A co-op revs up in Indy
Friday is Education Day at the Do it Best Spring Market, which once again takes place in Indianapolis. E-commerce, point-of-sale, paint, social media and loyalty programs are all fair game, and are all included in a packed ala-carte syllabus.
According to Randy Rusk, communications director for the Fort Wayne, Ind.-based co-op, the event will attract thousands of members from across the country and other parts of the world to Indianapolis.
“It's an opportunity to catch up with old friends, make many new ones and learn firsthand how we can serve them better,” he said via e-mail. “Nothing beats the opportunity to connect in person, share ideas and learn how we can continue to exceed their expectations with great deals on products and programs designed to fuel their growth,” he said.
The market floor will open Friday night for a deep-discount Sneak Peek event. The curtain falls on the show floor Monday at 2 p.m.
Between the education and the buying, attendees will certainly discuss industry trends – from new forms of digital competition to recent hardware distribution headlines. The Do it Best Spring Market marks the first national co-op market since ACON Investments purchased 70% of Chicago-based True Value, ending its run as a co-op and beginning its run as a distributor.
While the hardware industry watches that story unfold, Do it Best executives see nothing but strength and stability in the co-op model for independent retailers. "What we provide that the standard distributor model doesn’t is our singularity of focus on serving the needs of our member-owners,” said VP of Marketing Rich Lynch. He added that the spring market is the perfect place to demonstrate the very best of what Do it Best has to offer. “If the record number of prospective new members attending is any indication, there is a strong appetite among home improvement business owners to leverage the co-op to learn from each other to discover opportunities to grow.”
Special events at the Do it Best Spring Market include a Friday Market Kickoff that will include a presentation from Jon “Magic Man” Dorenbos, a Pro Bowl football player with an inspiring story. On Sunday, Brian Shapiro will deliver a Lunch-n-Learn session on “Exceptionally Human Communication.”
According to Randy Rusk, communications director for the Fort Wayne, Ind.-based co-op, the event will attract thousands of members from across the country and other parts of the world to Indianapolis.
“It's an opportunity to catch up with old friends, make many new ones and learn firsthand how we can serve them better,” he said via e-mail. “Nothing beats the opportunity to connect in person, share ideas and learn how we can continue to exceed their expectations with great deals on products and programs designed to fuel their growth,” he said.
The market floor will open Friday night for a deep-discount Sneak Peek event. The curtain falls on the show floor Monday at 2 p.m.
Between the education and the buying, attendees will certainly discuss industry trends – from new forms of digital competition to recent hardware distribution headlines. The Do it Best Spring Market marks the first national co-op market since ACON Investments purchased 70% of Chicago-based True Value, ending its run as a co-op and beginning its run as a distributor.
While the hardware industry watches that story unfold, Do it Best executives see nothing but strength and stability in the co-op model for independent retailers. "What we provide that the standard distributor model doesn’t is our singularity of focus on serving the needs of our member-owners,” said VP of Marketing Rich Lynch. He added that the spring market is the perfect place to demonstrate the very best of what Do it Best has to offer. “If the record number of prospective new members attending is any indication, there is a strong appetite among home improvement business owners to leverage the co-op to learn from each other to discover opportunities to grow.”
Special events at the Do it Best Spring Market include a Friday Market Kickoff that will include a presentation from Jon “Magic Man” Dorenbos, a Pro Bowl football player with an inspiring story. On Sunday, Brian Shapiro will deliver a Lunch-n-Learn session on “Exceptionally Human Communication.”