Choose To Win Or Prepare To Lose.
May/June 2008 - Hardware Merchandising
I attended an industry function recently where an acclaimed economist spoke eloquently about the tough times ahead and the need to avoid unnecessary risks, such as expanding your business. Sage advice, but taken out of context this could lead store owners to miss opportunities to win market share or, worse yet, watch as strong competitors steal market share away from them.
May/June 2008 - Hardware Merchandising
I attended an industry function recently where an acclaimed economist spoke eloquently about the tough times ahead and the need to avoid unnecessary risks, such as expanding your business. Sage advice, but taken out of context this could lead store owners to miss opportunities to win market share or, worse yet, watch as strong competitors steal market share away from them.
A Little Less Bright, please
May/June 2005 - Hardware Merchandising
Colour can be used in many ways to complement a shopping environment and contribute to the branding of a store. In the earlier days of Home Depot, that meant painting everything but the cashiers’ finger nails orange. Revy differentiated itself by painting its stores blue. Fixtures, counters, signs and hundreds of overhead doors were all drowned with Revy blue. The concept was to take the dominant colour in the logo and use it to dominate the environment.
May/June 2005 - Hardware Merchandising
Colour can be used in many ways to complement a shopping environment and contribute to the branding of a store. In the earlier days of Home Depot, that meant painting everything but the cashiers’ finger nails orange. Revy differentiated itself by painting its stores blue. Fixtures, counters, signs and hundreds of overhead doors were all drowned with Revy blue. The concept was to take the dominant colour in the logo and use it to dominate the environment.
Smooth Sailing Ahead
October 2004 - Hardware Merchandising
Have you ever walked through a store during a grand opening and wandered about in awe and admiration, only to return a few months later to find disorder, dismay and disarray? Why is this? There may be lots of reasons, but the main culprit is human nature, namely a resistance to change and a lack of discipline.
October 2004 - Hardware Merchandising
Have you ever walked through a store during a grand opening and wandered about in awe and admiration, only to return a few months later to find disorder, dismay and disarray? Why is this? There may be lots of reasons, but the main culprit is human nature, namely a resistance to change and a lack of discipline.
It's All Relative
July/August 2004 - Hardware Merchandising
There’s a lot more to designing a store than drawing a floor plan, setting up fixtures and filling them with product. A store is like a car. It’s a complex structure of integrated hardware and systems that all need to work together to achieve maximum performance. But unlike a car, which may not run if parts are missing, stores can sputter along, and that’s exactly what many do. That’s why thorough planning is critical.
July/August 2004 - Hardware Merchandising
There’s a lot more to designing a store than drawing a floor plan, setting up fixtures and filling them with product. A store is like a car. It’s a complex structure of integrated hardware and systems that all need to work together to achieve maximum performance. But unlike a car, which may not run if parts are missing, stores can sputter along, and that’s exactly what many do. That’s why thorough planning is critical.
Store Renos - What are they good for?
May/June 2004 - Hardware Merchandising
The home improvement industry has been on a roll for several years now. But with a strong market comes greater competition. Box stores are making inroads in medium-size communities that just a few years ago were considered too small to support them. The friendly (or not-so-friendly) competitor across town is expanding his store and adding more selection. The Wal-Marts and enlarged Canadian Tires are taking pieces of market share that used to belong to the local independent dealers.
May/June 2004 - Hardware Merchandising
The home improvement industry has been on a roll for several years now. But with a strong market comes greater competition. Box stores are making inroads in medium-size communities that just a few years ago were considered too small to support them. The friendly (or not-so-friendly) competitor across town is expanding his store and adding more selection. The Wal-Marts and enlarged Canadian Tires are taking pieces of market share that used to belong to the local independent dealers.