How to be an All Star
Beginning in Alabama and sparkling up the alphabet all the way to Wyoming, the HCN Hardware Store All-Star class of 2014 — “50 stores in 50 states” — are laid out in our special report.
HCN’s All Stars are selected through a combination of factors, including strength and frequency of nominations, evidence of innovation and investment in the future, and conduct becoming of an All Star. In some cases, we know them when we see them.
Consider our cover All Star, BTU Do it Center of Las Vegas, New Mexico.
When two big boxes moved into the community simultaneously, the independent dealer went to work. First, reaching out to customers for feedback. Next, identifying areas that needed improvement. Finally, executing a plan to better serve the community.
“We reached out to the entire community — those who were our customers and those who weren’t,” said Wayne Sonchar, owner of BTU Do it Center. “We found there was a need for us to have a broader focus. We needed to go deeper in electrical. We had a deep base in plumbing, but we had to take it even deeper. And also we needed to appeal more to the DIY customer.”
The new, thriving BTU Do it Center has 8,000 sq. ft. of retail space on a three-acre lot. A store-within-a-store Stihl offering coexists with a new home decor area where kitchens are made to order.
Before the renovation, the customer mix was an estimated 65% pro, 35% DIY. In today’s store, DIY has been elevated to about 45% — right where he wants it.
“We wanted to be able to serve more of the people,” Sonchar said. “We’ve kept our contractor base. And we grew our total business.”
Asked for his thoughts on All-Star performance, Sonchar nailed it: “I think it’s almost like the Golden Rule,” Sonchar said. “Serve others as you would like to be served.”
And on the importance of treating employees well: “As a hardware store owner, you can only do what one person can do,” Sonchar said. “But if you have good people behind you and you treat them well, you bring out their ideas and thoughts on how to improve the business.”
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BTU’s story of thriving in the shadow of major competition is just one of hundreds of independent success stories documented by the 4-year-old All-Star program. HCN editors take very seriously the responsibility of assembling each new class. This year we started earlier, solicited harder and worked longer than in year’s past. The results speak for themselves.
Help us kick off our 2015 All-Star search. If you or someone you know exhibits All-Star behavior while owning or operating a hardware store, lumberyard or farm-and-ranch outlet, tell us immediately.
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