FSC Creates Cross-Merchandisers, Sampling Units to Boost Wallpaper

FSC Wallcoverings recently introduced several new displays that company officials hope will steal some market share from paint in the home decor department of home centers. These include a sliding-door unit that presents 32 styles in an 8-foot space and two cross-merchandising-ideas displays."Paint companies have had some very successful ideas that the wallcovering industry hasn't countered," says Seth W. Rose, marketing manager for national accounts at the New York-based wallcovering division of F. Schumacher & Co. "I looked at how paint categories are merchandised, and I thought I might be able to use those ideas to our advantage.""Paint companies put large amounts of money into sample-chip merchandisers and create a huge presentation at the point-of-sale," Rose explains. "Then they let the retailer stock the product on the shelves or in the aisle. They put their money into displays and worry less about stocking." Wallcovering companies, on the other hand, tend to create special fixtures that show off the entire wallcovering stock, leaving them little budget to merchandise their products.To overcome that, FSC created a display for its Village wallpaper line that provides an-upscale presentation of wallpaper along with several sampling techniques for home center stores that are expanding their home decor category. This "Maximizer" display features two distinct components. The foundation consists of "a cheap stocking bin" made of particleboard that measures about 22 inches deep. It holds 24 bolts (48 rolls) and 24 border styles in each 4-foot module.To the front of this is attached a more elaborate, two-deep system of sliding doors made of particleboard encased in a wood frame. It measures 2 inches wide with an 18-inch header board at the top for attaching various header cards. Each door shows off eight product patterns at the roll's full 20-inch width using a cascade shape. Short pegs attached to each side at the base of each sample module allow a roll to be attached as on a paper towel rack. Customers can unroll a piece to take home in a manner similar to a paint company's chip program.The sample cases are created in four-sample modules that sit on positioning pegs and lift out quickly, allowing them to be easily replaced whenever desired. The stocking bins behind the doors correspond to the sample position on the front, allowing customers to match up samples and product stock quickly. In addition, each bin contains a vertical clear-plastic rod that's flexible enough to be removed from holes set in the top and bottom of each shelf. The rod holds a border sample of the same wallpaper pattern, allowing customers to tear off a piece to take home."The border sampler is my favorite part of the display," Rose says. "If the retailer doesn't want to offer those samples, he can leave the peg empty, and it looks like another clear-plastic shelf support. It doesn't appear that something is missing from the display. Yet the pegs can be filled with borders quickly if the retailer wants to offer them as a sample."The units were designed by architectural engineer Bob deGrucie, who works with FSC on various projects, and they are being produced by a local carpentry firm.The displays began rolling out to Home Depot stores in August, following a test program in July in the retailer's New York state stores.At the other end of the display scale are two cross-merchandising units that allow the firm's border styles to be placed in other departments. Produced in conjunction with Thomson-Leeds Co., New York, the displays are called the Hatbox and the Hitchhiker.The Hatbox consists of a 10-sided corrugated box with a wide back side. It comes filled with 24 border spools and features a half-round header with the simple identification of "Decorative Borders" and the Village brand name. The front of the box as well as the inside shows the border style featured."I felt it was as important to put a border on the inside as on the outside," Rose says. "Most customers will see inside easier than looking at the box's exterior, and this ensures the box still retains some visual interest as it empties out. Too often, companies don't plan for what their display will look like as it empties out."The Hitchhiker offers great flexibility for retailers because of the versatile fastener system it offers. It consists of a blue-coated wire rack that measures about 12 inches wide and 4 inches deep, holding 12 flat-pack border units. To this wire racking is attached a special fastener that can be turned forward, backward, right side up or upside down. Each position allows the retailer to attach the rack to a shelf in a different way: on top of the shelf, extending from the front, beneath the shelf, or below the front of the shelf."Retailers resist racks like this because they say they don't want them sticking out into the aisle, or they don't want them taking up shelf space," Rose explains. "This rack lets them use it however best fits their needs."

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