Customers Explore Product Showcases, New Product Lines and Expanded Model Stores at Orgill Spring Dealer Market in Orlando

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For this Market, Orgill expanded its market display to more than 750,000 square feet. Some of the most promoted areas of the show were the multiple showcase areas. A concept introduced at the distributor’s Fall Dealer Market, these showcase areas included comprehensive displays of category-specific products, merchandising, education and networking opportunities in one area. For this show, Orgill introduced a Paint and Paint Sundries showcase called vivid Solutions and an Outdoor Living showcase named "The Great Outdoors....Backyard Oasis".

Dominant assortments were abundant as more than 12,000 items were on display in the vivid Solutions showcase leaving  no doubt that Orgill offers one of the most complete paint and paint sundry offerings in the industry.

Similarly, the Outdoor Living showcase showed both national and private-label brands in a designated display. Marked by a large pergola and outdoor kitchen, it gave Orgill customers access to view expanded outdoor living lines and services merchandised in a real-world environment.

Walker says Orgill also used the Market to highlight ways for retailers to increase their transaction sizes including a special impulse area, rental area and MRO area. If feedback from attendees is any indication of how its customers are doing, the future looks bright for Orgill.

"Business has been really good," says Paul Singer from Morinville Castle in Alberta, Canada. "We’ve been working with Orgill now for several years and the relationship is great."

Model Store Initiative
Orgill has also become well-known for its model stores over the past several years. At this show, the distributor spotlighted three different store types, two of which were brand new.

Cobblestone Hardware returned from its Boston debut in the fall, but this time the assortment had a spring & summer focus with assortment niche opportunities scattered throughout the store. Cobblestone represented a traditional hardware store with notable dominant categories such as paint and paint sundries, lawn and garden, plumbing and an outdoor living area that illustrated how Orgill customers can take advantage of trends within the grilling and outdoor kitchen industry. The 13,000-square-foot model incorporated ideas throughout on how to increase transaction size and overall profitability.

Everglade Building Materials made its debut in Orlando with a retail footprint of just under 4,800 square feet.
"As housing construction continues to climb and builder confidence starts to rebound, many customers are looking for merchandising and product assortments to help capitalize on the break in the market," says Jeff Curler, Orgill’s vice president of advertising and dealer promotions. "The model focused on helping retailers get ideas on how to merchandise and stock their stores in order to get contractors in and out of their stores conveniently. We also wanted our pro customers to understand that we have the solutions they need to embrace their business, and this model store definitely did not disappoint."

Kodiak Trail Hardware and Supply, a 13,900-square-foot comprehensive North American hardware store was on display as well. The product assortment and services showcased were regionally based assortments that were of high interest to the Canadian retailers attending the market. Kodiak not only featured a timely spring-focused assortment, it was also host to several powerful niche programs that have been gaining momentum with many Orgill customers. On display was a dual strategy incorporating both a Rental and MRO niche business into the assortment strategy.

Also back by overwhelming response was the Flash Market, a special area of the show where Orgill offers limited quantities of closeout products, end-of-season overstocks and factory-discontinued merchandise at deep discounts.

"We always come and check out the discount opportunities first," says Harold and Susan Tauber, owners of Glen Park Hardware in San Francisco. "We really like this closeout; it helps us get some really great values to expand our promotional activity to our customers."

For More Information Contact:
Jeff Curler at (901) 754-8850 ext. 6498