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Volume 225 • Issue 6 • December 2023 • hardwareretailing.com

Serving Hardware, Home Center & Building Material Retailers

Published by the North American Hardware and Paint Association

A Decade of Advancement NHPA’s Management Program Celebrates Growth & Solidarity Page 14

3 Ways to Step Up Your Social Media Strategy Page 26

DECEMBER ISSUE SPONSOR

CALL FOR 2024 NOMINATIONS

Recognizing young leaders who represent the future of independent home improvement retailing

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Youn Reta g iler Year

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NHPA

North American Hardware and Paint Association

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28TH Do you know an inspiring young retailer? Submit your nomination by February 28, 2024. Learn more at YourNHPA.org/yroty.

N G R E TA

OU Y A P H

Nominations are now open for the 2024 Young Retailer of the Year awards!

11/14/23 10:23 AM

Volume 225 • Issue 6 • December 2023 • hardwareretailing.com

Serving Hardware, Home Center & Building Material Retailers

Published by the North American Hardware and Paint Association

A Decade of Advancement NHPA’s Management Program Celebrates Growth & Solidarity Page 14

3 Ways to Step Up Your Social Media Strategy Page 26

2024 DEALER MARKET & Spring Online Buying Event Register for the Dealer Market, happening Feb. 22 –24 in Orlando, Fla. and be automatically enrolled in our Spring Online Buying Event.

Take advantage of our group plan. Finding affordable group health insurance can be challenging. But there are benefits and safety in numbers. YourNHPA.org/health-insurance

NHPA

300x400 dig issue_Health Insurance.indd 1

8/15/22 12:46 PM

Volume 225 • Issue 6 • December 2023 • hardwareretailing.com

Serving Hardware, Home Center & Building Material Retailers

Published by the North American Hardware and Paint Association

A Decade of Advancement NHPA’s Management Program Celebrates Growth & Solidarity Page 14

3 Ways to Step Up Your Social Media Strategy Page 26

The BEST screw for any wood project

BuildRight® Star Drive Deck Screw!

The ideal concrete screw for easy installation and MAXIMUM holding power

The Blue Star Drive Concrete Screw

800.444.7313 constructionscrews.com

CONNECTIONS

EXECUTIVE STAFF PRESIDENT & CEO Bob Cutter CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER & PUBLISHER Dan Tratensek CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER & EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS SERVICES David Gowan EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ADVANCED RETAIL EDUCATION PROGRAMS Scott Wright, swright@YourNHPA.org

1025 East 54th St. Indianapolis, Indiana 317-275-9400 NHPA@YourNHPA.org YourNHPA.org

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INNOVATION & ENGAGEMENT Whitney Mancuso

COMMUNICATIONS

317-275-9400, editorial@YourNHPA.org

Looking Back, Moving Forward

OUR MISSION

The North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) helps independent home improvement and paint and decorating retailers, regardless of affiliations, become better and more profitable retailers.

Next month, get an inside look at the 2024 Market Measure report, which provides retailers and channel partners an annual overview of the state of the independent home improvement industry. This resource offers opportunities to look back at a year of changes, successes and challenges in the industry and provides insights on where the channel is heading.

NHPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Jared Smith, Jared’s Ace Hardware, Bishopville, South Carolina EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN Jackie Sacks, Round Top Mercantile Co., Round Top, Texas DIRECTORS Alesia Anderson, Handy Ace Hardware, Tucker, Georgia Jay Donnelly, Flanagan Paint & Supply, Ellisville, Missouri Ned Green, Weiders Paint & Hardware, Rochester, New York Scott Jerousek, Farm and Home Hardware, Wellington, Ohio Joanne Lawrie, Annapolis Home Hardware Building Centre, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia Ryan Ringer, Gold Beach Lumber Yard Inc., Gold Beach, Oregon

Hardware Retailing (ISSN0889-2989) is published monthly by the North American Hardware and Paint Association, 1025 East 54th St., Indianapolis, IN 46220. Subscription rates: Hardware Retailing (Payable in advance): U.S. & possessions $50/year. Canada $75/year. All other countries $110/year. Single copy $7. The Annual Report issue can be purchased for $30. Periodical postage paid at Indianapolis, Indiana, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Hardware Retailing, P.O. Box 16709, St. Louis, MO 63105-1209.

SECRETARY-TREASURER Bob Cutter, NHPA President and CEO

STATE & REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

REPRINTS: For price quotations, contact the Editorial Department at editorial@YourNHPA.org. Printed in the U.S.

MIDWEST HARDWARE ASSOCIATION Jody Kohl, 201 Frontenac Ave., P.O. Box 8033 Stevens Point, WI 54481-8033 800-888-1817; Fax: 715-341-4080

NHPA CANADA NHPA CANADA Michael McLarney, +1 416-489-3396, mike@hardlines.ca 330 Bay Street, Suite 1400 Toronto, ON, Canada M5H 2S8

CIRCULATION, SUBSCRIPTION & LIST RENTAL INQUIRIES CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Richard Jarrett, 314-432-7511, Fax: 314-432-7665

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

COMMUNICATIONS & CONTENT MANAGER Melanie Moul, mmoul@YourNHPA.org PRODUCTION MANAGER Austin Vance SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER Julie Leinwand SENIOR EDITOR Lindsey Thompson, lthompson@YourNHPA.org CONTENT COORDINATOR Jacob Musselman, jmusselman@YourNHPA.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER Autumn Ricketts GRAPHIC DESIGNER Olivia Adam SALES & PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Freda Creech PRODUCTION & DESIGN ASSISTANT Samantha Mitchell MARKETING COORDINATOR Nathan Piper

SALES NORTHERN REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Karen Hopkinson khopkinson@YourNHPA.org | 419-345-3306 SOUTHERN REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Faith Zucker fzucker@YourNHPA.org | 216-316-8203

ASSOCIATION PROGRAMS

800-772-4424, NHPA@YourNHPA.org DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES & EVENTS Katie McHone-Jones, kmchone-jones@YourNHPA.org DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT & CONSULTING Kim Peffley, kpeffley@YourNHPA.org TRAINING MANAGER & EDITOR Jesse Carleton, jcarleton@YourNHPA.org RETAIL ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST Renee Changnon, rchangnon@YourNHPA.org

Volume 225 | Issue 6 | December 2023 CONTENTS

In Every Issue 04 ON THE WEB 06 EDITORIALLY SPEAKING 08 TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS 10

NHPA NEWS

TRENDS

40 CHECKOUTS 44 CALENDAR 46 LAST WORD

COVER STORY

Curated Education Celebrating 10 years of leadership education for retailers, the Retail Management Certif ication Program addresses the specif ic needs of independent home improvement retailers.

OPERATIONS

Committed to Engagement Dive deeper into employee engagement resources you can use to boost productivity, build a strong company culture and better serve customers.

MARKETING

PROFILE

CATEGORY SPOTLIGHT

Get Social

From Bolts to Beers

Embracing Sustainability

Learn from fellow retailers who share their best practices for making social media simple and engaging to connect with customers.

Carving out a niche in the coastal town of Cannon Beach, Oregon, Cannon Beach Hardware & Public House has successfully combined hardware with hospitality.

Eco-friendly and sustainable practices and products continue to trend with consumers, and diving into this green niche can provide some extra green to your bottom line.

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

HardwareRetailing HardwareRetail

ON THE WEB

HardwareRetailing

ONLINE

Stay Informed

Scan this QR code or visit hardwareretailing.com/december to read these stories and more.

Find More Online OPERATIONS

Say Goodbye to Tweets Learn how Twitter’s change to X has affected not just users, but the way many businesses now approach digital marketing. CATEGORY

Cooking Up Green As more homeowners desire to make their homes eco-friendly, the kitchen becomes a major focus for sustainable products.

COVER STORY

Front of the Class For 10 years, the Retail Management Certification Program, offered by the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA), has provided a way for retail leaders to learn from industry experts, fellow retailers and business professionals in an effort to become better and more profitable retailers.

Real-Life Lessons See how best practices learned in the Retail Management Certification Program can be applied to real-world situations.

Paying It Forward Meet former student Corinne Courtney who made a generous donation to ensure future students could attend the program.

Wilco’s Winning Plan Learn about the project that helped Melissa Lucht and Danny Wooldridge of Wilco win the 2023 class presentations.

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

PODCAST

Reflecting on the Highlights of the Year Listen to NHPA’s Melanie Moul and Dave King, executive director of the Home Improvement Research Institute, discuss highlights from a year in industry data and some analysis about what to expect in 2024.

Scan the QR code or visit the website below to listen.

YourNHPA.org/podcast

Jan. 25-27

2024

See more event details!

For more information, contact us today!

Pat McCutcheon, VP of Sales: 1-800-333-0520 | marketing@househasson.com House-Hasson Hardware Company: Knoxville, TN | www.househasson.com

CONNECTIONS

Send Melanie a Message EDITORIALLY SPEAKING

mmoul@YourNHPA.org Melanie Moul

It’s Engagement Season

“What RMCP represents today is the perseverance of the independent channel.”

T H E R E ’ S S O M E T H I N G A B O U T D E C E M B E R that makes us all a little bit more romantic. Soon, our Instagram stories and Facebook feeds will be filled with glistening Christmas lights reflected in multi-carat stones on the ring fingers of distant cousins and people we forgot we were friends with. In the vows these couples will share in the next six months to two years, they will promise to love and care for each other “in sickness and in health” and “for richer and for poorer.” And after the fanfare and the celebration, real life begins. Before they know it, a decade will have gone by. And with hard work, strong communication about their needs and a mutual commitment to success, what they had in the beginning will have grown into something they never expected. That’s the love story of what we now call the Retail Management Certification Program (RMCP). And that hard work, communication and commitment to success is evident in this month’s cover feature (on Page 14), which celebrates 10 years of the industry’s premier management development program. Just over 10 years ago, industry leaders partnered with the North American Hardware and Paint Association to develop a program that could help prepare the next generation of independent retailers to continue the legacy of their operations. On average, the program has generated over $15 million total in return on investment for the businesses that have sent students. More than 300 students have graduated with more industry know-how and more industry connections than they could encounter staying in their stores. We didn’t just put our program on the cover because it’s our program. In fact, I would argue that it’s actually your program. What RMCP represents today is the perseverance of the independent channel in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer. The retailers and sponsors who participate in this program are committed to the longevity of the industry—for decades to come. Engaging in programs like RMCP shows your team that you are committed to their success, and that is something worth celebrating. You can take the next step to lifelong (or at least until you retire) bliss and learn how to engage your team at YourNHPA.org/academy.

Melanie Moul Communications & Content Manager

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

CONNECTIONS

Send Dan a Message dant@YourNHPA.org

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

Dan Tratensek YourNHPA.org/tcb-pod

Riding the Wave of Tech

“Social media from a business perspective is ideally suited to help small businesses better connect with their local communities.”

W H E N M O S T O F U S think about the concept of the internet, we tend to focus on the vast expanse of information that resides within the strands of the World Wide Web. Contemplating the breadth and depth of what’s out there online can be extremely intimidating. Add to that the unknown impact of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and it’s easy to understand why many of us feel overwhelmed by the “internet of things.” But just for a minute, I want to take the focus off the tidal wave of tech that feels like it has crashed down upon us and instead give a little thought to how some of these emerging innovations have helped bring us a little closer together. I’ve talked about this concept in a number of presentations I’ve given in the past. Specifically, I’ve touched on how independent retailers should do their best to overcome “tech-timidation” and look to embrace how advances in e-commerce, social media and AI can help them level the playing field against large-scale competitors. In this issue, we focus on social media (on Page 26). This is one great example of a tech solution that can work to bring us closer. Now, obviously, social media can have its drawbacks (think TikTok influencers and flash mobs). But social media from a business perspective is ideally suited to help small businesses better connect with their local communities. It can be used to tell stories, reinforce brand ideals, share advice and promote products and services. And the best part is, it allows a business to do all these things with a distinct voice and without major investments. Another tech leveler that small businesses can utilize is local area advertising, which gives you the ability to target your advertising messages to the customers in your trading area. Again, this kind of tool, when thoughtfully implemented, can help a small business achieve a targeted advertising reach to blunt the blast of big-box marketing programs. There are hundreds of other ways that small businesses can and should take advantage of the new and innovative tools available to them, including tools that are quite literally ideally suited to help small operators more effectively market and operate their businesses. To do this, however, you have to look beyond that tidal wave we talked about earlier, get past our fear of drowning and learn to surf along with the wave.

Dan M. Tratensek Chief Operating Officer & Publisher

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

Foundations

LIVE!

A Merchandising Management Program From NHPA

Early Bird Pricing Ends January 1, 2024

Tony Corsberg Foundations of Merchandising Management Live! Instructor • Principal, Merchant 5 Advisors • Former VP of Merchandising, Friedman’s Home Improvement • 40+ years of merchandising management experience in home improvement retailing

Tools and Insights to Improve Your Merchandising Execution Foundations of Merchandising Management Live! is back at the National Hardware Show, March 26-27, 2024. Get hands-on training and valuable merchandising strategy insights from the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) at the hardware industry’s leading annual event. Hurry, seating is limited! Register by January 1, 2024, and save $100.

YourNHPA.org/foundationslive

ASSOCIATION

Nominate a Young Retailer NHPA NEWS

Learn more about NHPA’s Young Retailer of the Year program at YourNHPA.org/yroty. Nominations are due on Feb. 28, 2024.

ASSOCIATION

Honoring Retail’s Future NOMINATE THE NEXT NHPA YOUNG RETAILER OF THE YEAR HONOREE N O M I N A T I O N S F O R the North American Hardware and Paint Association’s (NHPA) 2024 Young Retailer of the Year award program are now open! NHPA’s Young Retailer of the Year program, now in its 28th year, identifies and recognizes the successes and accomplishments of young home improvement retailers who represent the future of retail. Identifying and promoting the next generation of young, aspiring independent hardware and paint retailers is crucial to ensuring the success of the industry. Young Retailer of the Year honorees benefit from exposure for themselves and their businesses, and they build a network with like-minded retailers in their generation. Honorees also have the opportunity to participate in additional programming through NHPA. Nominate an outstanding young person to become an NHPA 2024 Young Retailer of the Year honoree today! Submit your nomination by Feb. 28, 2024. Learn more at YourNHPA.org/yroty.

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

Who Is Eligible?

• 35 years or younger by Feb. 28, 2024 • Working in the independent home improvement channel • Current resident of the U.S. or Canada

Key Judging Criteria • Career High Points: Showcase the nominee’s career milestones and other business achievements, like increased sales and profit. • Industry Education: Highlight how the nominee has continued their industry education to improve product knowledge, management techniques and more to keep pace with industry changes. • Community Involvement: Detail how the nominee has improved their community and increased their operation’s profile. • Extraprofessional: Demonstrate ways the nominee has forged new ground to position their business as an innovative, profitable force in their community and local economy.

EVENTS

Register by January 1, 2024, and save $100! Improve your merchandising and assortment planning skills and strategies by attending Foundations of Merchandising Management Live! Visit YourNHPA.org/foundationslive.

EVENTS

Get the Tools to Improve Your Merchandising Execution Foundations of Merchandising Management Live! is back at the National Hardware Show

oundations of Merchandising Management Live! is back at the National Hardware Show (NHS), March 26-27, 2024, in Las Vegas. Get hands-on training and gain valuable merchandising strategy insights from the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) at the hardware industry’s leading annual event. Foundations of Merchandising Management Live! is exclusively sponsored by NHS and designed to help both new and experienced retail personnel responsible for managing merchandising functions at their stores. They will benefit from expert-led course sessions, breakout workshop sessions, networking opportunities and ROI-driven assignments to take back to their stores. Students will receive hands-on learning and acquire best practices to improve merchandising effectiveness. The curriculum for this unique, industry-focused program will cover both the strategic and tactical aspects of merchandising management, assortment planning and vendor relations at independent home improvement retail stores. The execution of the strategies and tactics learned during this one-of-a-kind program will produce optimal performance of inventory and retail floor space, enhance store appearance and fulfill the retail experience for the customer, consistent with the retailer’s brand.

PROGRAM DETAILS COURSE SESSIONS • • • • • •

Visual Merchandising Standards and Store Design Promotional Space Management Resets and Remodels Assortment Planning and Category Management Vendor Relations Merchandising and Marketing

WHAT YOU GET • Six in-person course sessions presented by industry experts • Breakout workshop sessions with your peers • How to effectively work a show by retail experts • Networking opportunities with retailers, instructors and vendors • ROI-driven follow-up assignments and a capstone assignment to take back to stores • A final video call with feedback on the course assignments • A certificate in merchandising from NHPA upon completion of the course sessions, post-session assignments and a wrap-up video call • Continental breakfast and lunch each day

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

CATEGORY

Taking Tile to New Levels TRENDS

Discover the hottest tile trends for the bathroom and beyond at hardwareretailing.com/tile-trends.

EX PAN DING S PAC ES H O M EOWN ER S G O B I G WI T H B AT H R O O M R EN OVAT I O N S W H E N M A K I N G U P D A T E S to a home’s bathroom, the 2023 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study found homeowners have decided bigger is better, especially in primary bathrooms. Of the 2,000 respondents, which included homeowners who had recently completed or plan to complete a renovation, 22% indicated they had enlarged or planned to increase the size of their primary bathroom. Along with bigger spaces, these are the other trends homeowners want to see in their bathrooms.

67%

want recessed medicine cabinets

46%

want eco-friendly fixtures

62%

want LED lightbulbs

43%

want low-curb showers

54%

want rainfall shower heads

33%

want wood vanities

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

The industry’s marketplace for buying and selling independent home improvement businesses and posting jobs. BUSINESS FOR SALE

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Northwest Farm & Home Supply Co.

Home Improvement Supply Store Location: Missouri Gross Revenue: $1.04 million

Location: Lemmon, SD Gross Revenue: $3.21 million The main building is a total 27,213 sq. ft. of retail and warehouse space on 4 acres. The main bldg. was constructed in 1994 with additions constructed in 2002 and 2004. Single story with 22’ clear height in 11,459 sq. ft. of lumber warehouse, three grade level doors and two dock height doors. BUSINESS FOR SALE

This historic home improvement and hardware store is a staple of its community and operates from its headquarters in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area of Missouri. The Company is a long-standing retailer and installer of consumer and commercial improvement products.

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Hoosick True Value

Albrights Hardware & Garden Center

Location: Hoosick Falls, NY Gross Revenue: $1.26 million Price: $1.875 million This opportunity offers a turnkey sale of a general hardware business located in northeastern Rensselaer Co., New York. The business serves five towns and southwestern Bennington Co., Vermont, and 25 miles east of Troy, New York.

Location: Allentown, PA Gross Revenue: $1.9 million Price: $1 million

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Central Vermont Paint, Flooring and Decorating Business Location: Vermont Gross Revenue: $2.82 million Price: $1.1 million

Full-service decorating store providing flooring, paint, window treatments, kitchen/bathroom remodeling, cabinetry product offerings, design assistance, specialized service, and professional installation. BUSINESS FOR SALE

Private Business

Location: Alabama Gross Revenue: $2.21 million Price: $649,000

Albrights Hardware is an established hardware store with strong neighborhood ties and has been a Lehigh Valley staple for over 50 years. The current owners have owned the store since 1992. Albrights serves its loyal customer base by providing quality products and exceptional customer service.

BUSINESS FOR SALE

SEEKING BUSINESSES

For our next acquisition, we are looking for:

We are looking for:

The Aubuchon Company

• • • •

Single-store and multi-store hardware operations Located in northeast and southeast United States Store size of 5,000-30,000 ft2 At least $3 million in average store sales

Bolster Hardware • • • • •

Private Business

Location: Pennsylvania Gross Revenue: $1.6 million

Gold Beach Lumber Yard

Geography agnostic With or without real estate Store revenues of $1.5M+ We prefer to honor the family name and heritage in the local community by not changing the name We prefer to keep all employees as part of the acquisition

• • •

Single-store and multi-store hardware operations Located in the Pacific Northwest Store size of 5,000 ft2-30,000 ft2

Now Offering Business Valuations Post a Job | Sell Your Business | Buy a Store | Public and Private Listings Available To see full listings, visit YourNHPA.org/marketplace or email marketplace@yournhpa.org

TOP OF THE CLASS Wilco students Melissa Lucht and Danny Wooldridge, with their sponsor TJ Colson, took top honors for their business improvement project presentation for the 2023 class.

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

LEADERSHIP

Get Involved Discover the full course curriculum and find out how you can be part of this industry-leading program at YourNHPA.org/rmcp.

C O V E R

S T O R Y

Students Today, Leaders Tomorrow Celebrating 10 Years of the NHPA Retail Management Certification Program BY

M EL A NI E

M OUL

dentifying needs in the industry and offering comprehensive solutions is at the core of the mission of the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA). One area where that mission is most recognizable is in the education the association offers to the industry. From basic training for new staff and product knowledge guides to communication training for new managers and essential courses in retail accounting and merchandising management, the association specializes in industry-specific training resources. In 2012, industry leaders approached NHPA training staff with an idea for a new high-level training program. As the average age of retailers increased, the industry needed a program to prepare the next generation of retailers to take over operations and continue the legacy of many long-time businesses. What is now known as the Retail Management Certification Program (RMCP) was modeled after traditional business and management college courses. But what is unique about this program—and what the founders intended—is that there isn’t a business class or degree

program that addresses the specific needs of independent home improvement retailers. “When we started developing the program, we knew we needed to incorporate retail-specific topics from the home improvement industry, like merchandising and store design, into the program curriculum,” says Scott Wright, NHPA executive director of advanced education. “We worked closely with our network of industry retailers and experts to develop these topics specifically for the program.” The curriculum was developed to address the needs of retailers who were coming into new management or leadership roles and were primed to take over the operation from the previous generation. In a classroom environment, students have the chance to learn fundamental business principles that are required to operate any small business. But what they gain in addition to that knowledge are specific tools targeted for independent home improvement operations. And they have nearly 30 peers learning alongside them. “Having been involved from the first class, I’ve had the benefit of seeing over 300 students go through RMCP,” says Josiah Gates, chief operating officer for The Aubuchon Company, RMCP graduate and

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

STUDENT STORIES

JONATHAN MILLER PRINCIPAL MILLER HARDWARE CO. RMCP CLASS OF 2015

In 2015, Jonathan Miller had recently earned his MBA from Mercer University, and he was serving as director of e-commerce for his family’s business in Valdosta, Georgia. That same year, he was named an NHPA Young Retailer of the Year honoree, which jump-started his nearly decade-long relationship with the association. “At the time, I was taking on more of an operations role, and I was really trying to digest all the moving parts of the business and how each component affected another,” Miller says. “RMCP exposes you to all the major functions of running a successful, independent retail business, which made it very rewarding for me.” Miller’s business improvement project was very specific to the needs of his operation—he developed a pricing program to improve gross profit based on actual experiences in his business. The strategy he developed initially focused on fasteners, which the company sells by the each, and Miller says they have applied the same strategy to additional categories as it proved its effectiveness. “We realized a significant increase in gross profit, but we also encountered higher turns,” Miller says. “It moved the needle for us.” Since Miller graduated, Miller Hardware Co. has sent five other students through RMCP, including director of retail operations Marty Ellison, who is now an instructor. Miller says the value of the program far outweighs the initial costs of sending a student. “The tuition costs are going to be returned to you very quickly,” he says. “Simply from being around other like-minded people who are deploying successful strategies or programs, you can quickly bring home two or three quick wins from the people you meet in the program. Those takeaways will pay dividends and offset the cost of tuition.”

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

“Simply from being around other like-minded people who are deploying successful strategies or programs, you can quickly bring home two or three quick wins from the people you meet in the program.” —Jonathan Miller

OPERATIONS

Setting a Foundation Equip your new managers in each area of your business. Explore the online Foundations of Retail courses at YourNHPA.org/foundations.

current instructor. “The relationships I made during the initial class have stuck through these 10 years. The networking and learning opportunities this program offers are truly incredible.” This year, the program is celebrating 10 years of preparing the next generation of industry leaders. On the following pages, learn how RMCP started and how it has evolved to become the industry’s premier management program.

Igniting the Spark

In order to develop a college-level program, NHPA enlisted the help of university educators, including Brian Landis, who at the time ran the Butler University Business Consulting Group. “Brian’s insights into developing a ‘blended’ curriculum with both college-level business classes and industry-specific course modules were instrumental in how the program came together,” Wright says. Landis has spent his career in business development and is now a consultant for his firm Ancrage Consulting. He teamed up with NHPA’s Wright, Marcus Moran Jr. and former NHPA president and CEO Bill Lee, early on to help bring the idea for RMCP to life with a curated curriculum. “We knew we wanted it to be a live cohort program. There’s tremendous value in bringing the students together,” Landis says. “And we saw that as the program started, they gained a lot from participating in the classroom sessions.” The group knew they wanted to address retail-specific issues, but it also needed to challenge students similarly to a college-level course. Wright says they have even found ways to put an industry slant on college-level courses taught by the university instructors.

“We have always used the Home Depot case study in RMCP, which is a Harvard Business School case study, to teach subjects like business strategy and change management,” Wright says. “It gives students the opportunity to learn these concepts by examining a pivotal time in Home Depot’s history. Another critical tool is NHPA’s Cost of Doing Business Study, which is used to teach retail finance, benchmarking and budgeting. Data from this study is woven throughout the course instruction, whether it comes from the university instructors or industry experts.” Other key components that the team knew were necessary to round out the program included a business improvement project each student would be expected to initiate during the semester and the Quick Wins assignments at the conclusion of the in-person class sessions. “We always wanted it to be an action learning curriculum. And so, even before the very first class, the students understand they will be responsible for developing a business improvement project,” Landis says. “We believed then, and we have seen it happen, that if the students put the time and energy into those projects, they will add value to their businesses several times over the tuition.”

Delivering Added Value

During the program, each student is required to complete a business improvement project. Students apply the concepts they are learning in the course to something that is needed in the business and will add value once completed. Each student and their sponsor—the business owner or manager who helps coach the student through the program—choose what they want to work on based on the current needs of the business. While these projects get their start from RMCP, whether in practice or in ideation, they sometimes take several years to complete. “In addition, the Quick Wins final assignment challenges students to implement something they have learned from the course instruction and from a fellow student to add more quantitative or qualitative value that will help offset the cost of the program,” Wright says. Incorporating student feedback into the program was a key component from the beginning, Wright says, and it’s still an important piece 10 years later. “We let the first class know they were part of a pilot and we wanted their feedback every step of the way,” he says. “At the conclusion of that first class, we knew we had something sustainable, something the industry desperately needed. And today, there are several members of that inaugural class, including Josiah Gates and Wilco president TJ Colson, who sponsor students and contribute each year. That says it all.” Continued on Page 21

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

STUDENT STORIES

COREEN PIERCE BRANCH ADMINISTRATION MANAGER KOOPMAN LUMBER RMCP CLASS OF 2021

As a self-described lifelong learner, Coreen Pierce was immediately intrigued when her manager recommended she enroll in RMCP. “I really love opportunities like this to network and receive instructor-led information,” she says. “The content in the program is highly relevant to what’s going on in the industry right now.” Pierce attended the program along with her colleague Matt Nichols, and they embarked on an ambitious business improvement project together: Launching the Koopman Lumber learning management system. During the program, Pierce and Nichols interviewed and researched product demos, figuring out the internal needs of different departments. They also had to budget for the software and determine the staffing needs to manage it. “It was definitely a bigger project than we initially thought it was going to be because training is never done,” she says. “I still work on it regularly with our HR team, and I’ve really loved maintaining it and growing it.” Pierce has continued developing other students, serving as a mentor to Koopman Lumber staff who go through the program. She says it’s a great opportunity to relearn the course material all over again, but through someone else’s perspective. “Even though they’re attending the same sessions, they’re pulling out different pieces of information that maybe I didn’t see before when I was in the program,” she says. “They come back from the class really excited, and they’re thinking more strategically, seeing more big-picture.” The current class of Koopman Lumber students that Pierce is mentoring are working on developing a customer relationship management tool, and she’s enjoyed helping them determine the needs of that system and how it will impact operations. She says they are projecting a 10% increase in closure rate per sales employee as a result. While that metric

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

“I met so many awesome peers, people who I’ve kept in contact with, people who have helped me and who I’ve helped out in return.” —Coreen Pierce alone would more than cover the cost of tuition, Pierce says the relationships she’s cultivated through the program go beyond the ROI of hard costs. “You can’t put a price on good networking contacts,” she says. “I met so many awesome peers, people who I’ve kept in contact with, people who have helped me and who I’ve helped out in return. The camaraderie and willingness to share ideas is amazing.”

FROM STUDENT TO INSTRUCTOR

JOSIAH GATES Being able to say he had a hand in creating a premier industry education program is not something Josiah Gates takes lightly. Over a decade ago, then Aubuchon Company president Marcus Moran Jr. asked Gates, then director of retail operations, to help develop the curriculum for RMCP and assess it from a student’s perspective. “Marcus said to me, ‘Josiah, we need to embrace this program. You could probably teach it, but I’d like you to be a student,’” Gates says. “Then after that first year, Scott Wright asked me if I would be willing to come back to help with the class. I like to think of it as giving back to the industry that’s done so much for me. I give Marcus Moran Jr., Bill Aubuchon and NHPA credit because without this opportunity I wouldn’t be where I am with the relationships I have in this industry.” Gates is now an instructor of financial management and budgeting for the program, and he says he’s grateful to be able to give back to the industry.

“Becoming an instructor gave me the opportunity to share some of our best practices and our processes to help others in their business and ensure the sustainability of the program for future leaders in the industry,” he says.

Instructor’s Approach

“One of my main priorities is to make it real. When you can put real-life hardware practices in front of these students, whether it be on sales, budgets or explaining capital expenses, it’s very important to translate everything into tangibles for the students so they can understand and apply it to their stores.”

Industrywide Benefits

“When I’m presenting, I’m talking about a group of stores, but I also break it down individually. I always tell students that just because Aubuchon has over 100 stores, that doesn’t prevent you from doing something in one store. I always ask how many students in the class—whether for one store or multiple stores—have a strategic plan, and many people don’t because they’re operating in the business, not on the business. My mindset as an instructor is being able to show everyone how they can apply this philosophy to a single-store model or a multistore model.”

IN MEMORIAM

BILL LEE & MARCUS MORAN JR. In recent years, the industry lost two pioneers who made strides in the industry to create opportunities for budding retail leaders. Bill Lee, former president and CEO of NHPA, and Marcus Moran Jr., former president of The Aubuchon Company, were integral to the creation of the Retail Management Certif ication Program. “Marcus and Bill are the reason RMCP exists,” says Scott Wright, executive director of advanced retail education programs for NHPA. “Marcus knew the industry needed a program to teach future leaders, and Bill created the environment internally at NHPA to support that vision.” Moran retired from Aubuchon Hardware in 2017, exiting his role of vice chairman of acquisitions after decades of helping the company expand. However, he did not leave the industry. Moran supported RMCP by sending students and serving as a course instructor from 2014 until 2018. Moran died in 2019, shortly after the Marcus Moran Jr. Scholarship program was developed to support RMCP students. Today, that scholarship has transitioned into the Marcus Moran Jr. Best in Class Award, which is bestowed on the highest performing students in each RMCP class. Lee died in October 2023, and his contributions to the industry and specifically to NHPA’s Academy for Retail Development will continue his legacy.

Former NHPA president and CEO Bill Lee (left) and former Aubuchon Company president Marcus Moran Jr. (right) were integral to the development and longevity of the NHPA Retail Managagement Certification Program.

“Marcus and Bill live on through this program,” Wright says. “We are so grateful to both of them, and it all started with an idea and a conversation between these two industry visionaries. As a result, we have built something that serves a great need in our industry, and something that will last for generations to come.”

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STUDENT STORIES

TRAVIS HELLVIG OPERATIONS MANAGER HARTFORD BUILDING CENTER RMCP CLASS OF 2017

While Travis Hellvig had been involved in his family’s business, he was forced into a leadership role in 2013 sooner than he anticipated when his dad became sick. That significant life change is what led Hellvig to enroll in RMCP in 2017. “We felt like we were treading water trying to learn the ropes and replace that key person who ran the day-to-day operations,” he says. “The program seemed like a natural fit for what I needed to hopefully start taking that next step forward in my career.” Hellvig says the program allowed him to learn about himself as a person and as a business operator in ways he wouldn’t have been able to. “It helped me grow as a person, both personally and professionally,” he says. “The way the course is structured, I learned a lot about myself and how to be even more intellectually aware in the workplace. At the time, I was in my mid-20s, managing people who were over twice my age, and so I learned how to deal with those kinds of dynamics.” For his business improvement project, Hellvig focused on an expansion to develop Hartford Building Center into a full-service home center. Using the knowledge he gained from the program, he focused on creating the design and implementation plan for adding a showroom and an office space for contractor and lumberyard sales staff. He says the project came just at the right time, because they were in the middle of construction when the pandemic reached his community. Hellvig says the lessons he learned from RMCP helped him navigate that challenging time. “We would have been scrambling on some things if we hadn’t taken so much time and done the detailed work,” he says. The work he did on his business improvement project led to Hellvig receiving the NHPA Young Retailer of the Year Award for a second time, which has only happened once before. To anyone thinking about sending a student through RMCP, Hellvig is quick to say the program is the only learning opportunity of its kind in the industry.

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

“RMCP is the highest quality industry education. I haven’t taken anything else that’s even close to it as far as the variety of topics covered and the depth you get into.” —Travis Hellvig “RMCP is the highest quality industry education. I haven't taken anything else that's even close to it as far as the variety of topics covered and the depth you get into,” he says. “The teachers are outstanding. The networking is invaluable. There are three or four people from my class who I talk to at least monthly, and those relationships have grown beyond just a professional network into legitimate friendships.”

THE EVOLUTION OF RMCP A Decade of Milestones 2022

2012

2016

Leaders at the North American Retail Hardware Association, The Aubuchon Company and Butler University develop the curriculum that becomes the Retail Management Certification Program.

2015 Industry sponsors provide nearly $100,000 in scholarships.

2013 The first class of students graduates.

2014 The scholarship program launches, allowing more students to access RMCP.

NRHA teams up with Ball State University’s Entrepreneurial Institute to provide collegelevel instruction. Dr. Rob Mathews from Ball State, who formerly owned a home center and currently owns a garden center, becomes lead instructor.

A record 34 students in one class graduate from the program.

2019 NRHA develops a scholarship to honor Aubuchon’s Marcus Moran Jr. and his contributions to the program.

2017 The program continues to grow, averaging 16-to 18 students per class with two sessions held in the spring and the fall.

2023 After 10 years of RMCP, more than 300 students have graduated, and participating businesses have seen more than $15 million (a conservative estimate) in ROI as a result of the students’ business improvement projects and Quick Wins.

Continued from Page 17

The Next 10 Years

Investing in the Future Over the last decade, many companies have contributed to the development of the next generation of independent home improvement retailers in the form of scholarships. Thanks to these companies for supporting our RMCP students.

As the industry evolves—whether from consolidation, responding to changing consumer needs, addressing technology and more—the need for industry-specific development will only become more critical. NHPA and the instructors are tuned into these needs to ensure the curriculum for each class ties into the immediate needs of students. Wright says NHPA has continued to make adjustments based on participant feedback and the association’s vision for the future of the program. In 2015, the association aligned with instructors from Ball State University’s Entrepreneurial Institute as it would be a better fit for the program, Wright says. “Today, instead of being solely aligned with either Butler University or Ball State, we have incorporated the best instructors from each of these universities into the program, teaching alongside industry experts and RMCP alumni,” he says. “It has been a great 10 years, but we’re just getting started and know that RMCP will be here serving our industry for decades to come.”

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RESOURCES

Communication Is in Style Improve morale and productivity by discovering the different communication styles of your staff. Learn more at YourNHPA.org/disc.

E M P L O Y E E

E N G A G E M E N T

Mission: Engaged Key Resources to Develop Your 2024 Employee Engagement Plan BY

MEL A NIE

MOUL

ccording to research from Gallup, only about one-third of workers are engaged in their workplace. Throughout this year in Hardware Retailing, both in print and online, and through a variety of resources and programs from the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA), employee engagement has been a key focus. On the following pages is a compilation of those resources along with some tips on how to engage your team in 2024 and beyond. For additional solutions to improve employee engagement, visit YourNHPA.org/development to find the right tool or program for your business.

Review all of NHPA’s training and development resources in the NHPA Academy Catalog at YourNHPA.org/catalog.

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From the Beginning If you don’t have a formal human resources manager or department, developing a consistent hiring process can be challenging. Being able to show potential employees the culture of your operation before they even arrive for an interview will help ensure you attract candidates who are the right fit for your business. NHPA has several free and paid resources to help you throughout the hiring process. Head to YourNHPA.org/human-resources to explore these tools and guides.

Job Description Templates Even the simplest roles in your operation should have detailed job descriptions that allow your staff to understand the scope of their responsibilities. Review these templates and customize them to the positions in your business.

Basic Skills Test During the interview process, you may want to determine the range of knowledge your top candidate has before bringing them on board. You can use this resource to create their training plan.

The Complete Toolkit From attracting candidates and developing a career website to new employee orientation and best practices, the Hiring Toolkit has the previous two resources and much more.

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At the Start Training is a key component of developing engaged employees. Ensuring your team understands their responsibilities and is confident in their knowledge will contribute to higher sales and happier customers. Here are some simple training resources to consider for your training program in 2024. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive solution, reach out to NHPA’s Renee Changnon at rchangnon@YourNHPA.org to find the right training tools for your business.

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Trainer’s Toolbox This slate of downloadable resources offers guidance in merchandising, operations, product knowledge and selling skills. Give your training lead the keys to this vast catalog of training tips and program ideas. Download them all at YourNHPA.org/trainers-toolbox.

Leadership Training As you’re bringing on new team members, your new managers may need a boost. The Foundations of Retail programs include online training courses on communication skills, conflict management, talent development and ongoing performance management. Head to YourNHPA.org/foundations to see the full suite of options.

Picking Up Steam Developing comprehensive hiring and training programs are critical steps to finding the right staffing fit for your business and engaging them early. But retention is also a necessary component to maintaining a knowledgeable, committed team. Research shows that employees who receive more training are more likely to stay.

The Employee Retention Toolkit This kit contains a variety of strategies, best practices, templates and resources for helping you reduce turnover in your organization. From performance review templates and stay or exit interview guides to effective incentives and other tips for motivating employees, this toolkit was developed to help you engage and retain employees from Day 1. The entire toolkit is available for purchase for only $99 at YourNHPA.org/retention-toolkit.

Compliance Training Whether you’re looking for resources in safety training, harassment training, first aid or other similar programs, this suite of videos gives you the option to choose what you need when you need it. Head to training.yournhpa.org/store to explore these cost-effective and necessary tools.

Leveling Up Starting on Page 14, we’re celebrating 10 years of NHPA’s Retail Management Certification Program (RMCP). This program was developed to help train the next generation of independent home improvement retail leaders. Read the success stories in this month’s cover feature, and learn more about this ultimate employee engagement program at YourNHPA.org/rmcp.

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

MARKETING

Online Improvements Learn how to make a good impression online and improve your digital customer service at hardwareretailing.com/digital-marketing.

M A R K E T I N G

Friends Let’s Be

Embracing Social Media to Meet Customers Where They Are

LI NDSEY

s social media continues to evolve, your own social media strategy needs to keep up to meet the needs of your customers in the digital realm. Nearly 75% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations, leading 93% of retailers to invest in digital personalization, according to the Salesforce

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TH OMPSON

5th Edition Connected Shoppers Report. Social media is an effective channel to meet and exceed customer expectations by effectively providing another touchpoint to engage with customers. Social media also allows customers to become more familiar with your brand and supplies helpful analytics to customize your message and provide the information your customers want to know.

Social media will become even more crucial as more customers look to start their shopping journeys online. The point where your customers begin their buying journey—known as shopping at the edge—has shifted in the last few years, with 50% of shoppers saying they discover new products via social media, according to the Salesforce report. The importance of social media can’t be overlooked, but like many areas of business, one size doesn’t fit all. As you finesse your social media strategy, or create one for the first time, fellow retailers—of all sizes, from all affiliations and varying levels of comfort with technology—share their best practices guiding their social media usage. Whether you have a neglected Facebook page or are already embracing Threads and TikTok, these insights can take your social media strategy to that next level.

Mix It Up

Variety is a key component of the social media strategy at Handy Home & Hardware in Valley City, North Dakota. Manager Joel Gortmaker and the company’s social media manager, Maria Frerich, work together to develop, manage and implement social media, focusing on variety to appeal to a broad customer base, share information and have fun. “We want some social media posts to be purely fun, some informative of product availability and others to advertise promotions,” Gortmaker says. “Our strategy revolves around appealing to customers with a variety of interests and allowing customers to keep our business in their mind, even if they don’t have a project in mind.” Handy Home & Hardware utilizes its wholesaler’s suggested social media posts and content calendars. To expand the mix of posts even more, Gortmaker says they use websites like NationalToday.com, which provides national holidays for each day of the year, to create posts they can relate back to a store product or store event. They also share social media content from vendors. “A lot of vendors provide great images, wording and suggestions for their products that match the brand,” Gortmaker says. “Maria also does a great job of talking with employees about fun things going on in the store that we can use as posts.” At a minimum, Gortmaker says small businesses can enhance and build a successful digital presence by utilizing free tools for editing and creating, like Canva, a free online design tool used to create social media posts. Plus, most smartphones take high-quality photos and videos, putting social media content at your fingertips. “Customers like to know what is on sale and what’s going on in your business,” he says. “But more often than not, they want to learn more about their favorite employees, see highlights from store activities or interact with a fun piece of information or a joke.”

In just two years, the number of shoppers who have completed a transaction via social media has quadrupled. Source: 5th Edition Connected Shoppers Report, Salesforce

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

Handy Home & Hardware manager Joel Gortmaker and social media manager Maria Frerich collaborate to create social media posts that connect with customers.

Help With Social Tap into these helpful platforms Handy Home & Hardware manager Joel Gortmaker uses to make social media posting a breeze.

CANVA Canva is a free online design tool to create social media posts and presentations. “We use Canva to create most of our posts since it is a great and affordable content creation app.”

META BUSINESS SUITE The Meta Business Suite allows the user to publish, schedule and manage all content on Facebook and Instagram. “The Business Suite allows us to connect our Instagram to Facebook and schedule and create ads from our posts.”

LATER With the Later platform, marketers can schedule social media posts across multiple platforms. “While we sometimes use Later as a scheduler, we mainly use it to add links to our photos and have a place to link our monthly sales flyer.”

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

OPERATIONS

Soft Skills Go Digital See the most important soft skills for working and interacting in a digital world at hardwareretailing.com/digital-soft-skills.

“We aren’t social media experts. Leaning on professional marketers allows us to focus on other areas of the business.” —Jason Fank, Handyman Hardware Tap Into Existing Talent

When Karen Mayer took over as director of marketing for Busy Beaver Home Improvement Centers, which operates 25 locations in Pennsylvania and Ohio, she knew she wanted the company’s social media to focus on the people that make up the operation. To achieve that goal, Mayer turned to the very people she wanted to highlight and started the Social Media Ambassador Program in 2022. Open to Busy Beaver employees, the program allows them to take a hands-on role with social media. Currently, half of the Busy Beaver stores have a social media ambassador, and Mayer says they hope to have an ambassador in place at every location soon. Interested employees are approved by their managers to participate in the program and then go through a 30-day certification program to learn the ins and outs of the operation’s social media strategy. Mayer says the training covers best practices, benefits of social media and samples of different types of posts. Employees who complete the training and take part in the ambassador program are given a 50-cent raise. “Our ambassadors so far are fully engaged with the program and are loving it,” Mayer says. “They are making videos and having fun with it and getting the community involved.” Although it has numerous locations, Busy Beaver currently has just one main Busy Beaver page on each social media channel. The ambassadors create the content they want posted on the main pages and send it to Busy Beaver’s social media coordinator Molly Collins, who writes the captions and posts to the company’s pages. The ambassadors also post the content they create to local community Facebook pages and groups they belong to personally. “We have had some tremendous success with employees posting on local sites,” Mayer says. “We had one of our stores sell out of rugs that had been slow moving after an employee posted about them on one of their local pages.”

Rely on the Professionals

When Jason Fank began building a new digital presence strategy at Handyman True Value Hardware, which has three locations in St. Louis, Missouri, he turned to professionals for help. Fank hired Mountain Mojo Group, a marketing agency that specializes in supporting small businesses and independent home improvement companies with marketing strategies. Content creation is a core necessity of a strong social media presence, but it can be difficult and costly unless you have the talent and the training to do it right, Fank says. “We aren’t social media experts,” Fank says. “If we tried without help, we probably wouldn’t make a dent. Leaning on professional marketers allows us to focus on other areas of the business.” Fank and advertising manager Christine Byrne, who Handyman Hardware brought into a full-time marketing role in 2013, approve all the posts Mountain Mojo Group creates. These posts are created six months at a time and include a mix of information about relevant seasonal categories, holidays or other special events taking place during that time frame. Being consistent and prepared with content has kept Handyman Hardware top of mind with customers who want to interact with the company. The most popular posts have featured employees. “Our customers love celebrating work anniversaries with us,” Fank says. “Those kinds of posts help establish the culture we want to be known for.”

The three-person marketing team at Busy Beaver Home Improvement Centers works together to promote the operation’s 25 locations.

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

PROFILE

Come Together RETAILER PROFILE

See how one operation has become a hub for its community at hardwareretailing.com/nikiski-hardware.

R E T A I L E R

P R O F I L E

From Screws to Brews COA STA L B U S I N E S S S E R VE S B E E R , FOOD AND HOME IMPROVEMENT SUPPLIES BY

RENEE

C HAN GN ON

rom Memorial Day until the end of September, the coastal town of Cannon Beach, Oregon, bustles with tourists. Visitors make their way to this beach haven to relax by Haystack Rock, wander local shops for niche items and enjoy delicious food. Nestled among the quaint shops and restaurants, Cannon Beach Hardware & Public House offers a little something extra for guests, selling hardware alongside brews and elevated pub food.

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

HARDWARE & HOPS Cannon Beach Hardware & Public House owner Ryan Hayes Dewey has created a unique stop for food and shopping.

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

“The previous hardware stores went out of business, but my dad encouraged me to take the risk by adding the bar. He believed in it so much, he said he’d support me.” —Ryan Hayes Dewey, Cannon Beach

Hardware & Public House

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

An Idea That Made Sense Cannon Beach Hardware & Public House—affectionately known as the Screw & Brew since it opened in 2010—has become a staple for locals and returning tourists, says owner Ryan Hayes Dewey. However, the concept for the business had been years in the making. Dewey’s father traveled internationally in his career often, but one visit to Dingle, Ireland, in 1972 paved the way for the business his son would one day open. “My dad was looking for a spot for lunch in Dingle and was told to go to the pub in town,” Dewey says. “He walked into the hardware store called Foxy Johns asking where the pub was, and they told him he was in it. He always said how cool of a concept it was.” When Dewey and his wife decided to leave city life in Portland, Oregon, and move back to her hometown of Cannon Beach, the idea to open a hardware store with a bar went from a dream to reality. Dewey had experience in the construction business and also owned two pubs in Portland with his brothers, so combining his experience in both industries made sense. “I was nervous about opening a hardware store in town because the local population is only 1,700 people,” Dewey says. “The previous hardware stores went out of business, but my dad encouraged me to take the risk by adding the bar. He believed in it so much, he said he’d support me.”

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

“It’s cool having a place that people enjoy visiting to have a good time with family and friends.” —Ryan Hayes Dewey, Cannon Beach

Hardware & Public House

What started as a hardware store with just three beer taps eventually expanded. Now the business features a full pub menu with local beers, a full bar and delicious food. The most popular items on the menu are the fish and chips and the pastrami. When you walk into the business, you are immediately greeted by a bar to your right and tables throughout the area, right next to the nuts, bolts, batteries and beach toys. Throughout the downstairs, unique items decorate the space, including old airplane seats and antique tools lining the walls. The upstairs features additional shelves of products one might need in a beach town, like cleaning products, insect sprays and housewares such as shower curtains and oven mitts. “Our store relieves those in town of having to drive nearly 45 minutes to get to the next closest hardware store,” Dewey says. “It’s really a convenient option for people.” In addition to hardware and food, visitors love picking out store-branded merchandise to take home, whether it’s a T-shirt, hat or hoodie.

34 HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

Finding the Right People Dewey believes Cannon Beach Hardware & Public House has remained a popular destination because of its unique hardware and bar combination, but he also credits his team for the store’s longtime success. Dewey relies on his experience in the construction business to help on the hardware side and brought on general manager Brooke Lynn Neuwirth to run the restaurant side of the operation. The store employs about 21 people, and often brings a few more people on board to help during the busy tourist season. “I am fortunate to have such great people who work here,” Dewey says. “We have many long-term employees. Not only do they know what to suggest for lunch or which drink

to try, but they also can help answer questions about the hardware side of the business.” The team at Cannon Beach Hardware & Public House is close knit. Every year, Dewey says he hosts a Christmas party for the team where they take part in an ornament making competition, with the top three ornaments winning a prize. In 2018, Neuwirth purchased the building next door and turned it into the Hemlocker, a bar and lounge that acts as an extension of the main area of the store. The Hemlocker space can also be rented out for events. “There is a Fourth of July parade in town that always ends here,” Dewey says. “It’s cool having a place that people enjoy visiting to have a good time with family and friends.”

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

OPERATIONS

Walking on Sustainability CATEGORY SPOTLIGHT

Many flooring manufacturers now offer green options you can stock to give your customers sustainable options. Learn more at hardwareretailing.com/eco-friendly-flooring.

ECO FIRST Stan’s Ace Hardware has been a forerunner in providing sustainable and green products.

Go Green to Make Green Discover the Eco-Friendly Products to Stock to Positively Impact the Planet BY

LINDS EY

he purchase of eco-friendly and sustainable products is a trend that shows no sign of slowing down. According to a study by NielsenIQ, 95% of consumers take steps to live more sustainably and almost half want retailers to provide ways for them to be more sustainable, including reducing plastic packaging

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

THO M P S O N

and providing more inexpensive sustainable product options. As new eco-friendly products come to market at a rapid pace, Hardware Retailing spoke with three retailers to get insights into the eco-friendly products their customers want the most and perform well in the independent channel.

Decades of Sustainability

Anawalt Lumber, which operates five locations in the Los Angeles area, has been carrying eco-friendly products for over 20 years, well before many options for sustainable products were available, says nursery and decor buyer Carolyn Collins. “The customer base in our area is definitely environmentally conscious, and we strive to be as well,” she says. Over the past two decades, the operation has curated its product selection to include eco-friendly options in several departments and categories including cleaning products, lightbulbs, lumber and lawn and garden. To promote these products, Collins, who also manages the company’s advertisements, says she tries to do an eco-friendly page at least twice a year in print advertising and promotes manufacturers and products on Anawalt Lumber’s social media accounts. When choosing what sustainable products to carry, Collins says Anawalt Lumber’s buyers rely on customer input, research and product discovery at industry markets. “We definitely do a lot of research and listen to what our customers are asking for,” Collins says. “Markets are always helpful to find new products, and our sales reps know what we’re interested in and can provide recommendations.”

GO GREEN Anawalt Lumber sells a variety of sustainable products to appeal to customers’ wants and needs.

Top-Selling Eco Products at Anawalt Lumber • • • • •

Cleaning and lifestyle tools LED lightbulbs Recycled plastic planters Composite decking and lumber Organic seeds, fertilizers, controls and soils

66% of consumers are willing to spend more on sustainable and eco-friendly products. 2022 First Insight, Inc., The Baker Retailing Center at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

PARTNERING FOR GOOD Stan’s Ace Hardware works with Our Water Our World to promote and provide sustainable products and offer education on the importance of using eco-friendly options.

Reduce and Reuse How to Add an In-Store Recycling Program Businesses that establish and promote their own recycling programs to customers can see that decision turn into profits and firm community connections. From installing plastic, paper and glass recycling bins in your store to working with commercial and industrial clients to recycle their materials, there are many options for retailers who want to start their own recycling program. Check out these tips to help you and your staff start a recycling program that can position your business as a reliable and green partner.

Form a green team. Whether your green team consists of one person or a handful of employees, forming a team within your company to oversee recycling initiatives is a worthwhile early step. By giving employees the power to start a new program at your business, you can encourage employees from all levels to invest in your operation. This leadership position can also help employees discover new skills to rise within your organization.

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

Specify the scope. Recycling regulations vary from state to state, or even county to county, so be sure the green team contacts your local waste haulers to confirm what can and cannot be recycled. Then, use that information to establish an internal set of recycling guidelines. Publicize that information in break rooms and storage areas to ensure your team is recycling whenever possible. This regulatory information will also help you establish a customer-facing recycling program that follows the law.

Partner with a program. There are numerous national recycling programs that view independent retailers as a major asset in their recycling efforts. Search online for organizations in your area that can give you the knowledge and resources to dispose of more difficult items like home appliances, electronics and paint. These partnerships can help you handle recycling projects from contractors and potentially boost sales in the process.

OPERATIONS

Green Goes to the Dogs Stocking eco-friendly pet toys opens your operation up to new audiences and helps protect our planet. Learn more at hardwareretailing.com/sustainable-pet-toys.

Eco-Friendly for Years

Another forerunner in sustainability, Stan’s Ace Hardware, which includes six locations in the Bay Area of California, has also been providing eco-friendly options for several decades. Michelle Leopold, chief marketing officer for the operation, says the company’s Standard 5&10 Ace store in San Francisco has been carrying green products for several decades and was one of the first local stores to offer reusable shopping bags. “From cleaning supplies to neonic-free plants that promote the health of pollinators, all six of Stan’s Ace Hardware stores promote eco-friendly products year-round as our customers continue to seek out items that are better for our environment,” Leopold says. The stores discover new eco-friendly products through customer input, product discovery at markets, suggestions from fellow retailers and their own research online, Leopold says. “We are fortunate to have several sustainable companies near us so we can be part of a growing trend featuring local products,” Leopold says. “This also helps cut down on our carbon footprint because we are buying locally.” To get the word out about the store’s different green product offerings, Leopold says she utilizes social media. The operation also partners with Our Water Our World, a joint effort by water pollution prevention agencies, participating retail stores and pesticide distributors and manufacturers to reduce the risks associated with pesticide use. “Our Water Our World does so much excellent education around pest solutions and healthy yard products,” Leopold says. “They offer in-store education to our teams, tabling events for our customers, handouts on many key topics around integrated pest management and labeling of the eco-friendly products on our shelves.”

Raines is strategic in the products she carries, taking into account her customers’ needs, the local environment and trends in the industry. Crested Butte sits at 8,885 feet above sea level in a dry desert with harsh weather, including extreme sun and low moisture that can dry and damage wood quickly. Products that work at lower elevations and different climates often don’t work for the store’s clients, so she is continually bringing in and testing new products. “We believe we have found the products that work best here, but we are always looking for better products that last longer and give our customers a better bang for their buck,” she says. “We live in a beautiful area and keeping it beautiful is important to us. Thankfully, the industry has been making massive improvements in their products to be more eco-friendly.”

Top-Selling Eco Products at Mountain Colors Paint Store • Low- or zero-VOC paint and stain • Cleaners • Lightbulbs

Top-Selling Eco Products at Stan’s Ace Hardware • • • • •

Cleaning and laundry products Reusable food wraps Biodegradable garbage bags and dog waste bags Glass and metal water bottles Smart home and energy-saving products

Meeting Customer Needs

Born from a need for a local place to buy paint, Mountain Colors Paint Store in Crested Butte, Colorado, has grown into a full-service paint, hardware and lighting operation that serves its community with high-end products, including a large selection of eco-friendly options. The store opened in 1994, and current owner Kim Raines purchased the business in 2006 from the original founder, who was also her boss at the time. Because the store is small,

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SHARE YOUR IDEAS

Engage With Your Customers CHECKOUTS

Have an idea? Send an email to editorial@YourNHPA.org to have your story considered for publication.

Every Saturday and Sunday during the holiday season, Clarks Ace Hardware hosts an event where families can meet Santa, do crafts and complete some of their holiday shopping list.

EVENTS

Ho Ho Ho for the Holidays CLARKS HARDWARE INVITES YOUNG AND OLD TO MEET SANTA W I T H A B A C K G R O U N D in theater, James Ralston brings his flair for entertaining to Clarks Ace Hardware, where for most of the year, he works as a cashier. But from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, he transforms into Santa Claus and spreads holiday joy at the operation’s stores in Ellicott City and Columbia, Maryland.

40 HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

The season officially kicks off with a Ladies Night Out event on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, where Santa makes his appearance. Then, for three hours each Saturday during the holiday season, Ralston dons his Santa suit for Santa Saturdays at the Ellicott City location. During the event, customers create at a craft

COMMUNITY

Brightly Giving Back

station, send their letters to Santa through the store’s holiday mailbox, enjoy the model train and shop for live greens and trees, says Steph White, director of marketing and community outreach. Santa sits in an oversized sleigh for complimentary photos with customers of all ages, including some furry friends, and gives out candy canes and Ace Hardware truck PEZ dispensers. Ralston had been dressing up as Santa Claus in the store for years just for fun, but White officially started Santa Saturdays in 2021 when she joined the company. “As a parent of a young child, I wanted to have a set time when parents could bring in their children and were guaranteed to see Santa,” White says. “It can be a hassle going to the mall to see Santa; trying to find parking and then paying a fortune for the photo didn’t interest me. So I decided if we could offer this free activity every weekend to our Ace Hardware customers, it was one way we could connect with our community.” When the operation, which has been in business for over 175 years, opened its second location in Columbia in 2022, Santa Saturdays expanded to Santa Sundays at the new store with all the same fun and activities. “We want Clarks Ace Hardware to be a destination in our community,” White says. “And we want this event to be an opportunity for customers to visit with Santa, pick up their holiday decor and kick off the holiday season with us.”

In the spirit of giving back, White’s Ace Hardware sponsors a Christmas light recycling drive each year. Chris White, one of the owners and the operations manager, says the program started in 2011 when the operation partnered with the City of Carmel, Indiana. As the program has grown, other organizations have joined the effort to collect even more lights, including Carmel Clay Schools’ Green Team, City of Carmel Utilities and Technology Recyclers. From late November through the end of January, members of the community can bring their unwanted or damaged holiday light sets to any of the three store locations in Carmel, Fishers or Indianapolis, Indiana. Technology Recyclers then collects and recycles the lights from all the stores. “Recycling inoperable or inefficient holiday lights keeps those items out of landfills, which reduces the long-term carbon impact on our environment,” White says. “Last year alone, White’s Ace collected more than 9,500 pounds of lights. Overall, the entire program has collected more than 13 tons of lights since 2011.” White says they have many customers who come in to drop off lights and end up shopping in the store. “We are a locally owned and operated business whose team members and owners live in and around the communities where our stores are located,” he says. “We feel moved to help support and improve our communities whenever possible through programs such as this one.”

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

MARKETING

Saying Cheese to Spread Cheer Christmas cheer goes big at M&M Lumber in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For the last decade, employees have taken a company Christmas photo and displayed it on the company’s delivery truck. The tradition started in the 1990s, when the company would plaster photos of a local football team on the delivery truck and advertise in that team’s program. Over time, the company found other ways to use their advertising dollars and began putting their company’s Christmas photo on the truck, says Whitney McKellar, who is a buyer and in charge of customer relations for the company. “We also put the photo on Christmas cards and send them out to retired employees, customers and vendors each year,” McKellar says. “Over the years, we have sat in the millwork bins, on bundles of lumber, on delivery trucks and in other fun spots around the business for the photo—whatever we can do to make it fun and get everyone involved.”

HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

EVENTS

Reining in the Holidays At Ossian Do it Best Hardware in Ossian, Indiana, customers can kick off the holiday season at the store’s annual Reindeer Day. Owner Eventt Norris says the yearly event includes visits with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, holiday crafts, decorating sugar cookies, scavenger hunts and meeting live reindeer. For Norris, the event isn’t about making money or bringing in more customers, but it’s about giving back to the community. “It’s about seeing the children’s faces light up when they see Santa and his reindeer and seeing families come year after year to capture a memory and enjoy a tradition,” Norris says. “It’s about watching the kids decorate the sugar cookies that my daughters baked the night before in our kitchen and then watching their faces light up when they get to add all the sprinkles they want. It’s about serving others and giving.”

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

NETWORK

Make a Plan CALENDAR

Visit YourNHPA.org/cal to find more industry events online.

This index is provided for the convenience of our advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

House-Hasson .............................................................................................................. 5 househasson.com Midwest Fastener Corp. ............................................................................. IFC-1 constructionscrews.com NHPA Academy Catalog ................................................................................BC YourNHPA.org/academy

25-27

THU-SAT

House-Hasson Winter Market NASHVILLE, TN

2-4

True Value Spring Reunion

FRI-SUN

NEW ORLEANS, LA

15-16

United Hardware Spring Buyer Market

THU-FRI

16-18

FRI-SUN

22-24

THU-SAT

NHPA Foundations of Merchandising Management Live! ... 9 YourNHPA.org/foundationslive NHPA Retail Marketplace ..................................................................................... 13 YourNHPA.org/marketplace NHPA Subscriptions ................................................................................................. 44 YourNHPA.org/subscribe

ST. CLOUD, MN

NHPA Young Retailer of the Year ...............................................................45 YourNHPA.org/yroty

Monroe Hardware Spring Market

Orgill Inc. .............................................................................................................48-IBC orgill.com

MYRTLE BEACH, SC

Orgill Spring Dealer Market ORLANDO, FL

US Wire & Cable ......................................................................................................... 7 uswireandcable.com Woodland .......................................................................................................................43 pinecar.com

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44 HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

CALL FOR 2024 NOMINATIONS

Recognizing young leaders who represent the future of independent home improvement retailing A P H

• 20

Nominations are now open for the 2024 Young Retailer of the Year awards!

Youn Reta g iler Year

NHPA

North American Hardware and Paint Association

of th e

28TH Do you know an inspiring young retailer? Submit your nomination by February 28, 2024. Learn more at YourNHPA.org/yroty.

N G R E TA U O Y IL

L A

WARDS PR

OPERATIONS

Digital Refresh LAST WORD

If your website includes any of these five red flags, it’s time for an update. Learn more at hardwareretailing.com/website-refresh.

TRENDS

Pick Their

BRAINS WHAT DRIVES THE TOP PRIVATE CEOs IN THE U.S . E A C H Y E A R , Inc. magazine surveys CEOs of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., gaining an inside look at their growth strategies, how they handle current challenges and opportunities they want to embrace. See the responses from these CEOs to glean insights to build growth and find success in your operation.

Source: 2023 CEO Survey, Inc. magazine

46 HARDWARE RETAILING | December 2023

Top 5 Exit Strategies Sell to another company 41%

Sell to investors or financial partners 18%

2 Ways They're Using AI Content Creation

Workflow Automation

Haven’t thought about an exit 15%

Pass to family members 9%

Sell to current employees 8%

84%

use or plan to use artificial intelligence in their business

61%

say the biggest obstacle to growth is hiring and retaining employees

57%

say LinkedIn is the most important social media platform for their business

44%

say their workforce has experienced burnout post-pandemic

December 2023 | HARDWARE RETAILING

2024

DEALER MARKET & Spring Online Buying Event

Get Ready, It ’ s Coming!

Score the best buys of the year! Register now for our in-person Dealer Market, happening Feb. 22 – 24 in Orlando, Fla. There you’ll see our industry’s newest products, talk to vendors, attend workshops and clinics, network with other dealers, and experience two concept stores – a pro store and a traditional hardware store. And don’t miss our red-hot Flash Deals. Plus, our Spring Online Buying Event, which runs Feb. 19 – March 3, is your chance to round out your spring buys with online-only deals, offers, and more.

Training Tools To Grow Your Business From the Inside Out Discover the full array of programs, resources and opportunities NHPA provides the industry in the 2024 Academy Catalog at YourNHPA.org/academy or by scanning the QR code.