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Retailers Buy, Shop and Learn at Blish-Mize Fall Buying Market

Blish-Mize customers gathered in Overland Park, Kansas, last weekend to find good deals, source new products, network, attend educational sessions and more. It was all part of the distributor’s Fall Buying Market, held Sept. 15-17 at the Overland Park Convention Center.

A Positive Atmosphere

The overall mood from retailers at the market was positive and reflected a generally positive year for Blish-Mize, which has posted steady sales increases, according to Jonathan Mize, the company’s CEO and president.

While Mize says the fall market is traditionally smaller than the spring market, there was still a strong turnout. “We’re seeing good attendance at this show,” Mize says. “Our customers have been very positive, and they have had good opportunities for some one-on-one time with our staff, and with our vendors.”

One highlight of the show was THE 24, a selection of 24 products Blish-Mize offered at highly discounted prices.

“We’ve seen a lot of interest in this area,” Mize says. “With THE 24, we focus on a select group of best-selling products at great prices. These products get great exposure at our show because they are the first thing you see after the entrance.  The vendors who participate have been pleased with the volume.”

THE 24 was found front and center at the event, in the hallway outside the showfloor, making it one of the first things retailers saw as they headed in to the market.

Behind THE 24, Blish-Mize staged its “What’s New?!” area, which showcased the latest additions to Blish-Mize’s full assortment of offerings.

There were a number of new vendors on display at the market as well, including Perfection Floor Tile, Sure Can gas cans, Windco wheelbarrows and Fulcrum LED.

Learning Opportunities

The market got off to a strong start with a paint training event on Thursday evening, where Blish-Mize paint customers had the opportunity to meet with representatives from Valspar and Pratt & Lambert to engage in intensive, hands-on training sessions to learn more about product applications and selling techniques.

The event was a great success, Mize says. “We had excellent attendance. There were a lot of product knowledge and training opportunities that our customers took advantage of, plus some networking time. We had some great feedback. We’re always looking for ways to offer those types of opportunities to our customers.”

Other learning opportunities came in the form of seminars. Dan Tratensek of the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) spoke to retailers about home improvement trends and some “quick wins” they could take advantage of by making small changes in their stores. The suggestions included ideas relating to merchandising, advertising, inventory control and more.

“A new generation of customers will expect something new and different,” Tratensek says. “These quick wins are something retailers can be thinking about all the time. Ask yourself: ‘What can I do to have a positive impact on my business?’”

Jody Maude from Distribution America also spoke with retailers about the different advertising tools offered to Blish-Mize customers, including the Blish-Mize Online Ad Studio, which can help retailers save time and money as they put their advertising materials together.

On the Showfloor…

Retailers who attended the market had plenty of to do during their time in Overland Park.

Brent Melby of Melby Home Center in Scandia, Kansas, planned to spend a good portion of his time checking out new products. He also wanted to take some photos at the show so he could bring back ideas for his own salesfloor.

“This is my first Blish-Mize show,” he says. “We just purchased our store one and a half years ago.”

Herb Schoen of AG Coop Services in Otterville, Missouri, called the market “quite a deal.” Schoen and his team have recently added a hardware selection to their operation, which had primarily been a feed store. He is now working with the Blish-Mize team on a reset for the facility that will expand its hardware offerings. The business will move to a new, larger location, so another priority during the market was to stock up on new inventory.

It was also the first Blish-Mize show for Leigh Thompson of Bible Hardware, in Abilene, Texas.

“We’re getting a good idea of what Blish-Mize has to offer,” she says. “Everybody has been super nice, very pleasant and really helpful.”

Her store’s main focus is with hardware offerings, but Thompson also works to bring in female customers with a selection of unique products such as jarred foods, impulse items and cookware.

Some of her current projects while at the market include looking for items to enhance her paint department and changing up her electrical offering. “I always have a project I’m doing,” she says.

… And Off

Outside the market, Blish-Mize is staying busy as it works to serve its retailers. This year represents the 145th anniversary for the distributor, which recently changed its transportation partner. In August, Blish-Mize partnered with JB Hunt to provide transportation and logistics services. So far, Mize reports that the partnership has been paying dividends with added efficiencies and reliable deliveries.

“Things are going really well,” Mize says. “This company (JB Hunt) is in-tune with us when it comes to looking for ways to create efficiencies and they really know logistics. We’ve really been impressed with their service, and we’re looking forward to other opportunities down the line.”

Some of those opportunities include paperless processing for bills of lading and a program that allows Blish-Mize to track deliveries in real time.

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.

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