True Value rolls out new paint center

As paint-aisle competition heats up across the home improvement industry, Chicago-based True Value Company says its new True Value Beauty by Design color center is brushing up stores with enhanced technology and merchandising.

The program description begins with 2,070 colors and ultra-low-VOC colorant system. New tinting equipment, new color computers and new colorants provide the back end of the color centers. Consumer-facing tools include idea cards, color cards, hang tags and designer cards, all created to give confidence to the homeowner. 

"Our stores will now be much more consistent at retail in presentation, product and color offerings," said Bruce Frank, global product merchant-paint department. "The rollout includes professional in-store merchandising to ensure that all stores have a great look."

True Value's brands include Easy Care and Easy Care Platinum for interior projects and Weather All Extreme for exterior projects. 

The company said the cost of the rollout -- "several million dollars" -- is split between True Value and retailers, with retailers offered four-year, no-interest loans toward the investment.

The new offerings are rolling out to 2,000 stores, the co-op said.

The paint category is described as a consistent business for the co-op's retailers, and revenue is growing slightly. True Value is hoping to continue the paint growth, partly by bringing Benjamin Moore to an additional 250 retail locations over the next three years.

Benjamin Moore was closely linked with Ace Hardware, until Ace signed a deal with Valspar to overhaul its paint offering. At Ace, the national marketing of its new Paint Studio program, described as the co-op's biggest in-store initiative ever, kicked off earlier this month.