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April 14, 2014 Volume
xx, #15
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German poet, philosopher and dramatist, 1749-1832)
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Home Hardware's new CEO delivers solidarity message at 50th-year market
ST. JACOBS, Ont. — Home Hardware dealers, with their staff and families from across Canada, converged on the co-op wholesaler’s main distribution centre in greater numbers than usual last week to attend Home’s 50th anniversary spring market.
The event was also a forum for the new CEO—only the company’s third during its half-century in existence—to speak directly with member-dealers.
Although Terry Davis officially steps into the top job May 1, he was front and centre at the dealer meeting in Graham Ferguson Hall on day two of the market. His message that morning was a simple one: “It’s your company,” he said emphatically. It’s a motto he has held personally since the early days of his career at Home, and it served as both a rallying cry and to set the tone for an event that provides a full-support environment for every aspect of hardware and home improvement retailing.
That support was further reflected at this show by the host of product introductions, new digital POS tools, and enhanced ancillary programs—everything from installed sales and tool rentals to signage and staff education.
An important aspect of Home’s delivery system for its well-entrenched culture is its Pre-Market Conference, a series of seminars at the Waterloo Inn in nearby Waterloo, Ont., that drew dealers to learn more about a range of topics, including how to make one’s store a destination for plumbing sales and how to increase add-on sales.
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RECOMMENDED VIEWING: German DIY ads get creative
COLOGNE, Germany — German DIY retailer OBI has found a fresh way to market its products. The solution was an eye-appealing program that showed tired corners of the city brightened up by a fresh coat of paint. Sections of run-down buildings near OBI stores were painted to look like ads. The concept was developed by ad agency Jung von Matt to counter the plethora of “ugly” print ads from other German home improvement retailers. (Definitely check this one out. It’s absolutely fascinating! —Michael )
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Paintings at Home Hardware Market raise cash for Kids
ST. JACOBS, Ont. — Home Hardware's Beauti-Tone paint division raised over $15,000 for the Sick Kids Foundation at a silent auction held during Home’s Spring Dealer Market. The walls of the Home Hardware distribution centre were lined with paintings done by staffers and associates using Home’s own paint lines.
But it was also a way to draw attention to the new colour collection being launched by Home this spring. According to Bev Bell, creative director for Home’s Beauti-Tone paint brand, the line, called “the Everyday Extraordinary Colour Collection,” was developed with the editors of Canadian women’s magazine Chatelaine. It’s been arranged into nine colour palettes that are “very soft and muted, ideal for the home,” says Bell. It’s part of Home’s new “Colour Comes Home” collection, featuring 1,458 new shades.
The collection, which features oversized colour chips that can be pinned together for colour matching, will be in Home Hardware stores by the end of the month.
In anticipation of the launch, the colours were used at the market for a good cause, as featured in the paintings that went up for auction. “Staff, local artists, and even celebrities used Beauti-Tone paint to create 62 original pieces of art which were auctioned over the three days of market,” says Darrin Noble, vice president and general manager for Beauti-Tone Paint and Home Products. “Bidders paid as much as $3,000 per painting, with proceeds going to a wonderful cause.”
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Millennials, social media hot topics at NRHA conference
LAS VEGAS — They’re tech-savvy multi-taskers known to be motivated by instant gratification and recognition. By now, you’ve likely heard about the characteristics of the millennial generation, but how much do you really know about their homebuying preferences or how they could affect your businesses?
Jill Waage, editorial director of home content at Better Homes and Gardens, will be one of several featured keynote speakers at the NRHA All-Industry Conference who will discuss this and other trends that could affect how you run your operation. Joining Waage at the Conference is David Crowe, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders, and Pat Murphy from the International Society of Social Media.
The Conference, held in conjunction with the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, is free to all retailers and will showcase the theme “Trend Spotting.” In addition to the extensive educational lineup, which will take place on the NRHA Village Stage located right outside the entrance to the halls of the show itself, the NRHA All-Industry Conference will feature more intimate breakout sessions so retailers can speak candidly about topics that matter most to them.
On May 7, Waage will present data from the Better Homes and Gardens’s sixth annual survey of spending trends of homebuyers, revealing millennials’ preferences for their next homes. “Millennials are swarming into the home marketplace armed with information, ideas, and a passionate desire for personalization,” Waage says. “Home builders, designers, and remodelers should know this generation expects you to work with them as collaborators, not just contractors.”
Waage will reveal how millennials use a range of media platforms, including social media sites such as Pinterest and Instagram to express their personality and share ideas on home design and style.
Crowe from the NAHB will discuss the current state of the housing market, with forecasts of the state of the economy and home market. Murphy, an expert in social media marketing, will discuss how to leverage new trends through multiscreen marketing tactics. He will teach attendees not only how to get the most from new advertising media but will also discuss the importance of a comprehensive plan to target the latest trends.
The 2014 NRHA All-Industry Conference will be co-located with the National Hardware Show, May 6-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. Attendance is free with registration for the National Hardware Show. (For more information, click here.)
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Classified Ads
TERRITORY SALES MANAGER – ONTARIO
LOXCREEN CANADA LTD.
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO
Loxcreen Canada Ltd., www.loxcreen.com / www.mdteam.com , is a leading supplier of floor trims, ceramic accessories and weatherstrip products in North America with head office in Mississauga, Ontario. Loxcreen products are widely known under the Shur-Trim, ProVa, and M-D brand names in the Canadian marketplace. The company is seeking a Territory Sales Manager for Ontario with experience in the retail building materials/hardware industry.
The Territory Sales Manager will call on retail Hardware and LBM locations across Ontario to promote Loxcreen products, develop new business, maintain and set up merchandising displays, provide product knowledge to store associates and work industry trade shows. Competitive compensation package offered.
To see more information on this exciting opportunity, please visit our ad on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/jobs2/view/10844147 or apply directly to employment@loxcreenflooring.com .
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