Home » Industry News » Retailers Find Ideas, New Products at Orgill Dealer Market

Retailers Find Ideas, New Products at Orgill Dealer Market

From new products to concept stores to promotional areas, the Orgill Fall Dealer Market had a lot to offer retailers.

The buying show was Aug. 25-27 at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas.

“It’s been a good show,” says Kevin Crouch of Crouch Hardware & Farm in Saluda, South Carolina. “There is plenty of merchandise to see and good vendors to meet with.”

Ideas on Display

The market featured three of Orgill’s concept stores:

  • Continental Hardware & Building Supply, an 11,500-square-foot store that focused on a 50-50 DIY-pro customer mix;
  • Maple Ridge Home Centre, a 7,500-square-foot store that focused on the same 50-50 customer mix and carried Canadian-compliant products, all available in the London, Ontario distribution center; and
  • Vista Home & Garden Supply, a 17,500-square-foot store that carried a complete line of hardware supplies but emphasized the lawn and garden and farm and ranch categories.

Merchandising concepts showcased in these stores included DIY and pro checkout counters placed side by side, designated entrances and exits to guide customers through the store and placement of different departments to help female customers feel welcome in hardware or building supply stores.

 Highlighted Categories

As usual, Orgill highlighted a few categories throughout the show with special product showcases.

The first was the impulse items showcase, which prominently featured a variety of As Seen on TV products, as well as a new clip strip program, which Orgill put together based on customer feedback. The showcase also highlighted checkout counter and endcap displays.

The lawn and garden showcase offered a spring booking program for patio furniture and agricultural and animal health products. Orgill’s Retail Right program, which offers an assortment of high-quality products at a strong price point, was also highlighted.

In addition, the Worldwide Sourcing showcase included Orgill’s new builders’ hardware program, which carries Pro Source branding. It also displayed holiday decor, as well as the rest of Orgill’s Worldwide Sourcing products and brands.

With the door busters, market busters, coupon specials, new items and pallets, retailers had plenty of opportunities to make big purchases and save money while they were at it.

“It’s important for us to take time and take a look at the new products,” says Tim Klingbeil of Klingbeil Lumber Co. in Medford, Wisconsin. “We also take advantage of the pallet specials and coupon specials.”

The Spring Booking Area included patio furniture and the outdoor living category, agricultural products and Orgill’s animal health program.

Because of Orgill’s acquisition of Canadian distributor Chalifour at the end of 2015, the market included a special promotions area for Canadian customers.

“The market is going well for us,” says Kelly Richardson of Keith’s Building Supplies in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. “We are going through changes with the acquisition, and Orgill has been very accommodating.”

Learning Opportunities

The various learning opportunities at the Orgill market gave retailers opportunities to take breaks from walking the aisles and gain some information to bring back to their stores.

These educational opportunities ranged from brand building and retail services clinics on the show floor to new lunch-and-learn seminars that allowed retailers to maximize even their lunch hours. Educational workshops hosted in separate meeting rooms covered a variety of topics, including marketing, e-commerce, customer service and loyalty programs.

A Groundbreaking New Product

On prominent display at the market was DEWALT’s new FLEXVOLT™ system, which features the world’s first batteries that change voltage as the user changes tools. The FLEXVOLT™ batteries are compatible with 20-volt, 60-volt and 120-volt tools.

“This is going to revolutionize the job site,” says Maria Ford, vice president of sales with Stanley Black & Decker. The reason is that the new battery allows contractors to use their tools in a cordless environment, with the same battery power they would find with corded tools.

The FLEXVOLT™ system includes the battery system, plus seven tools. “Our goal is to take job sites cordless,” says Ward Smith, group product manager with Stanley Black & Decker. “We can deliver a corded performance in a cordless solution.”

DEWALT had a special area set up at the market, allowing retailers to see demonstrations of the product and learn more about how it works. The area was a popular place to be.

“In just the first two hours of the market, we’ve probably already had 1,000 people come through,” Ford says.

Kevin Postlethwait of Cherry Street Building Supply in Culpeper, Virginia, says he visited the DEWALT demonstration area shortly after visiting the flash market area of the show.

“The FLEXVOLT™ is going to be revolutionary,” he says.

About Liz Lichtenberger

Liz is the special projects editor for Hardware Retailing magazine. She reports on news and trends, visits retailers, and attends industry events. She graduated from Xavier University, where she earned a degree in English and Spanish and was a member of the swim team. Liz is a Louisville, Kentucky, native who lives in Indianapolis with her husband and two children. She enjoys swimming, reading, doing home improvement projects around her house and cheering on her two favorite basketball teams, the Kentucky Wildcats and the Xavier Musketeers.

Check Also

NHS Day 1

Expanded Offerings, New Opportunities Shine Bright on Day 1 at NHS

With a reimagined show floor and outdoor living area, several new product categories and refreshed …