Who hit it big in Chicago?

The True Value Fall Reunion included a $1 million Wow Giveaway -- $250,000 in product inventory to four lucky winners.

Brooks Hardware in Salem, Oregon was the first store to be drawn at random for the prize, followed by Kooetnai Drug True Value in Troy, Montana; Shorewood True Value in Excelsior, Minnesota; and Gibbs True Value in Ashland, Kentucky.

Other retailers during the General Session received the prize of recognition for adherence to retail best practices. Roselawn (Indiana) True Value; Akard True Value of Zionsville, Indiana; and True Value of Winfield, Alabama were each the subject of a short video.

The videos reinforced the importance of the "five Ps" of retailing: people, place, promotion, product and price.

On the topic of product, Akard True Value store managers sang the praises of the co-op’s True Blue assortments. 

“I think a lot of times when customers come to us they have two thoughts on their mind,” said Leigh Ann Akard. “One is will they have it. And two is I know they’ve got it, but can they solve my problem. And with these plannograms, we’re able to do both.”