Fall 2018 Hardlines Strategies

CUSTOMER PROFILE

kept those ties strong through the ups and downs of the business. “We’ve been approached over the years by other companies, but we’ve maintained we can grow better with Blish-Mize. They fit our size, and they’ve never strayed from the family feel of the business,” O’Connell says. “They don’t tell you how to run your business, but they’re a great resource to help you do so. “They’ve been good to us, through the bad times and the good, and this new location should bring more of the good,” he says.

At the new location, the staff opted for wider aisles to emphasize the open and bright salesfloor. Cabinets and seasonal items sit near the main entrance for customers to see upon first entering, showing off the store’s increased product diversity. The main checkout and service counter sits right at the end of a wide power aisle through the middle of the store. This allows staff to see customers when they enter and draws customers through the store on their way back to see an employee for assistance. The back area by the counter also features picnic tables that were

custom-made for the store by a local craftsman, with snacks and drinks available for purchase. The power tools are in sight of this area, making it a great spot for customers to mull over their purchasing decisions. “It really was a blessing that we got this location without remaining inventory. This gave us a chance to really take a look at how we wanted to use the space,” Doyle says. “We were so used to trying to pack everything into a smaller area that we needed to see how a salesfloor could look with fewer gondolas and more space for customers. It’s an inviting look that customers have really responded to.” While the move has done wonders for the retail hardware sales and walk-in traffic at Triple O’s, there are a few aspects of the new location that the team is still working on. O’Connell and Doyle are still looking into how to best organize the lumberyard and maximize its efficiency after moving from the old location. “We’re still learning how we want to merchandise items, and how we want to change the store to suit our needs,”

“We’re still learning how we want to merchandise items, and how we want to change the store to suit our needs. The positive response we’ve gotten so far has us all feeling this is going to be something that really attracts customers and

draws in new faces for us.” —Sean Doyle, assistant manager

Customers coming into Triple O’s Building Supply’s new location first see a wide main aisle with a service and checkout counter straight ahead. The team behind Triple O’s used the new space to widen aisles and better merchandise their main product categories.

10 Fall 2018 • Hardlines Strategies