At NHS, a panel defines the next generation of retailers

Las Vegas -- Three prominent retailers took the stage at the NRHA Village Stage to discuss (and represent) the ascendant generation of dealers, answering, among other things, questions of "how to fire Dad."

Succession planning was just one aspect of generational turnover addressed during the panel (titled "The Next Generation of Independent Dealers"). Other hot topics included the changing face of customer service, differentiation, expansion efforts, all things digital, and how to maintain one's family legacy.

"We're not just looking to maintain, but to accelerate the momentum of our family business," explained Will Aubuchon, VP sales at Aubuchon Hardware.

The panel addressed the modern consumer extensively, as well as the corresponding shift in the goal posts for customer service.

These are consumers who grew up with big-box service, so their expectations are different, explained Dallin Redd, owner of Redd's Ace Hardware. Additionally, today's customers have more knowledge coming into the store than they ever did in the past -- they've already done a lot of research before coming in, and they don't necessarily need or want a heavy-handed customer service approach with too much hand-holding.

However, that doesn't spell a passive approach to today's up-and-coming cohort of retailers.

"People do want to be left alone more today, but when you walk into our store, everyone can help you with every aspect [of your project]," said Ryan Ringer, VP and general manager of Gold Beach Lumber. "We really stress with our people that when someone walks in the door, they have a problem. And it's our job to solve that problem."

Another thing that hasn't changed? The expectation that success comes from hard work and plenty of time.

"If you want to work hard and put the time in, there's tremendous opportunity for my peers to take a serious foothold in this industry," said Ringer.