By their very nature, hardware and lumber retailers are vital during severe weather events, providing necessary supplies that prevent and repair damage from storms. Due to an increase in extreme weather like winter storms, hurricanes and tornadoes, Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery have become one of the fastest-growing retail niches.
Some retailers have found success in keeping large stocks of batteries, flashlights, hammers and other key emergency items on hand for when emergencies happen. Other retailers have set up emergency preparedness endcaps during times when extreme weather events or even earthquakes have happened in the past. The displays have included solar chargers, flashlights, preloaded emergency backpacks for evacuations, emergency car kits for survival when trapped in a vehicle, sleeping bags and hand-cranked radios.
When selecting inventories for this life-saving category, retailers need to stay informed about the latest advances and options, which is why the team at the National Hardware Show® developed a featured area at the show for Emergency Preparedness. Visitors to the show can conveniently find the latest innovations and product announcements in flashlights, generators, medical kits, safety products, solar products, water pumps and more, all in one place on the show floor. Click here to learn more about this featured area, and click here to register for the 2019 National Hardware Show.