Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
When Kim Folchi was looking for new ways to sell wooden pallets in her store, she turned to social media.
Folchi, owner of Sierra Valley Home Center in Loyalton, Calif., had a collection of pallets left over from deliveries that she was selling for $4 each. She’d seen plenty of photos online of different ways to use pallets, so she began posting ideas to the store’s Facebook page to share with her customers.
“I decided one Monday morning to post ideas throughout the week,” Folchi says. “Each day, I got comments from customers about how much they enjoyed the photos. I sold every one of those pallets that week.”
Photos ranged from making lawn furniture with pallets to building a coffee table.
“The photo of a playhouse was a big hit, and so were the ones of lawn furniture,” she says.
The success continued—Folchi even had a booth at a local garden expo recently to show off more pallet ideas.
She plans to sell wooden pallets again in her store—as soon as she stocks up on some more inventory.
“They take time to collect,” she says. “But the next time I have some, I’m going to try putting them together in a display outside.
“I really enjoyed doing the promotion on Facebook,” she says. “I think it brings out creativity, and I think it really helped us reach our female shoppers. I’m thinking of ways to reach out to the men, too, but I’ve enjoyed doing this and continuing to learn more along the way.”
Remember that some pallets that are made of wood may have bacteria or could have been treated with chemicals and shouldn’t be used for home remodeling or landscaping products. Before you sell your pallets, make sure they are made of wood that will be safe for customers to use in their homes and yards.
