When is the last time you have done some revamping in your paint department? Well, if it's been a while, know that your competitors work on their selection often, some even every year. Here are 5 quick tips on how to improve...
1. Follow trends and new products
The paint market evolves fast and if you do not pay attention to paint trends you just might miss opportunities.
For example, in the magazine 'Hardware Retailing', Jay Donnelly, Vice President of Sales Operations at Flanagan Paint, a specialty paint store in St. Louis Missouri, talks about a line of new products he brought into his store. Well, one year later, he expects to replace it already. Why? “That’s how fast things change in this industry,” he says. “I have to update my inventory continually but I’ve noticed that when I visit some independent hardware stores and look at their paint departments, many of them are not staying up with the trends and they are letting their products get obsolete. Even when distributors make it easy to return products in exchange for new items, many retailers don’t go through the trouble of swapping them out”, he says, "and that can have a negative impact on the success of the department."
Are you up to date with specialty paints such as chalk and chalkboard paints as well as mirror and glow-in-the-dark paints?
2. Display and decoration
How inviting is your store? How inspiring is it? The quality of your setup speaks a lot about your attention to detail, your professionalism and the quality of your service. If you haven't made a makeover with your display or decoration in a while, you are probably overdue.
Speak with your representative on a regular basis about a planogram, racking system and display. Put your premium or top quality up front. Make your decorating department comfortable and cozy. Studies show that the more time customers spend in a store the more likely they will buy.
About your paint accessories, it can become messy over time, Chidaca offers a planogram service to make sure everything is placed logically and visually beautiful.
Another tip, every time you enter a store and you feel good about the place, ask yourself why are you feeling that way, is it the display, choice of color, decoration or space between the aisles? There is a lot to learn with any type of store marketing.
3. Seeing trends coming on Pinterest
Did you ever encounter a customer that wants to do a 'project' and you're not quite sure what he/she is talking about? A lot of 'Do-it-Yourselfers' get inspired on Pinterest. If you are not familiar with this media yet then you should check it out.
Most of decorating trends comes from media like Pinterest, according to Satista, Canada has the second most users who use Pinterest every month, 79.5% are female and 50% are millennials! So, if you want to know what trends are coming, have a look on Pinterest and stay on top of new trends.
4. Ask your customer questions
Yes, sometimes people don't ask themselves the right questions, and guess what... they are counting on you to prevent them from making a bad choice. So asking the right question, in some cases, is crucial. Here's some questions you might ask:
- Are you going to prepare the surface?
- Are you using the right finish for your room?
- How much paint do you need?
- Do you have the right tool for your paint?
- Etc...
Take some time to educate yourself and your employee about the right questions to ask your customer, at the same time ask yourself how you could upgrade their paint choice or paint accessories.
5. Offer top-quality first
In your paint department make sure to have your top-quality product right in front of the customer's eyes. Why? According to studies, there is a strong, positive association between quality and profitability. In fact, high quality produces a higher return on investment (ROI) for any given market share, plus, high quality means a happier customer, a good reputation for your store, and less complaints.
Make sure to know the difference of quality in your department.
In term of paint accessories, in general, a better brush or roller will have:
- More absorption capacity
- More durability over time
- Better finish
Every company and model is different, so feel free to ask advice from your representative!