Flexibility, Tactility Focus of Many Hardware Product Introductions

Displays that offer flexibility for retailers and tactility for customers were at the forefront of ideas introduced at the National Hardware Show in Chicago this August. These themes permeated the new merchandising ideas offered by the estimated 3,000-plus exhibitors."The U.S. home-improvement industry is growing aggressively, and the National Hardware Show presents a tremendous opportunity for retailers from all parts of the world to anticipate consumer demands in their markets," says Dennis MacDonald, vice president of Association Exposition & Services, which manages the event for the American Hardware Manufacturers Association. The show also offers retailers a chance to make their needs known, with a variety of exhibitors bringing display prototypes for feedback and meeting with retailers to learn what they'd like to see next.A good example of the need to demonstrate products to consumers can be seen in the major display introduced by Broan Manufacturing Co. of Hartford, Wis., for its extensive line of door chimes. "More so than other displays, this one does a beautiful job of showcasing chimes so customers can see, hear and easily select the chime of their choice," explains JeffVon Haden, Broan product manager. "Better merchandising generally leads to better sales."The 8-foot-wide by 6-foot-tall display, which began arriving in warehouse stores in September, takes the customer from initial consideration through the purchase decision by presenting each option. The company's entire line is featured on the display, which offers a distinctive concave style. A pink metal back panel is surrounded by injection-molded white molding that replicates the look of Roman columns to provide an upscale framework. A backlit header, running the width of the display and standing about 8 inches tall, attracts more attention.The display features more than 30 operating chimes from the company's line, with an array of options and styles to choose from. It sits in the upper half of warehouse racking, providing an attention-getting device above eye level that leaves room beneath for stocking products where they can be easily reached.Each chime includes a small display sign with pricing, stock number and a numerical code from 1 to 30 that corresponds to buttons beneath the display. Consumers push any button to hear the appropriate chime, make their choice and take the product from the stock. The entire display, created by DCI Marketing, Milwaukee, includes only three electrical circuits behind the rear panel. The chimes are mounted at the factory, and the display is assembled in the store by Broan's sales representatives.The display also features samples of 21 door-button options along with several wireless chimes, providing an array of mix-and-match options. "This is a hard-working display," says Douglas T. White, vice president of marketing. "It shows off the products' high-quality materials, such as the hardwood and brass used in the styling, while allowing the consumer to hear what each one sounds like and compare them." The unit replaces a smaller display, he notes, that will continue to be used in smaller stores.Research Pays OffThe need for flexibility in retail presentations was evident in the new Flexogram display system introduced by CooperTools, Apex, N.C. The program for the manufacturer's hand tools was developed after a year's worth of research with retailers. "What we learned is no two retailers want the same display, because they don't have the same needs," says Dave Fortin, merchandising manager for hardware. "We were at a loss over how to create a program that would fit everyone."The result is a flexible display system designed in-house that began shipping this month. It centers on a series of injection-molded header frames that can be used in vertical or horizontal formats depending on the peg fasteners used. These are combined with standard loop peghooks that include a separate scan-tag holder, which displays pricing and UPC codes on each item.Each header touts one hand tool. The 50 different headers that are offered in horizontal and vertical formats cover 20 tools. Each sign, measuring 6 inches wide or deep and 30 inches long or tall, takes a generic approach to the tool, presenting applications and different styles. For instance, the hammer header describes the difference between curved-claw or ripping hammers and shows uses for each.Each sign features a small, understated CooperTools logo that encourages the retailer to use the pieces as a category-management tool. "We [understand] we'll never own the store's entire tool category," says Fortin. "This ensures the proper information is received by the consumer and allows the retailer to adapt the space as he wants, giving him options for expanding any line or product type in the future."Compressing SpaceAnother tool company working to compress display space is Vermont American, Lincolnton, N.C. It introduced a merchandising system that offers flexibility for using pegboard and endcap space for its power-tool accessories and hand tools. "Our goal was to save space, bring hardware stores a vehicle for using UPC codes and take advantage of stock hooks rather than creating custom ones," explains Ron Ballard, a spokesman. "This system solves all those problems. We can save as much or more space with this system than we can with our custom racks."The new system, supplied by Southern Imperial Inc., Rockford, Ill., provides three tiers of UPC-scannable peghooks, with the top tier placed directly on the pegboard. The second sits on a rack set 5 inches in front of the board, and the third tier sits out 9 inches. The tiers are placed together vertically as close as 5 inches, creating a "waterfall" effect that saves up to 50 percent of wall space.The racks come in widths measuring 12-, 18-, 24- and 48-inches long and can be modified to accommodate changes to the product mix as needed, he notes. P-O-P signs supplement the system to organize the display wall and provide consumer information on various applications for the accessories. These fasten to the pegboard above the top row of product. The company is converting all of its existing merchandising assortments to the new system, Ballard says.Packaging SellsCompanies are also adopting packaging that tells consumers all they need to know. Color-coding, symbols and other aids direct consumers to key information and explain options.Display packaging is changing in other ways, too. At Zircon Corp., makers of electronic stud sensors and measuring equipment, packaging has been switched from blister packs to clamshells to ensure all features and information is shown clearly. The background color has also been changed to a bright blue to help "pop" the information, says John Stauss, president of the Campbell, Calif.-based company. "These new programs are designed to show and tell customers the Zircon product story and move our tools off the shelves."The new packaging includes illustrations demonstrating the product and trilingual directions, which are gaining acceptance industry-wide.A similar packaging goal was evident at Harloc Inc., which upgraded its lockset line and focused it on retailers with a customer base of professional contractors. The upgrading required more sophisticated packaging to get the message out, says Douglas Collins, marketing manager for the Taylorsville, Ky.-based company. The result is more eye-catching graphics and a more prominent name and logo identification, along with clear-view packaging that allows the products' enhanced quality to help sell them, he says. The packaging also incorporates the lockset industry's standards for color-coding (red for keyed, green for hall and closet, blue for bed and bath, yellow for deadbolts).The new approach is supplemented by an integrated display system that allows the clear-view packaging to star. Shipped in September, the program includes ganged pegs that allow three pegged products to be hung from a rack taking up the space of two pegs. New headers and other P-O-P materials that are compatible with existing shelves and box-pack merchandising arrangements were also used.First TimersEven first-time entrants to the market realize the value of upscale packaging and informative merchandisers in the home-center market, which is often considered a downscale, somewhat consumer-unfriendly market. NOW Products Inc., which has been selling its cleaning products to the commercial market as the Mirachem Corp. for nearly 20 years, is entering the home-center market this fall after an earlier successful entry into the price-club mass merchants. The company markets itself as offering an extensive line of environmentally friendly cleaning products.To approach this market, the company's marketers decided to redesign the packaging to emphasize its quality and to make it stand out on the shelves, explains Bruce Kallet, vice president of marketing for the Tempe, Ariz.-based company. "We've found there's confusion in the customer's mind because the labels don't communicate the complete story," he says. To resolve that, NOW's labels feature a four-color graphic depicting the type of surface the product works on, along with line-art symbols showing the range of applications -- car tires, hand tools, windows, floors and concrete. "Retailers have been telling us they're impressed with the quality of the packaging labels and information," he says. "This is a home-center category that hasn't had a lot of pizzazz."Merchandising will focus on two basic approaches, at least during the initial offering. It will include color-coded header cards measuring about 6 inches tall and 18 inches long, which will be customized into one continuous header to fit any size space from 2 feet to 8 feet, he says. Each product's positioning on the overall header is designed to match the location of the product on the shelves below.The second option will feature a corrugated shipper with three tiers of mix-and-match products of the retailer's choice, in which the top shelf detaches to form a countertop display for impulse and cross-merchandising options. The header, measuring about 22 inches wide and 18 inches tall, offers a generic overview to the NOW product line, emphasizing the products' biodegradable nature and lack of fumes.The company also intends to offer niche-oriented products, including computer-screen and gun cleaners, as well as packs of related products. One packaged set now being prepared combines rust and corrosion cleaner with barbecue and oven cleaner and a wire brush for an outdoor cleaning kit. "These kinds of value-added kits help home-center retailers offer more variety, because they can be used as gifts or impulse items as well as combining different products into one place," he explains. The combined price of the kit will be significantly less than the items sold separately, he notes. "We hope to do a number of these types of kits to help expand our trial use and get our name out. We're small so we have to do things more creatively."Big or small, creativity is playing a larger role as more suppliers try to take center stage in the home-center field. With stores growing larger and customers growing more concerned with finding just the right product, the need for flexibility in programs and more user-friendly displays will continue to grow.

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