Build the people side of your business and improve communication, reduce conflict and increase overall productivity with NHPA’s Organizational Development and Consulting services.
YourNHPA.org/development
TeamBuilder
TeamBuilder is an assessment of the people side of your business. It analyzes your current organizational structure and staff members to help you maximize their potential.
Everything DiSC® is a personal development learning experience measuring an individual’s communication preferences and tendencies based on the DiSC model.
The Vision Process is a year-long journey toward strengthening your team, defining company values and building processes and best practices that fit your goals.
Consulting & Mentoring
Retailers looking for custom solutions can take advantage of our hourly consulting options, ranging from owner support, manager mentoring, operational support and more.
“Kim is rooted in the industry with almost 30 years of experience in hardware … Bringing Kim into our store has been one of the best business decisions we could have made.”
Lee LeFleur, Mike’s Hardware & Supply, Louisiana
About Kim Peffley Director of Organizational Development &
Consulting, NHPA
Kim Peffley began her career over 25 years ago, working at her family-owned True Value, and then served as General Manager for a seven-store Ace chain. As a certified Everything DiSC® Facilitator and Consultant, Peffley uses her industry-specific retail management and leadership experience to offer professional training and support to retailers.
Contact Kim kpeffley@YourNHPA.org 219-776-0094
Get started with a free one-hour consultation to get immediate feedback and advice for your business. Visit YourNHPA.org/development to schedule an appointment with NHPA’s Kim Peffley.
1025 E. 54th St. Indianapolis, Indiana 317-275-9400 NHPA@YourNHPA.org YourNHPA.org
COMMUNICATIONS
Melanie Moul Communications & Content Manager mmoul@YourNHPA.org
Lindsey Thompson Senior Editor lthompson@YourNHPA.org
Carly Froderman Associate Editor cfroderman@YourNHPA.org
Jess Tillman Retail Training Editor jtillman@YourNHPA.org
Autumn Ricketts Graphic Designer
Olivia Adam Graphic Designer
Austin Vance Production Manager
Kallahan Beatty Communications & Production Coordinator
Freda Creech Sales & Production Assistant
Kevin Trehan Digital Media Specialist
Julie Leinwand Marketing Manager
ASSOCIATION PROGRAMS
800-772-4424 | nhpa@YourNHPA.org
Katie McHone-Jones kmchone-jones@YourNHPA.org
Director, Member Services & Events
Kim Peffley kpeffley@YourNHPA.org
Director, Organizational Development & Consulting
Jesse Carleton jcarleton@YourNHPA.org Training Manager & Editor
Renee Changnon rchangnon@YourNHPA.org Retail Engagement Specialist
SALES
Jordan Rice 217-808-1641 | jrice@YourNHPA.org
Regional Sales Director
CIRCULATION, SUBSCRIPTION & LIST RENTAL INQUIRIES
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
Richard Jarrett, 314-432-7511, Fax: 314-432-7665
With the largest class of retailers to date, this year’s Young Retailer of the Year Award honorees represent the best and brightest in the independent home improvement channel. Next month, meet each of the 11 honorees and learn more how they cultivate culture and community, embrace opportunities and ensure the future of the industry stays secure.
PAINT & DECORATING RETAILER
(ISSN 1096-6927): Published monthly except December by the North American Hardware and Paint Association, 1025 E. 54th St., Indianapolis, IN 46220. Phone: 800-737-0107.
Subscription rates: January through November issues, $50 in U.S., payable in advance. Canada $75 per year. All other countries $100 per year. Single copy $7, except July issue, $25. Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, Indiana, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Paint & Decorating Retailer, P.O. Box 16709, St. Louis, MO 63105-1209. Returns (Canada): Return undeliverable magazines to P.O. Box 2600, Mississauga, Ontario L4T 0A8. PM# 41450540. Copyright © North American Hardware and Paint Association, 2023.
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 EXECUTIVE STAFF
Bob Cutter President & CEO
Dan Tratensek
Chief Operating Officer & Publisher
David Gowan
Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President, Business Services
Scott Wright
Executive Director, Advanced Retail Education Programs
Whitney Mancuso
Executive Director of Innovation & Engagement
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 & CEO
NHPA CANADA
NHPA CANADA
Michael McLarney, +1 416-489-3396, mike@hardlines.ca
330 Bay Street, Suite 1400 Toronto, ON, Canada M5H 2S8
The North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) has been back on the road, visiting retailers from coast to coast, with stops in between. See highlights from recent NHPA On the Road trips and find out what makes each operation successful.
The 2023 NHPA Independents Conference is bringing together retailers, regardless of affiliation, to share solutions for common challenges and expand their professional networks.
Discover how one operation curated its sprayers and sprayer accessories category to cater to professional customers in the industrial coatings industry.
Scan this QR code or visit PDRmag.com/august to see these stories and more resources for your operation.
The North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) is continuing its NHPA On the Road visits, meeting with retailers, hearing their stories and sharing the ways NHPA can help them become better overall businesses. Flip to Page 14 to see a list of retailers we’ve had the pleasure of visiting over the past 18 months and check out some of their stories in detail below. If you’d like NHPA to visit your store next, let us know at YourNHPA.org/on-the-road
Located on an island off the coast of Georgia, Adelaide’s Paint & Decorating has served the resort community for 25 years, serving both contractors and homeowners.
Established in the 1950s, this fourth generation-owned paint store in New York City works with producers and designers for local theater productions, Broadway and Saturday Night Live.
Keeping the business local and within the family has helped Tanner Paint Co. thrive in its Tampa community for 90 years and counting.
Retailers don’t need a full IT team to find success with innovation. Learn how retailers can implement end-to-end technology solutions without needing a vast internal team.
The Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) shares what’s driving current paint sprayer and accessory purchases.
PODCAST
The Next Chapter
Lanier Do it Best owners share their experience of passing the business to the next generation of family members and the lessons they learned from the business transition process.
Scan the QR code or visit the website below to listen.
YourNHPA.org/podcast
As I sit down to write this column, we are a few weeks out from the North American Hardware and Paint Association’s (NHPA) first-ever Independents Conference, which is being held in Dallas. Of course, by the time you read this, the conference will either be going on or will have concluded.
So, why, you might ask, am I choosing to write about an event that is in progress or over? Aren’t there more timely topics we could dedicate this space to?
Well, loyal reader, I’m happy to address those concerns.
I want to spend the balance of this column talking about the “why” behind the Independents Conference, as opposed to the details of the conference itself—and I am going to be blunt. Over the last three years, our industry has seen a lot. We experienced never-before-seen increases in sales, the highest-ever recorded profits for independent retailers, mind-numbingly frustrating supply chain challenges and fundamental changes in the way employees and customers behave. And that’s just part of it.
While the industry might be feeling pretty good about where it stands right now, I’m deeply concerned about its future.
Because of what I just mentioned, the independent segment of this industry is at an inflection point right now. How the industry responds over the next few years could determine the long-term fate of independent retailers.
We continue to see the number of independent owners in this industry shrink. We have seen the traditional value propositions that set independent retailers apart from their competitors (service, selection and convenience) completely change. We are seeing new and more savvy competitors emerge to challenge the home improvement shopping paradigm. Unless we come together as an industry to address these changes and marshal all of the brightest minds in this channel to chart a course forward for independent retailers, I am dubious about our future.
There is a new model for how we have to operate, think and support one another. While we certainly all plant our flags with different affiliations and brands, we all face common challenges—obstacles that can only be overcome by working together.
That’s where the Independents Conference comes in. This event represents an opportunity for the entire industry to come together, regardless of affiliation, to discuss, address and share ideas for overcoming challenges.
I’m not suggesting it is an ideal stage for solving all that ails our industry. What I am suggesting is we need this kind of continued cooperation among our channel members if we are going to see independents survive and thrive.
Right now, we need to come together and share differing thoughts and opinions, cross “party” lines and work to lift each other’s businesses up.
With that, I would like to challenge everyone reading this column to embrace the spirit of independent unity we hope to foster with our Independents Conference and look for ways to actively engage and share ideas with your fellow independents.
Whether it is participating in roundtables or attending other industry events, I implore you to do so—the future of the independent channel may depend on it.
Dan M. Tratensek Chief Operating Officer & Publisher
“There is a new model for how we have to operate, think and support one another.”
Dan Tratensek dant@YourNHPA.org
Send
With a heart for at-risk children, Strand’s Industrial Coatings owner Carter Strand hosts a yard sale every fall to benefit his nonprofit Jonathan’s House for Orphans.
The store, located in Marshalltown, Iowa, sells industrial and residential paint, flooring and window treatments and offers professional decorating services. It also sells and ships paint to 33 states and internationally.
During the three-day sale, customers can purchase overstock merchandise from the store, including various types of flooring, gallons of paint and wall and floor tile.
Located in the Central African Republic (CAR), Jonathan’s House was established in 2012 under Strand’s leadership, who says he was motivated to help vulnerable children. Jonathan’s House also operates a Christian school, which educates about 450 students in first to sixth grade, as well as a medical clinic where members of the community can receive quality health care.
“The needs in this area of the world are nearly overwhelming,” Strand says. “Saving lives and seeing hope in the eyes of these children provides inspiration for those who serve and support this mission.”
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.
Along with being greeted by store dogs Mookie and Samson, customers walking into Triboro Paint Center come face-to-face with a large Tyrannosaurus rex created from paint chips. The creative and colorful dinosaur brings a whimsical touch to the North Attleborough, Massachusetts, location of the company, which also has stores in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Warwick, Rhode Island.
Store manager Brooke Robison says the dinosaur was created off-site and came to the store in pieces in a box truck.
“The Tyrannosaurus rex is a hit with customers, especially kids,” Robison says.
Head to YourNHPA.org/foundations or scan the QR code to learn more about the courses available to you.
IN CONJUNCTION WITH leaders from the Entrepreneurial Institute at Ball State University and a consortium of leading independent retailers, the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) launched the Foundations of Leadership program in 2017. The program is designed to help independent home improvement retailers better understand their unique leadership styles and strengths and how to utilize them to effectively build and lead teams.
To address today’s specific management challenges and update the program accordingly, NHPA worked directly with one of the most prevalent users of the course, The Aubuchon Co., which operates more than 100 stores in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states.
“Leadership at Aubuchon wanted to customize the course content to make it more relevant and actionable for its managers,” says Scott Wright, executive director of advanced retail education programs for NHPA. “So we conducted a thorough, six-month review of the entire program and as a result made significant changes based on recommendations from Aubuchon leaders.”
Mentors have always been a critical component of NHPA’s Foundations of Leadership program. Students enrolled in the Foundations of Leadership program benefit from the advice, experience, guidance and encouragement of a mentor in their company. But mentors also gain valuable coaching skills and a sense of personal satisfaction for helping develop a future company leader.
“It’s a win-win relationship for both the student and the mentor because both gain valuable leadership skills at different points and perspectives in their careers,” Wright says.
This new, interactive online mentoring course from NHPA features a series of modules that include videos and resources to help teach the best practices of being a good mentor.
“You’ll learn what the best mentors do and don’t do, and how to structure the relationship with your mentee in a positive and productive manner right from the start,” Wright says.
Students will have access to mentorship readiness assessments and development guides to help them build on what they already know about mentorship. The course guides mentors through all aspects of the mentor/mentee relationship in a professional, easy to understand and easy to apply manner.
“This course will guide you each step of the way so you can become the kind of mentor you once had early in your career or the mentor you wish you had,” Wright says.
Address the post-COVID state of today’s workforce and other trends affecting the home improvement retail industry.
Reduce nonessential supporting content that isn’t directly actionable, allowing students to focus on learning and applying the most essential teachings of the course.
Include a companion course focused on mentoring best practices to benefit the students going through both leadership programs and the owners and managers who have a role in supporting them throughout the learning process.
• Learn how to set expectations for mentees that will add value and accountability to the relationship and to the company.
Learn how to set SMART goals and ask probing questions that will propel the relationship forward. Discover common challenges of mentoring and how to overcome them, as well as how to conclude the mentoring relationship on a high note.
Browse businesses for sale, list your business or open position or apply for a small business loan through the NHPA Marketplace at YourNHPA.org/marketplace
SALES AND MARKETING LEADERS from across the home improvement manufacturing landscape recently came together to share best marketing practices, gain insights into key customers’ strategies and learn from industry experts about emerging technologies at the spring meeting of the Hardware Marketing Council (HMC).
NHPA’s chief operating officer and publisher Dan Tratensek shared insights on how independent home improvement retail operations performed during and after COVID, indicating now is a critical point for the channel. He discussed specific strategies manufacturers could use to be competitive and build lasting partnerships with retail operations.
“HMC offers a unique opportunity to be in a room with people from different positions and experience levels in the home improvement industry,” says Karen O’Connell, sales manager at InSinkErator, a newer member of the organization. “At the spring meeting, we were able to hear some of the challenges our customers and peers are facing in today’s market and discuss solutions and strategies.”
For more information about the HMC or the upcoming fall meeting, or to learn how to become part of the top 125 sales and marketing leaders on the HMC, contact HMC managing director Pat Sheehan at hmcpks@gmail.com or visit hardwaremarketingcouncil.com.
EDUCATION
The following courses are available to NHPA Premier members. Visit YourNHPA.org/membership to learn more.
ACCORDING TO NHPA’S Cost of Doing Business Study, the average transaction size for the typical hardware store in 2021 was $32, the highest ever recorded. How do your numbers measure up? If you’d like to increase your sales this year, make sure your employees have the product knowledge they need to sell effectively.
NHPA has a library of product knowledge courses designed to prepare new hires with essential hardware knowledge. These courses can also be valuable for long-term employees who need a refresher in specific departments. Taking time to train everyone now will get them ready for the busy spring selling season.
NHPA’s product knowledge courses, Basic Training in Hardware Retailing and Basic Training in Building
Materials Retailing, cover core hardlines and building material departments in a typical home improvement operation. Employees who take these courses will learn basic product features, add-on sales, frequently asked questions and upselling suggestions. Each course is broken down into modules, each of which can be completed in 5 to 7 minutes, which means employees can work on their training as they have time throughout the day.
Once employees have basic product knowledge, they need to understand how those items fit together in a project. The Project Pro series of courses combine project videos with valuable selling skills while teaching the financial impact of a project sale and how to recognize a customer’s product needs. The series covers 14 common DIY projects.
Send an email to editorial@YourNHPA.org telling us about the products your customers love and why they are such a hit in your business.
FWMM PRODUCTS | thecaulkingfinger.com
The Caulking Finger is durable, easy to use and features a comfort grip. The flexible fingertip won’t scratch or damage surfaces when being used to smooth caulk.
BRASS KNUCKLE® PROTECTION
brassknuckleprotection.com or 770-674-8930
Brass Knuckle®’s Spike eye protection offers better than EN166/168 anti-fog protection and ANSI Z87.1/U6 ultraviolet protection. It features angle-adjustable temples, adjustable earpieces and floating, rubber-reinforced nosepieces to create a customizable fit.
HOMAX | homaxproducts.com or 888-890-9029
Homax’s TexPro Texture System sprays texture up to 70% faster than a traditional hopper gun while weighing up to 60% lighter. It delivers consistent, quality results while applying light or heavy texture to interior drywall and ceilings using ready-to-use cartridges.
FAST CURING ACRYLIC ADHESIVE MASTER® BUILDERS SOLUTIONS | master-builders-solutions.com
MasterEmaco ADH 610 is a two-component styrene-free, acrylic resin ideal for anchoring and dowel applications in uncracked concrete using threaded rod and rebar. It features high bond strengths, a wide service temperature range and is moisture resistant. It will cure in 30 minutes at 77 F in dry concrete and can be used for short-term tensile anchoring and shear loading conditions in accordance with allowable stress design.
CLOSED-END MINIROLLER WOOSTER | woosterbrush.com or 800-392-7246
Wooster’s Closed-End Jumbo-Koter® Minirollers feature fabric-covered ends, allowing painters to apply paint onto both corner surfaces at the same time for faster results. They’re available in ³⁄₁₆-inch to ¾-inch naps in packs of two and 10.
GOLDEN ARTISTS COLORS INC. goldenpaints.com or drice@goldenpaints.com
The Golden Paintworks GPW Metallic paint line consists of four tintable bases in quarts and gallons, as well as 28 pre-mixed metallic paint colors available in an 8-ounce trial size. Quart and gallon gennex tint formulas are available to retailers in 55 colors, including the 28 trial size colors. These water-based, interior acrylic paints are highly pigmented with iridescent mica to produce strong metallic effects. They can be applied with brushes, rollers or sprayers and rollers don’t require extenders or additives. They provide full coverage in two coats and dry with a satin sheen.
B
B U SI N E S S F O R S AL E
Northwest Farm & Home Supply Co.
Location: Lemmon, SD
Gross Revenue: $3 21 million
and warehouse space on 4 acres. The main bldg was constructed in 1994 with additions constructed in 2002 & 2004. Single story with 22’ clear height level doors and two dock height doors
B U S I
Central Vermont Paint , Flooring , and Decorating
Business
Location: Vermont
Gross Revenue: $2.82 million
Price: $1 1 million
Full-service decorating store providing
kitchen/bathroom remodeling, cabinetry product o erings, design assistance, specialized service, and professional installation
B U S I N E S S F O R S AL E
Home Improvement Supply Store
Location: Missouri
Gross Revenue: $1 04 million
This historic home improvement and hardware store is a staple of its community and operates from its headquarters in Missouri. The Company is a long-standing retailer and installer of consumer and commercial improvement products
Hoosick True Value
Location: Hoosick Falls, New York
Gross Revenue: $1.26 million Price: $1.875 million
This opportunity o ers a turnkey sale of a general hardware operation located in northeastern Rensselaer Co., New York The business serves five towns, southwestern Bennington Co , Vermont, and 25 miles east of Troy, New York
B U S I N E S S F O R S AL E
Private Business
Location: Alabama
Gross Revenue: $2.21 million
Price: $649,000
B U S I N E S S F O R S AL E
Private Business
Location: Pennsylvania
Gross Revenue: $1.6 million
SEE KI N G B U S IN E S S E S Gold Beach Lumber Yard
We are looking for:
•
•
• 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
10,000 miles and counting
Read about NHPA On the Road trips and the stores we’ve visited at YourNHPA.org/on-the-road
Epstein’s Paint Center
DaCorta Hardware
Hartville Hardware HARTVILLE, OH
Family Center Farm & Home HARRISONVILLE, MO
Carthage Hardware CARTHAGE, MO
Flanagan Paint & Supply ST. PETERS, MO
Branneky True Value Hardware BRIDGETON, MO
Spectrum Paint CLAREMORE, OK
M&M Lumber Co. TULSA, OK
Builders Lumber & Hardware SHELBYVILLE, IN
Cardwell Do it Best Home Center INDIANAPOLIS, IN
E&H Ace Hardware WOOSTER, OH
Loconsolo Paints NEW YORK CITY, NY (3)
Cumberland Hardware NASHVILLE, TN
Miller Hardware Co. VALDOSTA, GA
Miller’s Hardware WINTER PARK, FL
Bay to Bay Ace Hardware
Tanner Paint Co.
Triboro Paint Center NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, MA The Paint Shoppes PROVIDENCE, RI
BROOKLYN, NY (2)
Summit Paint Centers AKRON, OH
Mazzone Ace Hardware Crest Hardware
Johnson Paint Center BOSTON, MA
Adelaide’s Paint & Decor ST. SIMON ISLAND, GA
CENTRAL FLORIDA (3)
TAMPA, FL (2)
Regal Paint Center
Toole’s Ace Hardware
Celebration Hardware
Sarasota Paint Co. SARASOTA , FL
Situated on Newbury Street in the heart of Boston, Johnson Paint has been a staple in the neighborhood since 1939. The operation has 10 other locations in Massachusetts,
As Miller Hardware Co. has expanded over the past century, they continue to use their original warehouse to fulfill online orders.
The Paint Shoppes highlights its varied product mix on short gondolas, which allow customers to see across the entire store.
Adelaide’s Paint & Decor warehouse manager Kenny Newton paints sample boards for customers to take home and see the difference between various shades of paint.
With 22 stores in the Pacific Northwest and counting, leadership at Mallory Paint places a high emphasis on employee engagement and development at every level of the company.
Since 1924, Tum-A-Lum has been serving the community of Pendleton, Oregon. Branch manager Shane Reinhart and his team were excited to show NHPA their newly renovated business.
In Seattle’s bustling Capitol Hill district, passers-by may stop to look at Pacific Supply Co.’s unique window displays, designed by a local resident using products from the store.
Service is a major differentiator for Triboro Paint Center, which has two locations in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island.
City People’s Mercantile in Seattle has the look and feel of a boutique store, with elegant displays featuring housewares, pet products, health and beauty products, gifts and toys, along with core hardware categories.
As this issue is hitting your inbox or mailbox, the 2023 NHPA Independents Conference is underway in Dallas. Over the course of two days, the event will be championing retailer success stories, sharing solutions for common challenges in the independent channel and providing opportunities for independent retailers to expand their professional networks.
Presented by the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA), the event is bringing together retailers, regardless of type, size and affiliation, to learn from industry experts and one another.
“We are honored to be the place where the industry’s most innovative, progressive minds are coming together to learn from each other and choosing to excel,” says NHPA president and CEO Bob Cutter.
If you can’t be in Dallas, subscribe to NHPA Events at YourNHPA.org/subscribe for daily highlights from the 2023 NHPA Independents Conference.
Your industry peers on stage and in the audience have experience and knowledge to share, and they want to hear from you too. The conference is bringing together retailers from across the independent channel and all affiliations to share best practices and solutions. There will also be opportunities to connect socially, making new friends in the industry and catching up with existing ones.
“I’m interested in building connections with my peers. That network is priceless when it comes to sharing ideas and experiences for growth within our community of home improvement centers.”
Heather McDonnell, Manotick Home HardwareThroughout the conference, the Retail Solutions Hall will host 24 innovative service provider exhibitors who are ready to help retailers address common challenges, such as data management, inventory control, internal communications, security and more.
“The Independents Conference will be an incredible opportunity to connect with brilliant minds, exchange ideas and explore new solutions. I hope the atmosphere is filled with a spark and energy. I believe collaboration is the best weapon in our tool belt, and this conference will be the perfect venue for it.”
Adam Gunnett, Busy Beaver Home Improvement Centers
Along with keynote addresses from former executives of Amazon and Google, the industry’s leading retailers will take part in panel discussions sharing how they use tech to solve some of their toughest operational challenges.
“My dad and I are really looking forward to networking at the conference. It will be a great opportunity to see what everybody else is doing. It will give us a chance to learn more about what’s going on in the industry right now and what we can do to continue to grow our business.”
Zane Watkins, Village HardwareIF YOU’RE NOT IN DALLAS, HERE’S WHAT YOU’RE MISSING
WHOLESALE
PLATINUM GOLD
SILVER
NHPA will recognize the next generation of retail with the 2023 Young Retailer of the Year reception at the end of Day 1. Concluding Day 2, the three 2023 Top Guns Award honorees take part in a panel discussion followed by a reception in their honor, sponsored by STIHL and the National Hardware Show.
“We know the content will be awesome, but shaking hands with old and new friends is what makes it so exciting. We also have an associate receiving the Young Retailer of the Year award. We are all excited to celebrate and toast to this incredible achievement in person with our work family.”
Chris
Miller, Nation’s Best
This cutting-edge paint formula offers your customers a winning trifecta of quality, convenience, and durability. Perfect for enhancing trim, doors, cabinets, and walls, THOR Waterborne Alkyd is expertly engineered for smooth application, with unmatched flow and leveling properties that make it a joy to use.
Read additional insights for selling to pros and discover tape tips to share with your customers at PDRmag.com/tape-insights.
As a core category for Barrydowne Paint, specialty coatings influenced another successful department in the operation—paint sprayers and sprayer accessories.
Dave and Laurel Scott opened Barrydowne Paint in Sudbury, Ontario, in 1981 and now share ownership with their daughter Kelly Scott and her husband Matt Heikkila. Barrydowne has two locations in Sudbury, which has a large mining industry and a high volume of professional and industrial contractors.
The company is one of Canada’s largest distributors of industrial protective and maintenance coatings
and has been selling these specialty products to professionals for decades. The operation serves a customer base of 35% DIY and 65% professional, with commercial, residential and industrial painters making up the majority of their contractor customer base.
But with many competitors in the surrounding area, Heikkila and his team needed a way to set their operation apart. They did so by creating a niche in their paint sprayer and accessory department to appeal to their strong base of specialty coatings customers. Heikkila shares the strategies he focused on to augment this category and build up the customer base.
While paint sprayers are often only sold once to a customer, stocking necessary accessories and replacement parts will ensure repeat business and ongoing sales. Here are the top consumable accessories and add-on products to merchandise near paint sprayers according to Heikkila.
Learn more about the safety and personal protective equipment products your paint customers need at PDRmag.com/paint-ppe.
Barrydowne Paint stocks airless sprayers for the heavier industrial coatings it sells and air spray units for the wood coatings and fine finishing coatings it has available, Heikkila says. Because the operation serves so many professionals, Heikkila and his team don’t stock low-grade sprayers and spray equipment and sell only high-quality products.
“There’s nothing more frustrating than having issues with a paint sprayer in the middle of a job, especially when you are a professional,” Heikkila says. “We only stock high-performing paint sprayers to ensure our customers successfully complete their projects with ease.”
Heikkila and his team utilize their point-of-sale (POS) system to track customer data and inventory levels to ensure they always have enough merchandise on hand to serve customers, a majority of whom are repeat customers, he says.
“We supply customers with the bulk of their sprayer needs and understand their consumption rate, which is high because our industrial customers use aggressive products in their sprayers that chew through sprayer tips faster than residential coatings do,” Heikkila says. “Because we know our customers move through product quickly, we make sure we have plenty of stock so we aren’t ever the reason a project gets delayed.”
In 2019, the operation moved its repair center and a majority of its paint sprayers and accessories to its 15,000-square-foot South End location. The repair shop employs three mechanics—including Graco-certified spray pump repair technician Bruce Ridenour—who service everything from paint pumps to spray guns.
“Offering repairs has been helpful with retaining professional customers,” Heikkila says. “Providing a place where pros can purchase all the products they need and receive sprayer repairs leads to a convenient customer experience and increased customer satisfaction.”
Barrydowne Paint also has a large rental fleet of sprayers for most industrial and residential coatings and keeps multiple units dedicated to different types of paint. Residential and commercial latex paints are sprayed through dedicated units, while solvent-borne products— such as epoxies and urethanes—are sprayed through different units.
“Our customers appreciate not having to put everything on hold while they wait for repairs,” Heikkila says.
Barrydowne Paint’s customers are rarely in a position where they cannot reach a team member to assist with any project or equipment concerns, Heikkila says. Heikkila and his industrial sales manager Rick Villeneuve take it a step further by making their direct lines always available to customers.
“A lot of our business is conducted through the phone,” Heikkila says. “If one of our customers is about to start a project, especially if it’s in a remote location, they’ll call us ahead of time to ensure that they have sufficient stock on hand.”
“Providing a place where pros can purchase all the products they need and receive sprayer repairs leads to a convenient customer experience and increased customer satisfaction.”
—Matt Heikkila, Barrydowne Paint
Sign up to receive updates on when surveys go live and download the reports at YourNHPA.org/retailer-index
THE INDEPENDENT RETAILER INDEX, developed by the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) in partnership with The Farnsworth Group, serves as a regular measure of the independent channel’s performance. Dive into the report to discover industry trends in several key performance metrics.
Cost of goods is beginning to ease up with only half (51%) seeing an increase in Q1 2023, down from 85% in Q4 2022.
Q1 2023 saw the most variance in Independent retailers seeing profit margin increases (24%) and decreases (39%). The average profit margin improved from -0.8% in Q4 to -0.4% in Q1.
A whopping 56% said their transaction sizes stayed “about the same” resulting in a near zero (-0.1%) average change.
While down from previous quarters, average inventory investment is still a positive 2.2% with close to half (44%) increasing their inventory.
Transaction counts went from being even (0%) in Q4 back to negative (-2%) in Q1. Q1 saw the most retailers since the start of the study (44%) saying transaction counts “stayed the same.”
Retailers seeing a YoY increase in sales went down from 53% in Q4 2022 to 32% for Q1 2023. Overall, the average increase in Q1 is -3.2%, down from a positive 3.2% in Q4.
Build the people side of your business and improve communication, reduce conflict and increase overall productivity with NHPA’s Organizational Development and Consulting services.
YourNHPA.org/development
TeamBuilder is an assessment of the people side of your business. It analyzes your current organizational structure and staff members to help you maximize their potential.
Everything DiSC® is a personal development learning experience measuring an individual’s communication preferences and tendencies based on the DiSC model.
The Vision Process is a year-long journey toward strengthening your team, defining company values and building processes and best practices that fit your goals.
Retailers looking for custom solutions can take advantage of our hourly consulting options, ranging from owner support, manager mentoring, operational support and more.
About Kim Peffley Director of Organizational
Development & Consulting, NHPA
Kim Peffley began her career over 25 years ago, working at her family-owned True Value, and then served as General Manager for a seven-store Ace chain. As a certified Everything DiSC® Facilitator and Consultant, Peffley uses her industry-specific retail management and leadership experience to offer professional training and support to retailers.
Contact Kim kpeffley@YourNHPA.org 219-776-0094
“Kim is rooted in the industry with almost 30 years of experience in hardware … Bringing Kim into our store has been one of the best business decisions we could have made.”
Get started with a free one-hour consultation to get immediate feedback and advice for your business. Visit YourNHPA.org/development to schedule an appointment with NHPA’s Kim Peffley.
Lee LeFleur, Mike’s Hardware & Supply, Louisiana
Discover additional insights on ways to handle shrink from employee theft and fraud at PDRmag.com/internal-shrink
THEFT, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, has been on the rise in recent years, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). In the NRF’s 2022 Retail Security Survey, 70.8% of retailers saw an increase in organized retail crimes (ORC) in the last 12 months. Of those retailers, 65% indicated ORC was the main cause of shrink, with 28.5% attributing shrink to internal theft. Here are three ways to protect yourself, your business and your employees. 1/
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TURN TO TECHNOLOGY.
Consider installing high-definition cameras in your operation or using artificial intelligence (AI) software, which can detect theft in real time using existing security systems.
FOSTER EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
One of the best loss prevention methods is well-trained employees who offer excellent customer service, including greeting every customer and inquiring how they can help.
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SEARCH FOR SIMPLE SOLUTIONS.
Look for uncomplicated ways to deter theft, such as adding discreet metal trim to all doors and windows to make entry more challenging, installing security mirrors and monitors or adding anti-theft signage.
