Ace's top merchant hints at market changes

In an interview with Home Channel News, Ace's new merchandising chief John Surane said the Oak Brook, Ill.-based co-op is looking to revitalize its markets.

"Our industry has changed in almost every way, but the co-op show has been the co-op show for many many years," said Surane, Ace's VP merchandising, advertising and marketing. Without offering specific plans, he said attendees can expect changes to the look and feel of the markets, including more of a retail orientation with best-practices and management education. "They'll be some new, fresh events," he said. "We're focusing on adding value on our retailers and also for our vendors."

The Ace Fall Market will take place Oct. 22 to 25 in Atlanta. (For the industry calendar, click here.)

Surane, a Home Depot veteran who came to Ace Hardware from Bosch Tools a little more than two months ago, described his first 60 days with Ace as demanding.

"We work for the members, and they expect a lot and they desire and expect change," he said. "I get a lot of opinions I get a lot of guidance, but most importantly it's all with the right intentions to start a better company."

In the area of merchandising trends, Surane pointed to the bright spot of green products and energy efficiency. "We have structure designed around this and an intense focus on it," he said, pointing to the Helpful Earth Choices campaign. "We're going to be part of the leading edge of this."

He added that one of the challenges is overcoming the perception of green washing and confusion. "Green is extremely undefined at this point," he said. "We can't just claim green because it s a marketing event. It has to be good for the consumer, good for the environment and it has to have real value."

More and more, the Ace corporate organization is focusing on the consumer and putting itself in the shoes of its retailers. "Our role is much more than providing wholesale goods and services, while that remains very important and is essential to the organization," he said.  

Surane joined Ace from Bosch Tools. At Bosch, he was president of Skil with responsibility for the Skil Power Tool Company across North America for three years. Prior to joining Bosch, he worked for Home Depot in a variety of merchandising roles, including the most recent role as global product merchant. In that capacity, he was involved with approximately $2 billion in sales, representing 50 product categories and more than 200 suppliers.

HCN spoke with Surane shortly after Ace Hardware earned the highest numbers for the third consecutive year in the J.D. Power and Associates Home Improvement Retail Store Study.

"There's a lot of pride winning this award three years in a row," said Surane. "It's noted that we stand by core values in helpfulness and customer service." He credited the people in the stores, and also the vendors.