Slide show: Do it Best’s new Color Bar

Indianapolis — The big introduction at the 2017 Do it Best Spring Market was easy to identify — the eye-catching new paint store concept called “The Color Bar.” The new design was a major focus of the co-op’s Market Kick Off, and was described by executives as a raising of the bar in paint merchandising.

The introduction marked the culmination of an accelerated, eight-month process that included input from paint companies Sherwin-Williams, Valspar and retail design firm Chute Gerdeman.

The debut of The Color Bar follows last year's introduction of new and improved color selectors, and a new look with the private label Do it Best paint brand, Best Look. "We needed to do more," said VP of sales and business development Nick Talarico. "Selling paint is not about selling cans, it's about selling color."

The new Color Bar is equipped with a number of features designed to sell colors. In addition to various specialized end caps, it has a side-by-side Best Look paint comparison display, a color-inspiration flipbook and a design that's friendly to scalability, cross-merchandising and female shoppers. On that last point, the design includes a color trends desk area, replete with a hook to hang a customer's purse.

The Do it Best market ended May 22.