hardware Connection Century Club!

The Hardware Connection Century Club, sponsored by Intermatic Inc., recognizes “The Innovators and Survivors Who Helped Build America.” Our Century Club currently includes 749 hardware and LBM retailers, 16 wholesalers and 188 manufacturers that were founded in the United States of America and remain in business after 100 or more years.

You can find the complete list of Century Club members including old store photos and links to company history by clicking here. We congratulate the following 25 retailers who have been added to The Hardware Connection Century Club this year:

Allers Lumber Company, Lindenhurst, NY—1923

Anawalt Lumber & Hardware, Los Angeles, CA—1923

Andrews Ace Hardware, Citronelle, AL—1923

Arlington Coal and Lumber, Arlington, MA—1923

Bivens Hardware, Pickens, SC—1923

Canaan Hardware and Supply, Canaan, NH—1923

Caribou Jack’s Trading Company, Soda Springs, ID— 1903

Christensen Lumber Company (now part of Kodiak Building Partners), Fremont, NE—1923

Davis-Hawn Lumber, Dallas, TX—1923

Gasser Hardware & Farm Supply, Boscobel, WI—1923

Gerretsen Building Supply (div. of TAL Holdings), Roseburg, OR—1923

Heuser Hardware, Jeffersonville, IN—1923

Jim’s Point Marion Hardware, Point Marion, PA—1903

LeVahn Brothers Plumbing and Hardware Hank, Maple Grove, MN—1923

Liberty Lumber Yard, New Orleans, LA—1923

Markel Lumber Company, New Orleans, LA—1923

McDougald’s, Clarkton, NC—1917

Mt. Pleasant Hardware, Providence, RI—1923

Nitterhouse Masonry & Hardware Supply, Chambersburg, PA—1923

Olson’s Ace Hardware (formerly Dressel’s Hardware), Oak Park, IL—1923

Prince Lumber, Newark, NJ—1923

Schneider Hardware, West Orange, NJ--1923

Shattuck Heights Hardware (formerly Wanamaker Hardware), Arlington, MA—1923

Shelly’s Building Supply (now part of US LBM), Telford, PA—1923

Smith Lumber Company, Valley City, ND—1923

SPONSORED BY

HARDWARE

Everyone in the store, including me, says we work for Charlie, my terrier. Charlie is more popular than anyone else. Customers bring their dogs in to meet Charlie. Customers bring Charlie snacks, which is why he’s starting to get some butt cheeks on him that he didn’t have before. A little while ago, I took Charlie to the bank with me to make a deposit. He was a little sluggish that day. So, a few days later, the lady from the bank calls. Just to check on Charlie. Not to talk business or say hello to me. Just Charlie. I guess we do work for him if he’s that important to the bank.

HUMOR HARDWARE STORIES butAmazing TRUE

Probably the funniest thing is the store space itself, with about 950 square feet. We’ve been here at this size for 53 years, and we’re almost 100 years old. We opened in 1925.

Charlie Delaney Swarthmore Hardware Swarthmore, Pa.

Brant Cornelison Brain Lumber Springfield, Ohio

Hardware has its own language. If you work in a hardware store, you have to understand hardware language. When a guest comes in and asks for “the thingamajig that goes in the whatchamacallit,” you understand it. We get that quite a bit. So, when I train new employees, I explain that they will learn hardware language. Kent Bamber Kabat’s Handy’s Ace Hardware Mesa, Ariz.

One day a customer comes in asking for help with his shower tub. He’s dripping wet and describes what’s wrong, and we get him a handle and stem to replace the bad one. About a half hour later, he comes back even more soaked, a knot the size of a golf ball on his head with a little blood trickling down his temple. He told us that the stem shot out and hit him on the head, and that there was now water shooting across the bathroom. We men- tioned that he should shut off the water and talked him through the repair so he could fix it before his wife got home. David Billman Clinton Do it Best Hardware Clinton, Md.

How’s

Business?

MIDWEST

Sales and customer counts in 2022 and how is 2023 so far?

Extremely consistent with last year. There’s not been a major uptick or any downturn the other way. We’re a little bit of an outlier because we are converting to Ace. But we have a loyal customer base and haven’t had a lot of adverse weather.

Unique things about your business? We do cutting and pipe threading. We’re also more than 100 years old, a member of the Century Club.

New initiatives planned for 2023? Right now, we’re 100 percent concentrated on the conversion. By converting to Ace we have access to more state-of-the-art technology and have a wider breadth of products available to us. I kept having customers come in wanting specific products and we couldn’t get it, so the move over to Ace made sense.

Strongest niche categories?

Paint and plumbing. We have anything plumbers or homeowners would need, from stainless, brass,

Guy Gullander is proud of his family business’ long heritage, with Gullander’s Hardware dating back to 1894.

compression and galvanized to PEX. We also do a lot of agriculture-related hardware and fasteners.

Are you doing anything with ecommerce yet? Yes, we are adding ecommerce through the Ace website. It’s new to us. We’ve only been able to do that for about a month or so. So far, it’s working well.

Guy Gullander

Gullander’s Ace Hardware Hallock, Minn.

NORTHEAST

Sales and customer counts in 2022 and how is 2023 so far? So far, so good this year. We’re slightly up in sales and slightly down in customer counts.

Benjamin Moore paint is a top seller at Cameron’s Ace.

Unique things about your business? Customer service. We have good people who have been with us for a long time. We’re in a small, rural community where everybody knows everybody else. So, customer service is really needed.

New initiatives planned for 2023? Not a whole lot right now. We’re looking to consolidate our service division. Because we have such a big assortment of plumbing and electrical, we have a division that provides plumbing and electrical services. We have 14 trucks. We sell the stuff, so we figured why not service it as well. Strongest niche categories?

Our paint department with Benjamin Moore does well. We also have a rental division. It’s not big, commercial equipment but geared more toward homeowners.

Are you doing anything with ecommerce yet? We do a little. For ecommerce, I think that depends on the community you’re in. This community doesn’t lean toward ecommerce. We started 50 years ago as a mushroom house with some hardware. We’ve come a long way and still have some old timers around who remember our start.

Angie Lobb

Cameron’s Ace Hardware Oxford, Pa.

SOUTH

Sales and customer counts in 2022 and how is 2023 so far?

Since 2020, business has been insane, more than we could handle. During 2022, we still were not getting in some merchandise. We’ve been in business 45 years, and last year, we broke $1 million in annual sales for the first time. That’s a big deal for us, because we’re kind of laid back.

Unique things about your business? The longevity of it. We get to know customers pretty well. We know their families and have a personal touch of helpfulness, too. I’ve had older customers who don’t have the internet ask for something that we don’t stock. I’ll go on Amazon and order it for them and even deliver it.

Ginny Williams is currently the owner of Gil’s Ace Hardware, which was started by her father, Gil Olerud.

How’s Business?

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New initiatives planned for 2023? The store is about to be purchased by another Ace dealer. The new owner is going to make the store bigger and start offering STIHL products. I didn’t have space. The new owner will add about 2,500 square feet to the store.

Strongest niche categories? Birdseed. Even when prices increased, people came in and bought birdseed. I buy 20-pound bags of birdseed by the pallet. I’m just amazed at the sales. We have 16 feet and an endcap devoted to birdseed. Another thing people seem to come to us for is mole traps and poison. I have every kind of mole trap and poison.

Are you doing anything with ecommerce yet? We depend on Ace, and we have a great website that Ace manages along with the system for online ordering. We get three or four online orders a week. We’re finding that more people are ordering online. Because of that demand, Ace has increased the deliveries. In addition to our Tuesday truck, we get one on Friday and they have the ability to ship special orders. It’s all because people want it now. This quick delivery is also helpful with our commercial and industrial customers, too.

Ginny Williams

SOUTHWEST

Sales and customer counts in 2022 and how is 2023 so far? Customer counts were a little off in 2022 because of the news of the recession and customers getting anxious with the economy. That seems settled now. Customer counts are coming back, and we have had a good start in 2023. The recession has not hurt people the way that was expected. But there is a difference between the two stores. The store in Littleton, Colorado, had no drop.

Unique things about your business? What sets us apart from the

We are excited to announce that we have just updated our truck fleet with new trucks, trailers, and graphics to reflect our company’s updated logo. Our trucks now feature a modern, sleek logo and design that will help us stand out on the road. We are confident that this new look will help us make a great impression on existing and potential customers.

big boxes is being that helpful place for customers. People are upgrading homes and we are helping with their projects.

Columbine Ace’s strongest niche category is the Backyard & BBQ area.

Pictured: Sloan’s Hardware employees and our driver.

Our professional group of drivers is committed to providing the highest level of service and safety for all of our customers. We understand that driving is a major responsibility; and we take it very seriously. Our drivers are experienced, courteous, and attentive to detail. Our drivers are highly-skilled professionals, and they consistently go above and beyond. We are proud to have such a fantastic team of drivers! We are dedicated to providing a safe and reliable experience for our all of our dealers.

We understand that on-time delivery is important to you, and we take pride in our commitment to meeting our customers’ needs. We strive to ensure that all orders are picked, packaged, and delivered promptly with care. If you have any issues with your order, please don’t hesitate to contact us, and we’ll do our very best to resolve them quickly. We aim to do our best with all aspects of our business to ensure dealer profitability. Thank you for trusting House-Hasson for all your hardware and supply needs!

How’s Business?

Sheenam Bhatia operates Ace Hardware Saddle Rock and Columbine Ace Hardware in Colorado.

There have been so many comments from customers who are thankful that they came to us. The expertise of our

staff has kept the customer count flowing in the stores.

New initiatives planned for 2023? We really want to up our game on customer service and DIY products that are customer friendly. We want to have more training for employees. As the labor situation settles in, we’re better able to train employees. We’re aggressively upping our game with grilling and grilling accessories, especially among the Big Green Egg and Traeger grilling accessories.

Strongest niche categories?

Grilling, barbecue and outdoor living. We’re also known for our big selection

of nuts and bolts. We frequently hear from customers about how good our nut and bolt selection is. Are you doing anything with ecommerce yet? Ace has come a long way, and we’ve seen a lot of growth in ecommerce during the COVID years. Our goal is to get back to customers within 15 minutes of placing an order. It helps that Ace has a local warehouse in Colorado Springs, so they can ship us products pretty quickly.

Sheenam Bhatia

Columbine Ace Hardware and Ace

Hardware Saddle Rock Littleton and Aurora, Colo.

WEST

Sales and customer counts in 2022 and how is 2023 so far? In 2022, sales were fairly strong, even though we had a horrible December and I’m not sure what to attribute that to. In January 2023, we had a huge rainstorm and were very proactive at securing merchandise. We’re still up for the year, mainly because of the strong January but February has been a little bit soft. It’s been because of the weather and the economy. We’re having extremely cold weather with the first winter storm warning in

SIKAFLEX INSULATION SEALANT/ADHESIVE

How’s Business?

Bill Wygal and his family are celebrating the 75th anniversary of Bill’s Ace Hardware in Martinez, Calif.

decades where we’re getting snow as low as 1,000 feet in the San Francisco Bay area. We’re expecting spring to be really solid, because there’s still a housing shortage. People are fixing their homes and cleaning up their yards rather than traveling.

Unique things about your business? We’re celebrating our 75th year and my daughter has been working in the business for two years, so we’re going into our fourth generation. Our most unique thing is relentlessly taking care of customers. We never let up on customer service. It shows that in times of a struggling economy our business holds up well.

New initiatives planned for 2023? The biggest initiative for 2023 is to stop touching merchandise. We get deliveries from Ace three days a week, and we seem to continually put the same item away three times a week. We have re-order lines set to $3 minimum and have many minmax order points along with project minimum order points, but with labor costs as much as they are we want to minimize that so we only have to

Bill’s Ace Truckbox and Accessory Center was opened in 1981 when the Wygal family turned a growing product area into a standalone onestop shop.

touch merchandise once a week, ideally once a month. We can’t raise prices much further, so we have to control costs and that’s one way to control labor costs.

Strongest niche categories? We’re not a big niche business. A niche is only as good as the person in charge of it. You can have the greatest niche for five or 10 years until that guy retires. We’re big on core hardware. Part of our business is job site storage equipment and truck boxes. We handle outfitting for municipalities, school districts and freeway building companies. We’re the largest in-stock dealer for Knaack® and Weather Guard® tool boxes on the West Coast.

Are you doing anything with ecommerce yet? No ecommerce. We’re trying to fulfill the Ace promise, but we are not implementing any ecommerce.

Bill Wygal

Bill’s Ace Hardware Martinez and Concord, Calif.

HARDWARE PRODUCTS REVIEW ShopTalk

PRODUCT #1: HEAVY DUTY APPLIANCE MOVER

AIRSLED

When was the last time you were at a hardware show, walking the aisles, and a product stopped you in your tracks? While all shows feature new products, many are product improvements, new features or niche applications. Then I saw Airsled’s Heavy Duty Appliance Mover in action. For me, this was indeed a “new product” and quickly solved a common household issue.

The Airsled Heavy Duty Appliance Mover is designed to make moving heavy appliances or furniture—such as refrigerators, washers/dryers, cabinets, and fitness equipment—significantly easier. It consists of two air beams made from high-grade U.S. aluminum attached to a 4HP/120v blower.

The movers use air pressure to lift the object off the ground, allowing it to glide smoothly and effortlessly across various surfaces, including hardwood, tile and carpet. The product is capable of handling weights

By Craig Cope

up to 950 lbs. Click here to see the Airsled move a 48” G.E. Monogram range from start to finish.

The Airsled is a versatile product serving multiple markets, including professionals, homeowners and rental. Professional appliance technicians and moving companies can use it to move heavy appliances and furniture more efficiently and safely

ShopTalk

without the fear of damaging the customers’ floors.

Moving heavy equipment or parts could also benefit an active DIYer/hobbyist with their shop. However, the rental market seems the most logical for independent hardware retailers.

Based on the product’s uniqueness, we supplied our sample to a local appliance retailer offering on-site repair services. The owner tested the product on various appliances both on-site and in customers’ homes. While already accustomed to moving appliances around the store, our tester reported the product

is a “game-changer” in customers’ homes. The fear of damaging the customer’s home or appliance is virtually eliminated with the Airsled Heavy Duty Appliance Mover.

If your store offers rental, look at the Airsled for contractors with a kitchen remodel project or homeowners rearranging the house.

Duracell AA/AAA Coppertop batteries with POWER BOOST™ Ingredients deliver dependable power FORMULATED WITH

PRODUCT #2: MM572W SMART GATE

OPENER

MIGHTY MULE

“Good fences make good neigh bors” is a line that appeared in a Robert Frost poem from 1914, “Mending Wall,” and for many of us, it still holds true today. In fact, the U.S. fencing market is estimated to be $8.2 billion, with a 5 percent annual growth rate expected from 2022 to 2030. The growth is driven by residential housing, industrial and agriculture markets.

ShopTalk

HARDWARE PRODUCTS REVIEW

The Mighty Mule MM572W Smart Gate Opener is an automatic gate opener designed for residential use. It can open and close gates weighing up to 850 pounds and measuring up to 18 feet in length. The MM572W is equipped with various advanced features, making it a popular choice for homeowners who want to automate their gates.

One of the standout features of the MM572W is its smart capabilities. It can be controlled using a smartphone app, allowing the user to open and close the gate remotely. The app also provides alerts and notifications, informing the homeowner when the gate opens or closes. It has adjustable automatic closing times and a builtin sensor that stops the gate from

closing if it detects an obstruction. Additionally, it comes with a backup battery that can provide power in case of a power outage. Click here to view a company video.

We supplied our sample to a DIY property owner for their opinion on the product and the installation process. The MM572W has detailed instructions, but our tester preferred the company’s robust online how-tovideos. Mighty Mule also supplies 24-hour technical support for those who need additional help.

If your store offers fencing-related products, the Mighty Mule MM572W Smart Gate Opener is an excellent addition, and with the company’s robust support, you know your customers are covered. n

THE PRACTICAL WEBSITE STRATEGY THAT WINS MORE LOCAL CUSTOMERS

By Keegan Edwards

There’s no better feeling than seeing a new customer walk through your door. They may duck into an aisle or stop to ask an associate for help. They may pick up a few things or leave the store with a large order. They might be a new millennial homeowner or someone who just took up gardening. It could be someone starting a home project, or they might have just acquired a new pet. No matter how they start buying from you, one thing is certain. Once a local person experiences the satisfaction of buying from a local hardware store, you likely just captured a customer for life.

So, how do you create this experience more often? What gets today’s customers through the door of a local hardware store for the first time?

It’s no secret that a quality business website is one of your most effective advertising tools. But what makes a website great? And is one practically within reach of a local hardware store?

THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY

Before discussing websites, let’s talk about the customer buying process. When the average person is thinking of buying something, it begins with a Google search that looks something like this, “DeWalt Tools near me,” “Weber Grills near me” or “plumbing supplies near me.”

Next, Google presents your potential customer with a range of options. The consumer sees ecommerce stores, bigbox stores and, hopefully, local independent hardware store options.

Your potential customer checks each store’s website to see what they charge

SPECIAL SECTION: ECOMMERCE

for the product of interest and whether it is in stock. They may read your reviews, check your hours or click on directions to see how far away the store is from their home.

Finally, that potential customer decides which store to drive to or whether they should order online and have the product shipped to their home. With a few practical strategies, your website can win these customers for your business.

LOCAL SEO

Google doesn’t rank your website by default. Many local hardware stores are surprised to learn that when customers search for what they sell, their business doesn’t appear. This leaves them vulnerable to losing customers to big-box stores and ecommerce websites that are just a click away.

Growing your Google rankings for the products you sell is a technical process, but it effectively captures new customers. This work is called local SEO, which stands for local Search Engine Optimization.

Part one of the practical website strategy that wins local customers is to have ongoing local SEO work done on your website. This ensures that people find your business when they search for what you sell.

If you would like to know how your business currently ranks for product searches in Google, contact New Media

Retailer and we’ll send you a FREE Local SEO report.

PRODUCTS, PRICES AND INVENTORY ONLINE

The next step is simple. Customers don’t drive to the store before they know if you are selling what they want. Instead, customers look on your website to see what products you carry and then drive to the store to buy those products. If they can’t find up-to-date product information on your website, they take their business to a store that will show them.

The solution is straightforward. Connect your point-of-sale system to your website so that whatever you have on your shelves is represented on your website. The good news is that accomplishing this step will also help improve your local SEO.

These strategies are mutually reinforcing.

FILL OUT YOUR WEBSITE

Many consumers research online and buy offline. This behavior happens so often that it has an acronym: ROBO. It describes the constant behavior of gathering information online before deciding where and when to buy something.

Do you do this too? How do you find more information when you want to buy something new? You may realize that you often spend time Googling and looking up information on websites.

If your hardware store’s website doesn’t have quality pages about your services, products, departments, history and blog, customers go elsewhere to find the information they need. When they go elsewhere for information, they also go elsewhere to buy.

However, when your website is full of information, it attracts more Google searches and consumers alike.

THE PRACTICAL APPROACH TO ATTRACT MORE LOCAL CUSTOMERS

We all appreciate our customers, and there is a certain thrill to watching your business grow. Each new face that walks through the door is a relationship that can last a lifetime. Your local hardware store deserves more of these moments.

A website is a fantastic tool for driving growth. This is best accomplished when your website ranks high in Google for what you sell, showcases your product information and is full of pages about what your business does.

Implementing this website strategy is easy when you have the right website company partner.

Your website should attract more customers for your business. If it’s not where it could be, give us a call. We would be honored to serve your business. n

Keegan Edwards is president/ CEO and co-owner of New Media Retailer based in Norwich, N.Y., which offers online marketing solutions for independent retailers. Contact him at kedwards@newmediaretailer. com, 877-346-4667 or visit New Media Retailer.

BUILDING A SUPERIOR INTEGRATED SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

By Allison Flatjord

Arecent national shopper study confirmed what many of us have been tracking. A staggering 81 percent of consumers research their planned purchases online before ever stepping into the store. As an independent brick-and-mortar home improvement business owner, you have an incredible opportunity to drive more sales by leaning into this trend by meeting your customers online and extending the shopping journey to an in-store experience with an opportunity for add-on sales.

Here are some proven best practices that will help you make the most of this growth opportunity:

SHOW THEM WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE.

Generally, by the time your customers reach your website, they already know exactly what product—and even what brand—they’re looking for. They’re ready to make an online

purchase, or they want to ensure that when they walk into your store, the products they need will be there. It’s important that your website includes a comprehensive, up-to-date display of what you have in stock. Not only does this build trust with your customers, it helps establish your business as the reliable, go-to local resource for hardware products.

CROSS-SELL WHEN YOU CAN.

A common misconception is that when it comes to driving add-on sales, online shopping can’t compete with the in-store browsing experience. The truth is, many online shoppers will continue to shop after the products they came to find are already in their cart. Cross-selling is a powerful way to guide your customers to relevant products to add to their cart. Project lists can be created and provided to show customers everything they’ll

need to finish a job. For example, kitchen faucet purchases could prompt a popup list that includes seals, plumbers’ tape, tools, supply lines, and more. The list could even include related items, such as garbage disposals and soap dispensers.

USE YOUR EXPERTS—EVERYWHERE.

The one-on-one interaction between your sales team and your customers is a major advantage of the in-store shopping experience. However, the knowledge, expertise and guidance of your team can be equally effective online— and can even serve as a bridge between the online and in-store experiences.

Some creative store owners have produced QR codes throughout their sales floor, linking to short Q&A videos where sales staff explain how a product works or share important information about a specific item. But why stop at only in-store? These videos can also be added to your website and posted to social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Customers can then experience oneon-one interaction with your team wherever they are shopping.

OFFER DELIVERY OPTIONS.

Today’s customers expect to be able to make their purchases wherever and whenever they want. By offering multiple options, you give your customers the control and convenience they are looking for. If not, they will take their

business elsewhere. Options to consider include:

• In-store pickup: Customers who choose in-store pickup typically want to browse the store, but they also want the assurance that what they need is readily available.

• Curbside pickup: This pandemic perk is here to stay. Many customers appreciate the speed and convenience of picking up their purchase without ever leaving their cars.

• Delivery: Customers with extra project lead time appreciate the option of simply having their purchases arrive at their doors within days. As a local business, you may be able to charge reduced shipping fees—or even waive them altogether.

• Same-day delivery: The ultimate in convenience, store-to-door delivery is a premium service that many customers are willing to pay a little extra for.

OUTSOURCING IS YOUR FRIEND.

While ecommerce is a powerful tool, it can also be time-consuming and complex. As a local business owner, you already have enough to do. Partnering with a proven, knowledgeable vendor frees you from the mechanics of running your website, maintaining the platform and managing other more technical aspects of ecommerce. Instead, you can focus on what you do best—running your business and leading your team. Your

distribution partner likely has a list of qualified vendors available. You can also find outside agencies to help you.

The home improvement market has entered a new reality. Business owners can choose to integrate ecommerce into their customer experience, or risk being left behind. Do it Best is acting quickly on this shift in consumer behavior. In fact, we will be introducing our new ecommerce platform to our member-owners at our spring market. Our strategy is to deliver the experience their customers expect, while stripping down the barriers to entry that may have previously prevented them from fully participating in ecommerce.

In our ever-changing world, it’s important to constantly watch for trends. Network with your peers to learn how they are building strong online and in-store connections and pay attention to the digital ads you see, making note of the ones you like or feel would be effective for your store. Listen to customer feedback—in fact, ask for it! Question your in-store customers whether they use your website, and learn everything you can about their experiences. Finally, don’t be afraid to try something new yourself. You may be the first to discover the next market-changing innovation. n

Allison Flatjord is vice president of ecommerce for Do it Best Corp.

DBy John Maiuri

THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF ECOMMERCE: WHY IT’S CRUCIAL FOR DIGITAL GROWTH

espite recent years of ongoing uncertainty, the home and building supply industry has experienced an increase in focus on ecommerce channels brought on by the pandemic. And as customer buying trends continue to gravitate toward engagement with online content and the convenience of online purchasing, business leaders have been forced to evolve their strategies toward online offerings that go beyond the national websites of their vendors. It’s quickly becoming a

requirement to fully represent product offerings in order to meet the expectations of online shoppers.

In today’s post-pandemic world, the importance of ecommerce as a channel to local markets continues to grow. In fact, according to ECI Software Solutions’ 2022 State of Lumber, Building Material, and Hardlines (LBMH) Report, 63 percent of industry professionals consider ecommerce to be the most crucial focus area in running their businesses.

While some in the industry have adopted an ecommerce software solution, many are lagging. For others, just the idea of ecommerce feels outside their realm of traditional customer engagement. But given its growing importance and accessibility to easyto-use tools and sales opportunities, businesses can no longer afford to look past having an online presence and must embrace digital growth by adopting or expanding their ecommerce strategy to stay competitive.

THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF ECOMMERCE

Just a few years ago, a typical online presence would suffice if it included store hours and a few photos from vendors. Many businesses receive some benefit from inclusion on their vendor’s national site for a percentage of their product sales. However, as customer convenience further emerges as the new loyalty

threshold, ecommerce as a channel into local markets is quickly becoming an everyday customer expectation.

Ecommerce has become an essential part of how we do business and shop. Whether it be to engage customers, track trends or make more informed business decisions, businesses today rely on ecommerce, especially small and mid-size retailers. It’s no longer enough for retailers to sell only through in-store and overthe-phone. Selling online is a critical way to increase revenue and better connect with customers.

As these trends continue to grow, business leaders must consider if their business is prepared to meet customer expectations through digital channels. The right, real-time data connected and fully integrated ecommerce solution that provides opportunity for an omnichannel customer experience should be considered the minimum viable solution. This will make running a business easier and deliver more convenience to customers, while providing scalability and increased profits.

ACHIEVING DIGITAL GROWTH WITH THE RIGHT ECOMMERCE SOLUTION

Having the right ecommerce solution enables small and mid-size retailers to compete with the big-box retailers. Not only does the right solution open an online sales channel that can turn visitors into customers, but it can also serve to educate consumers and

SPECIAL SECTION: ECOMMERCE

drive project sales—saving everyone time and money—and allows customers to easily shop safely and securely.

More than ever, builders and consumers want to research and purchase items at their convenience. Without a robust online presence, suppliers could lose customers and potential sales to competitors who offer the ability to conduct product research before they buy and then complete a purchase online. And today, convenience drives loyalty. That means meeting customers at the level of ease they’ve come to expect from online purchasing, and on any preferred device. An ecommerce site optimized for use on all devices, whether that’s desktop, mobile or tablet, has become a competitive requirement.

Taking convenience a step further, the right ecommerce solution can make day-to-day operations easier for building suppliers. Having an ecommerce solution that is integrated with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and product information management (PIM) system can automate many manual efforts. This includes processing online payments, managing product information and streamlining services like BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store).

The PIM system can serve as a database where all product information is stored and synced across all sales channels, relieving the tedious manual

labor needed to manage multiple vendors and sales. Having fully automated processes eliminates the risk of manual errors that can result in profit loss and product waste. Additionally, this can provide staff with time back to be more efficient and effective, allowing them to focus on building new and long-lasting customer relationships.

ADOPTING AN ECOMMERCE SOLUTION

For those who have yet to make the full digital leap and have done well so far, it might seem optional to put forward the effort in building an online presence. However, we are in the era of online purchasing, and those who choose to overlook building an online presence will risk losing new and current customers to those with an online store.

When ready to adopt an ecommerce solution or make the full commitment to digital transformation, it’s important to explore solutions that merge seamlessly with business management systems—which can track finances, supply chain management, daily operations, order and sales, and so on. With the right, vertically-specific tools, creating an online presence that can service both tradespeople and consumers doesn’t have to be difficult or intimidating. n

John Maiuri is president, LBMH Division for ECI Software Solutions.

DEALER PROFILE

By Doug Donaldson

How to Revitalize & Reinvent Business with C/I Sales

With new, bolstered ecommerce capabilities, the current generation of Hacienda Home Center ownership saved a longtime New Mexico family business by cultivating commercial, industrial and government customers.

What had Gary and Joe Sanchez gotten themselves into? In 2015, the cousins took over operations of the family business, Hacienda Home Centers, a two-store operation based in north-central New Mexico. The business wasn’t thriving. Once boasting a half dozen

locations, the company had downsized in the face of encroachment from bigbox retailers.

Above: Gary Sanchez (right) serves as president of Hacienda Home Centers and HHC Supply while his cousin Joe Sanchez (left) serves as vice president.

Upper: HHC Supply can meet all the product needs of commercial, industrial and government customers.

Lower: Gary Sanchez has made sure their three stores carry on the family tradition of service to customers.

DEALER PROFILE

says. “Home Depot and Lowe’s were taking away from our residential business. The commercial, industrial and government business added a new kind of diversity, which enabled us to open a new store in 2021.”

While at the company’s original location in Española, N.M., Joe had secured business from the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the site where the atomic bomb was developed in the 1940s and where extensive government research continues.

If the family business was to survive, it needed a new direction. Through research, connecting with customers and steadfast support from their distributor, Do it Best, Gary and Joe found a new path with commercial, industrial and government customers. And the duo continue to reinvent the business, recently turning to ecommerce as a way to boost retail sales and provide convenience for commercial, industrial and government customers.

“The best business decision we’ve ever made was to go after government and commercial contractors,” Gary

In 2020, the Sandia National Laboratories, a federal research lab in Albuquerque, approached Gary and Joe to provide building materials and hardware. That spurred the duo to open a new Albuquerque location, called HHC Supply, which would be devoted to supporting commercial, industrial and government customers. With store layout and merchandising plans from Do it Best, the store opened in January 2021.

This big step cemented the company’s new direction. The 5,000-squarefoot Albuquerque location is already feeling growing pains and may soon expand next door. The two were also expanding online, offering ecommerce to retail customers.

ECOMMERCE: INSIDE TRACK TO EXPAND BUSINESS

The Do it Best ecommerce resources, including the MOCE system from JH

Specialty, the ecommerce platform endorsed by the distributor, provides HHC a robust way to get real-time views on the stores’ websites and rank higher on search results. Then, when search results pop up, the results show that customers can buy products online and pick up in store.

“Customers are able to see our live inventory and know that they can pick it up at a location near them,” Joe says. “We’re linked to the full offerings of Do it Best and we’ve really seen that part of our business grow over the past two years. Ecommerce is more and more an important part of our business.”

A big advantage of the MOCE system is the Digital Dashboard feature, according to Joe. In addition to providing analytics—even as granular as indicating specific items searched for—the system allows HHC to finely tune marketing, emails and social media, which is also managed through the Digital Dashboard.

“The Digital Dashboard compiles all analytics from different platforms and lets us know where most customers are finding us,” Joes says. “We can tell if a certain banner ad is working or if customers are responding to certain product ads.”

The Digital Dashboard of the MOCE system also aids HHC with their rewards program. When customers sign up for the rewards program with an email, the Digital Dashboard

Gary and Joe Sanchez relied on Do it Best’s expertise to help design their HHC Supply store that opened in 2021.

analytics provide Joe and Gary with demographics such as age and location of customer. This detailed information allows HHC to more directly target marketing efforts, for example only sending mailers to specific zip codes indicated by the Digital Dashboard.

For their commercial and government customers, HHC utilizes a separate website that allows punch-out capabilities. These sites are tailored to each customer and not available to the public.

THE C/I, GOVERNMENT DIFFERENCE

In addition to staff dedicated to pursuing commercial, industrial and government customers, HHC had to make other adjustments to earn that business. Throughout the three locations, the store has 78 employees, with 12 solely devoted to government sales.

An assortment tailored to those clients was a must. Sometimes when dealing with government customers, contracts specify exact types of products, not allowing for substitutions.

By bolstering their ecommerce capabilities, Gary and Joe Sanchez have positioned Hacienda Home Centers and HHC Supply to capture a larger share of the local sales.

This caveat makes maintaining product availably and assortment planning more challenging.

One example: HHC provides large, commercial HVAC filters, such as Camfil industrial filters. To stock filters and other commercial-specific products, HCC utilizes Do it Best’s commercial ecommerce platform. For some products not available through the distributor, HCC has developed direct relationships with suppliers and manufacturers.

Other examples of specific, professional-grade products requested by HCC’s commercial customers include Hilti rotary hammers, which are designed for drilling concrete, and Hilti anchors. Also, 3M has a line of scientific-grade products that HCC often orders for these customers.

To make ordering easier for these key accounts, HCC has set up e-catalogs for these customers. Only specified users can access these e-catalogs which have assortments and pricing set up specifically for each customer. Commercial,

DEALER PROFILE

industrial and government customers count on access to such systems. The majority of Los Alamos National Laboratory sales are done through the HCC ecommerce system.

“With Do it Best, I feel we have our own team of personnel who have indepth knowledge of the commercialindustrial field,” Gary says. “Having that division and being able to source products for commercial, industrial and government customers is very important to us.”

Other state and local governments accounts, such as the City of Albuquerque, also adopt a similar punch-out catalog hosted within their systems. About one-quarter of HCC’s total business is done through ecommerce and that percentage continues to grow month by month.

“Do it Best assisted with setting up our punch-out catalog capabilities,” Gary says. “They really enhanced our ability to provide assortments to commercial, industrial and government accounts.”

In the future, Gary and Joe plan to continue to grow the government and commercial side of sales. They see that part of the business as less saturated. Yet, they will continue to develop retail stores with some physical improvements planned such as re-roofing the Española store and adding a new

parking lot, and redoing the façade of the Las Vegas store.

“We believe in putting big investments back into the company,” Gary says. “We’d like to replicate our location in Albuquerque, expanding anywhere that would have a more commercial opportunity.”

Shifting to commercial, industrial and government business required rethinking how the family viewed the business. And that’s where the family’s next generation stepped up.

GENERATIONAL TRANSITION

Brothers Robert, Roy and Felix Sanchez founded Hacienda Home Centers (HHC) in 1975, and grew the New Mexico company to half a dozen stores, which provided building supplies and hardware for new home builds and renovations. By the 2000s, big-box stores had started eating into the company’s market share. In 2014, building leases were unable to be renewed and the company downsized to two locations in the northcentral part of the state—the original store in Española and the Las Vegas, N.M., location.

In 2015, Gary and Joe Sanchez, cousins and sons of Felix and Roy, stepped into leadership roles for the company. Gary became president while Joe was named vice president.

By the mid-2000s, the founding generation of ownership was on autopilot, Joe acknowledges. Gary and

Joe bought out the company so they could make the necessary changes. To contend with big-box competition, the company didn’t have the knowledge, capabilities or computers to catch up, Joe says. So, they had to completely revamp the POS systems, add new products and revisit their marketing efforts, relying on Do it Best’s expertise.

“When we joined Do it Best, we weren’t doing much government or commercial business,” Joe says. “But we’ve been able to use their buying power and resources to expand our business.”

DO IT BEST EASES HHC INTO FUTURE

Since 1998, HHC has utilized Do it Best as a distributor. When Gary and Joe took over ownership, they turned to Do it Best to upgrade the POS system and assist in store design and inventory financing.

“We don’t see how we could have moved forward without the Do it Best programs,” Gary says.

Gary and Joe Sanchez are hands on working with employees.

6 TIPS FOR PURSUING COMMERCIAL/ INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS

With the opening of HHC Supply in Albuquerque, Hacienda Home Centers revamped its business to seek commercial, industrial (C/I) and government customers. Now, about two-thirds of the company’s business comes from commercial, industrial and government sales, and that segment of their business continues to grow. Here, Gary and Joe Sanchez share six tips for other retailers who would like to take the plunge into this profitable line of the hardware business:

1. Commit, go all-in or don’t go. “Commercial, industrial and government business is not for everyone,” Gary says. “You almost have to run a separate business because it’s so different. And this kind of business won’t come overnight. You must research and develop commercial, industrial and government customers.” Pursuing this business also requires an investment in personnel, creating catalogs and developing ecommerce. This isn’t the kind of business you can do half way, Gary advises.

2. Connect with SBA. The local Small Business Administration (SBA) office will be able to help guide you to opportunities designed for small businesses. The SBA will also assist with the paperwork to be placed on the list of vendors to receive notifications of opportunities.

3. Attend seminars. Throughout the country, there are seminars that provide information about working with the federal government. In addition, there are virtual webinars that share how to set up your business for federal contracts.

4. Seek legal advice. C/I and government business is dependent on sometimes highly detailed contracts. Gary and Joe recommend advice from a lawyer with experience creating and evaluating such contracts. For government customers, there are a lot of expectations and registrations required and an attorney can help along this route.

5. Be ecommerce savvy. To handle C/I and government customers, you will need to offer e-catalogs. Gary credits Do it Best with helping develop such catalogs for HHC. And with each new C/I or government customer, there is an intense initial onboarding where the ecommerce ordering system is established.

6. Hire flexible sales reps. For C/I and government sales, look for sales reps who understand and can adapt to specific requirements of this business niche. Every site has its own requirements and every contract has specific stipulations to follow, suggests Joe. Sales reps who have wholesale experience can also do well in such a role.

DEALER PROFILE

HHC Supply opened in Albuquerque, N.M., in January 2021.

The co-op provided demographic studies and site assessments to help Gary and Joe select the location for the Albuquerque store. “So our eggs aren’t all in one basket, Do it Best helped design the store with a retail component,” Joe explains.

HHC sought to appeal more to pro customers, so they implemented planograms that featured pro assortments. For example, residential locksets were replaced with more commercial locksets.

“We worked closely with the Do it Best design team,” Gary says. “In the stores, we wanted a more commercial feel than retail. The fixtures and available products from Do it Best match our goal. That was such a big help.”

The cousin duo is constantly looking to update and upgrade the stores as well. “With Do it Best, we’re able to stay fresh,” Joe says. “They constantly provide us new opportunities for products and merchandising.”

To discover such new products, Gary and Joe attend their co-op’s markets,

The family operates consumer-oriented Hacienda Home Center locations in Española and Las Vegas, N.M.

installed a new POS system and overhauled their website, including adding ecommerce.

Do it Best also assisted in developing new marketing plans, which included new websites for each store. The company began enrolling customers in the Do it Best Rewards loyalty program and added a mail circular program. Customizing the circular front and back page has helped HHC promote building materials such as roofing and wire, according to Gary.

In refining the store assortments some minor differences have been made based on location. For example, the Española store offers wood stoves and pellets. HHC Supply’s Albuquerque location is focused on government sales and the Las Vegas store sells a lot of paint, especially the Valspar line.

While Gary and Joe have differentiated their business from the big-box stores, they still regularly price check Lowe’s and Home Depot to make sure they remain competitive on price, especially on commodity items. n

HARDLINES DIGEST

LEARNING TO NAVIGATE GOOGLE ADVERTISING

As independent hardware retailers shift most or all of their advertising efforts toward digital marketing, some are struggling to understand the best way to navigate the new digital arena. Recent discussion on Hardlines Digest centered on the ins and outs of Google advertising.

Tom McKeithen of McKeithen’s True Value Hardware in Statesboro, Ga., posted:

“I am completely frustrated with Google advertising. We are spending about 30 percent of our ad budget to pay a local firm to create and run Google ads (including the ad budget). I have no idea what return we’re getting. I’d like to save the fees and create my own ads but it seems very complicated. What do others do?”

Margaret Clark of Clark’s Ace in Maryland, responded, “We have been very happy with Fisher Digital. They work with a lot of hardware stores. They post blog content for us and sit down with quarterly reports to review the information. We have jumped from having zero searches on many things we

Tom McKeithen of McKeithen’s True Value has been frustrated with Google advertising.

sell to first page and sometimes number 1-3. We have been super happy with the result. Ask the company to show you your quarterly information. They will have proof if it’s working or not.”

Steve Fusek of Fusek’s True Value in Indianapolis noted they have been deep into digital for several years. “It is so tough to measure. I did not like the results we were seeing. One month clicks were up and store traffic down, the next month the opposite. To start 2023, we have stopped all digital. We have seen no impact. That has really made me wonder. When a store gets searched on Google and a customer is looking for something, they will find you more through location than anything. Most of our traffic finds us through ‘Hardware store near me.’ That is our number one search term or phrase. Make sure you manage your Google My Business well. Be active on it. Respond to reviews positive and negative,” he posted.

John Fix III of Cornell’s Hardware in Eastchester, N.Y., put in a plug for Product Listing Ads. “Those were the ones that provided the most value for the money, in my opinion. It requires

setting up a Merchant Center account and uploading your inventory files on a daily basis. We always had two or three customers per day coming into the store with our website product page on their phone asking ‘Where can I find this item?’ But it’s tough to measure the value of the ads, as there isn’t a clean way to track the ads back to POS transactions,” he posted.

Fix added, “The Google reps are pretty good at setting up basic campaigns, and their service is free. Just reach out to them via the website. You can probably get someone to do a phone call with you to set up a campaign or two and go from there.”

Chris Finethy of Gilford Hardware & Outdoor Power Equipment in Gilford, N.H., runs his own Google advertising.

“It works great, but it’s taken me threeplus years to learn, and it’s always changing and evolving. It depends on what campaigns they are running for you. Key word and display ads are usually much easier to run versus multi-level optimized shopping campaigns,” he stated.

Brandon Buckalew of Local Ace in East Grand Forks, Minn., shared, “If you get a Google ads account you’ll be able to see things like people that searched for something, saw your store and then came in the store and made a purchase (as long as they did it on their phone and brought their phone with them). I’m always a bit surprised at how many people come in because they searched for something and found it online.” n

Google ads help customers find your store and the products you sell.

WHAT ARE GOOGLE ADS?

Google Ads is Google’s online advertising program. Through Google Ads, you can create online ads to reach people exactly when they’re interested in the products and services that you offer.

Google Ads is a product that you can use to promote your business, help sell products or services, raise awareness and increase traffic to your website.

Google Ads accounts are managed online, so you can create and change your ad campaign at any time, including your ad text, settings and budget.

There’s no minimum spending commitment, and you set and control your own budget.

You choose where your ad appears, set a budget that’s comfortable for you, and easily measure the impact of your ad.

For more information, click here.

John Fix started the Hardlines Digest in 1996. There are currently more than 2,300 subscribers reading Hardlines Digest. Go to www.hardlinesdigest.com.

HAND AND POWER TOOL TRENDS

Sales of Adjustable Wrenches (Independent Hardware Channel)

12 Months % Change vs. Year Ago

Wrenches:

Adjustable Wrenches:

Source:

Unit Sales Breakdown for Adjustable Wrenches

HAND AND POWER TOOL MERCHANDISING:

Upper Left: Hartville Hardware in Hartville, Ohio.

Middle Left: Dazey’s Hubbard’s in Medford, Ore.

Lower Left: Fassett Lane Lumber in Wellsville, N.Y.

Upper Right: HomCo Lumber and Hardware in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Middle Right: Morrison True Value in Alpine, Texas

Lower Right: New Palestine Hardware in New Palestine, Ind.

Sullivan Hardware & Garden, Indianapolis

Buck Electric Ace Hardware, Ocean Shores, Wash.

Geneva Home Center, Geneva, Neb.

Foley Hardware, Larchmont, N.Y.

Ambridge Do it Best Home Center, Ambridge, Pa.

Doc’s Do it Best Hardware & Rental, Albion, Ind.

Kinney & Keele True Value, Ontario, Ore.

Moorestown Hardware, Moorestown, N.J.

Rockingham Cooperative Ace Hardware, Harrisonburg, Va.

Singlestad Do it Best Hardware, Lake Mills, Iowa

Taylorsville Hardware, Taylorsville, Ky.

Solenberger’s True Value Hardware, Winchester, Va.

Seagren’s Home Hardware Outdoors, Two Harbors, Minn.

Hardware, Ely, Minn.

Kellogg Supply Company, Duck, N.C.

J&L

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

WOOD -N- FLOORS HARDWOOD FLOOR CLEANER

• Residue-free, streak-free and dries fast, this new formulation hardwood floor cleaner also works on laminate, luxury vinyl planks (LVP) and engineered floors. Promotes natural shine on hardwood floors, cabinets and furniture.

• Quickly removes dirt and grime without leaving sticky residue.

• Ready-to-use mixture gently cleans hardwood with waterbased, plant-derived surfactants.

STRUCTURAL SCREWS

• Made in the United States, this hardwood floor cleaner is available in 32 fl. oz. bottles and in six-pack cases.

Products Inc.

• For decking, framing and general construction, these structural screws are engineered to start fast, drive smooth and hold fast. No pre-drilling required.

• Extensively tested and approved for use with pressure-treated lumber.

• Available in either Hot Dip Galvanized or with Protech Ultra 4 Coating, a four-layer system that provides torque reduction, corrosion resistance and UV and environmental protection for high performance and longevity.

• Head is flat for flush finishes and star drive reduces cam-outs while decreasing bit wear.

BARRIER ® YEAR-LONG VEGETATION KILLER

• With five active ingredients, this herbicide kills grasses, broadleaf, weeds, vines, brush and trees.

• Prevents new growth for up to one year by killing the root.

• Ideal for use on driveways, fence rows, patios and near buildings.

• Available in concentration of three sizes: quart, gallon and 2.5 gallons. 18 fluid ounces treats 1,000 square feet.

STIHL FSA 57 BATTERY-POWERED STRING TRIMMER

• When paired with the AK 10 battery, the STIHL FSA 57 can trim over a half mile of grass on a single charge, making it the ideal choice for customers maintaining suburban yards.

• Trim up to 3,770 linear feet with the AK 10 battery on a single charge. Usage claim tested and verified by an independent third-party test laboratory. Run time per charge may vary depending on usage and application.

USA

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

BRANDTRACKERPRO CO-OP MANAGEMENT

• Tired of juggling dozens of spreadsheets to try and manage your available co-op funds? BrandTrackerPro.com was developed as a better way to manage all these moving parts.

• Customized dashboard will provide you with a quick view of the entire funding journey with printable and downloadable status reports tracking all your marketing.

• You will be able to increase your available funding visibility and ensure you are maximizing the

use of available funds for local marketing by having a streamlined method for speeding the reimbursement process and tracking.

• Everything from negotiating and quantifying your funds, storing marketing schedules and ad content, direct to manufacturer preapprovals and e-claims. Never miss another claim deadline again or be searching for the needed documentation to file your claim.

ASCEND ® SMART 7-DAY PROGRAMMABLE WI-FI TIMER

• Next generation timer with sleek, modern design and intuitive programming.

• Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Remote access from anywhere, no hub required. Neutral required.

• Easily schedule lights and connected loads to turn on/off at specific times or based on sunrise/ sunset. Ability to text/email saved schedules.

• Fully set and schedule at the timer or via the Ascend® app.

Get Your Nominations in for Beacon Awards BEACON AWARDS

The Hardware Conference began in 1988 with a small group of hardware retailers who wanted to get together once a year with key manufacturers. This small group continued to expand and is now the nation’s largest independent dealer conference.

This year’s Hardware Conference, set for August 18-20, 2023 at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Fla., will give independent retailers a chance to gather in person and share ideas with fellow dealers. The 35th annual Hardware Conference 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. On Friday night, the industry will honor the 2023 winners.

Beacon Award sponsors for 2023 include Epicor Software Corp., Ettore Products and Fluidmaster. Wholesaler sponsors are Do it Best Corp. and Orgill Inc.

The 2023 Beacon Awards will again 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.

Beacon Award winners will be recognized at the 2023 Hardware Conference in Marco Island, Fla.

Get your nominations in now for the Best New Store award, as the deadline of May 5 is fast approaching.

Retailers can nominate their own stores and nominations are accepted from wholesalers.

Judging will be based on any or all of the following criteria: financial performance (sales, profits, margins); community involvement; store design; merchandising displays; promotion activities; specialized product areas/niches; employee training/recognition programs; and innovative retailing concepts.

Store must have been open at least one year, to a maximum of four years. It can be a store built to replace one destroyed by natural disaster and it can

be a branch store. Store must feature all the core departments: electrical, plumbing, tools, hardware, paint and lawn & garden.

The 2023 Beacon Awards Banquet will be held Friday night, August 18, 2023 at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Fla. Honorees will receive: all-expenses paid trip for two to the 2023 Hardware Conference in Marco Island including conference registration, airfare, hotel and meals; Beacon Award plaque and feature article in The Hardware Connection. For more information, go to www.thehardwareconnection.com.

TO COMPLETE NOMINATION

Please include detailed information for each of the judging criteria, attach any relevant pictures, list the date of new store opening and also provide retailer name, store name, square footage, address, phone number and email address. Email nominations by the May 5 deadline to Editor Chris Jensen at chris@thehardwareconnection.com. n

Aubuchon Hardware was honored with a Beacon Award for Community Service in 2021.

Mike MacKay of Vassar Building Center was a 2022 Beacon Award winner.

IN THE NEWS

NEW STORES:

• Frank Kinter is opening Ace Hardware in Indiana, Pa.

• Jeff and Angie Lant are opening Lant Do it Best Hardware in Nebraska City, Neb.

• Ace Hardware is opening in Evansville, Ind.

• Kevin and Mark Salandra have opened Ace Hardware of Brockway in Brockway, Pa.

• Sunshine Ace Hardware is opening a new store in North Naples, Fla.

• Rocky’s Ace Hardware opened in Centerville, Ohio.

• Westlake Ace Hardware is opening new stores in Charlotte, N.C., and Placentia, Calif.

• Roosters Ace Hardware opened in Round Rock, Texas.

• Ace Hardware is opening in Citrus Heights, Calif.

• The Beug family is selling Beug’s Ace Hardware in Detroit Lakes, Minn. to Jeff Cwikla.

• Harps Food Stores is opening its third Ace Hardware in Jay, Okla.

• Great Lakes Ace has acquired Akard True Value Hardware in Zionsville, Ind.

KUDOS TO:

• Bill’s Ace Hardware in Martinez, Calif., is marking its 75th anniversary.

• Chris Hegeman, manager of Bliffert Lumber & Hardware , has been elected chairman of the Wisconsin Retail Lumber Association .

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE:

• Peter Menzynski has been promoted to new businessdevelopment manager at Karsten’s Ace Hardware in Maricopa, Ariz.

• Westlake Ace Hardware promoted Laura Byrne-Harris to vice president of merchandising and marketing, and Jennifer Schadegg to director of merchandising.

• Simpson Strong-Tie named Mike Olosky as CEO.

• The Bostwick-Braun Company promoted Rob Dilts to vice president of operations and supply chain.

• Sunshine Ace Hardware promoted Maide Mendez to manager of its new store in North Naples, Fla.

• Peter Ferreira has been appointed to the newly created position of vice president, distribution at Home Hardware Stores Ltd.

Jennifer Schadegg

Laura Byrne-Harris

Dan Dietlin had extensive experience with the product. So we recruited d-i-yers to solicit their feedback.

• Do it Best Corp. hired Steve Tonelli as LBM business development manager and appointed Dan Dietlin as director of continuous improvement.

WHOLESALERS IN THE NEWS:

IN MEMORY:

• Ace Hardware Corp. held a grand opening for its new 1.1 million-square-foot Retail Support Center in Visalia, Calif. on March 2. Click here.

• Jeske Hardware Distributors has opened a new corporate headquarters in Appleton, Wis.

Each used FrogTape on multiple surfaces windows, baseboards and corners, and everyone was amazed by the clean lines usually only possible with pros. No one had any instance of paint bleed or difficulty removing the tape even after it stayed in place for over a week. If you currently do not stock FrogTape, then bring in a few SKUs of their Pro Grade Painter’s Tape and Pro Grade Orange Painter’s Tape, which offers higher adhesion. ■

• Hardlines Distribution Alliance has announced new dates for its Group Merchandising Conference, May 8-11 in Atlanta.

expanding Oregon DC. Click here.

“Where Relationships Are Formed”

AUGUST 18-20

REGISTER HERE TODAY!

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 their 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 2023 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.

Sponsors:

Wholesale Sponsors: 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

UPCOMING EVENTS

MARCH

Ace Canada Fall & Winter Virtual Buying Show

March 21-23

Ace Hardware Spring 2023 Convention

March 13-16, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio

Blish-Mize Spring Customer Buying Market

March 16-18, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, Kan.

Do it Best Spring 2023 Market

March 11-13, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla.

Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Expo 2023

March 11-13, Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, Ky.

LMC Annual Meeting

March 8-10. Charlotte, N.C.

National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association Spring Meeting & Legislative Conference

March 28-30, Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.

True Value Spring Reunion

March 17-19, McCormick Place, Chicago

Wallace Hardware Spring Dealer Market

March 28-30, Sevierville Convention Center, Sevierville, Tenn.

Outlook 365 Outlook Live SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CALENDAR

Google Calendar iCalendar

APRIL

Western Wood Products

Association Annual Meeting

April 16-18, Embassy Suites PDXPortland Airport, Portland, Ore.

MAY

Hardlines Distribution Alliance

2023 Group Merchandising Conference

May 8-11, Embassy Suites Atlanta, Buckhead, Ga.

International Hardware Fair Italy

May 5-6, Bergamo, Italy

Orgill Online Summer Buying Event

May 8-21

JUNE

House-Hasson Hardware Summer Dealer Market

June 16-17, Sevierville Events Center, Sevierville, Tenn.

National Lawn & Garden Show

June 13-14, Crowne Plaza Chicago

O’Hare Hotel & Conference Center, Rosemont, Ill.

spoga+gafa

June 18-20, 2023; Koelnmesse, Cologne, Germany

For a complete listing of calendar dates, click here.

SPAHN & ROSE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION DONATES

$175,000 TO LOCAL

CHARITIES

Continuing a tradition of charitable giving that spans more than seven decades, the Spahn & Rose Charitable Foundation donated $175,000 to 72 organizations in communities served by the Iowa-based Century Club retailer during 2022.

RETAIL IDEAS

Spahn & Rose Lumber donated $175,000 to 72 local charity organization in 2022.

Representatives from charities that received Foundation donations and Spahn & Rose staff gathered for Community Day on December 22 to celebrate the good work of those organizations. During the event, these representatives shared how their organizations are making a difference in their communities and were presented with ceremonial big checks signifying the Foundation’s donations.

During the past 10 years, the Spahn & Rose Charitable Foundation has donated more than $1.3 million to local charities.

“As part of our company’s Core Values, we promise to give our time, talent, energy and resources to our communities,” says Dave Davis, CEO of Spahn & Rose. “We are a proud member of the communities we serve and believe in giving back through donations and volunteer work.”

Here is how five recipients of Spahn & Rose Charitable Foundation donations made a difference in 2022:

• The Des Moines-based Iowa College Foundation offers students

in Iowa the opportunity for an affordable, high-quality education by securing financial resources for its member private colleges and universities.

• The United Way of Walworth County, Wisconsin, serves Walworth County, the home of Spahn & Rose’s Dunn Lumber location in Lake Geneva, Wisc., and provides financial assistance to more than 45 agencies, including the 211 emergency-resource helpline in addition to food pantries and shelters.

• Crescent Community Health— Spahn & Rose Fitness Center is a Dubuque, Iowa–based nonprofit that provides access to medical care, wellness services and dental care.

• Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit started in Idaho that coordinates volunteers to build, assemble and deliver top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need.

• Leader Valley Foundation, a business-education partnership that helps students in Iowa’s Cedar Valley develop leadership skills, provides resources for 6,554 students and

842 educators. Within 17 schools in Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Waverly, Leader Valley has implemented “Leader in Me,” a talent-development initiative that enables students to build the skills necessary for personal and professional success.

Spahn & Rose Lumber Co., which dates back to 1904, currently operates 24 locations in Iowa, Illinois, Georgia and Wisconsin.

EARLHAM BUILDING CENTER SERVES ONE MILLIONTH CUSTOMER

Earlham Building Center in Earlham, Iowa, served its one millionth customer on Valentine’s Day, February 14. The company has tracked customer transactions since opening in 1976, and the team is thrilled to celebrate and thank their loyal customers with prize giveaways announced through their social media as a gesture of genuine appreciation.

Bruce Koboldt was recognized as Earlham Building Center’s one millionth customer, receiving 10 gallons of Valspar Medallion Plus paint and a bundle of painting accessories valued at more than $700. “I don’t think he believed me when I told him he was our one millionth customer,” commented Owner Andrew Arnburg.

The 49 customers leading up to the millionth customer also received various prize giveaways, including a

Left: Customer Bruce Koboldt won a paint prize package valued at $700 for being Earlham Building Center’s one millionth customer.

Right: Customer Bill Henke won a 30-quart Pelican cooler during the prize giveaway at Earlham Building Center for being customer number 999,997.

30-quart Pelican cooler, a RustOleum chalk and fabric paint package, a Rust-Oleum Varathane stain package, BLACK+DECKER power tools, a Channellock wet-dry vacuum, and more. The giveaways were promoted heavily on the store’s Facebook page in the weeks leading up to the big day.

Earlham Building Center has served its community for nearly 50 years, offering priceless advice from knowledgeable staff who are ready to assist. A 2021 expansion allowed the Do it Best member to increase its inventory to better serve its customers.

Arnburg says welcoming one million customers to Earlham Building Center throughout the past 48 years is humbling and meaningful to him, his family and the entire store team.

“We have several employees who have been with us for years, and we

have always focused on doing what’s needed to serve our customers and our community every day. That has always been our approach, and we plan to continue that focus by listening to our customers and making sure we can meet their needs,” Arnburg said. “We appreciate our loyal customers who come back month after month, week after week, day after day.”

TRANSFORMING STORE WINDOWS INTO AN ART CANVAS

Carr Hardware, with seven stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut, is fortunate to have a talented “resident artist” on staff. Penelope “Penny” Stone has put her amazing drawing talent to work creating beautiful window displays at some of the store’s locations.

To see more “Windows by Penny,” click here. n

Some of Penny Stone’s recent artwork on display in Carr Hardware’s Avon, Conn., store.

Penny Stone is proud to show off her artistic talents on the windows of Carr Hardware.

BEHIND THE NUMBERS

65%

Percentage of employees who said they received no recognition for good work last year, according to CBIZ Human Capital Management Services.

31%

76%

Percentage of millennials who said they would leave a job if they did not feel appreciated, according to CBIZ.

57%

Percentage of employees who quit within the first six months of starting a job, according to Zippia.

Employee turnover rate for retail trade in 2022, according to the Work Institute.

70%

Percentage of Gen-Z employees who would consider changing jobs for greater pay transparency, according to Zippia.

24%

Percentage of workers who quit jobs due to a desire to work from home, according to teambuilding.com.