Las Vegas plays host to Largest-Ever Fall Dealer Market for Orgill Inc.

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Orgill, Inc. concluded another successful Fall Dealer Market, held Aug. 16-18 in Las Vegas at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, which brought together thousands of retailers, manufacturers and service providers for the three-day buying show.

The event registered as Orgill’s largest-ever Fall Dealer Market for both attendance and sales, Orgill’s President and CEO Ron Beal said.

"This was by far the best Fall Market we have ever had," Beal said. "The event surpassed the previous record, which we set last Fall at our Market held in Boston, and was very close to our all-time Market record, which was set earlier this year at our Spring Dealer Market in Orlando."

Retailer attendance at this year’s Las Vegas Market showed a 14.5 percent increase over last year’s fall show; sales in Las Vegas were up 15.4 percent over the previous fall.
The Las Vegas event was also encouraging from a new-business standpoint for Orgill with more than 300 prospective new customers on hand at the show and more than 25 projects for new retail stores initiated at the Market.

"We are always happy to see an increase in attendance and sales at these events but we are also very pleased with the optimism and energy we felt from the retailers who were at the Market," Beal said. "The fact that the retailers we do business with are actively buying products, opening new stores and looking for ways to grow their operations while they are at our Market is a great indicator of their overall commitment to success."
Retailers from throughout Orgill’s coverage area attended the Fall Dealer Market including large contingents from the U.S. and Canada as well as retail representatives from countries around the world, all of whom were looking for buying opportunities, retail ideas and innovative programs.

The more than 500,000 square feet of exhibit space the show occupied included a who’s who of the home improvement industry’s most well-recognized and respected brands, ranging from 3M to Valspar and Black and Decker to Whirlpool.

"One of the reasons our Dealer Markets are so successful is because retailers know that our show is a buying event and they can secure the best deals and meet with the best companies in the industry all in one location," Orgill’s Chief Merchandising Officer Ken Post said. "Once again, members of the vendor community stepped up with their best programs and presentations in Las Vegas and made the event a great success for us but more importantly for the retailers we serve."

In addition to the aisles of products on display in Las Vegas, the Market also featured four complete model home improvement stores on the show floor. These model stores were designed to showcase the complete range of products and services Orgill can provide its customers in a real-world retail environment.

"Orgill does a wonderful job helping customers create a retail presentation, whether the retailer is located in a rural area or in the Bronx," said Frank Comer, president of Wynnton Hardware in Columbus, Ga. "The model stores help customers see that presentation. Orgill does the hard work for you. It’s like having a back staff of 20 buyers you can count on."

The lineup of model stores featured in Las Vegas included:

• Frontier Farm & Hardware, a 12,000-square-foot model store with a farm and ranch focus.
  
• Copper Canyon Hardware, an 8,000-square-foot model that showcased the latest in hardware store design tailored to attract and retain business from the coveted female demographic. 
  
• Four Corners Hardware & Supply, a model focused on maintenance and repair solutions showcasing thousands of SKUs targeting commercial/industrial business.
  
• North Lake Lumber, an expanded version of the 100 percent Canadian-compliant store model Orgill first debuted earlier this year in Orlando.

"The different store models help us get ideas for our stores. In fact, we came to the last show and we implemented a lot of the ideas to maximize our inventory potential in our newest store," said Tony Sipe, owner of Sipe Lumber Company with two locations in North Carolina. "The MRO model is a great resource for our main location, and the farm and ranch model is giving us ideas for our expansion store. I use my iPad and take pictures of the model displays."

Orgill’s Spring Dealer Market will be held Feb. 21-23 in Orlando.