Throwback Thursday: For the Ladies

The April 21, 1975 issue of National Home Center News, the forerunner of HBSDealer, examined the trend of home centers embracing the female shopper with events and merchandise categoriies

Among the examples cited:

• Ole’s of Rosemead, Calif., and Rickel, South Plainfield, N.J., rolled out a softer side, with linens, draperies, towels and knitting supplies.

• Wolohan Lumber in Saginaw, Mich., and Pease Home Improvement Centers of Hamilton, Ohio, stressed female-oriented product demonstrations in their stores.

• Forest City Enterprises, based in Cleveland, introduced telephone help lines called “Ask Ms. Pat Brown.” Bob Mendez, director of advertising for Forets City explained, “we used the Ms. As a means to encourage more women to get involed in projects usually left to the me. So far, we think it’s worked.”

• Kent, Washington-based Pay ‘N Pak promoted curling irons, hair dryers and coffee makers to its female customers.

Modern home centers and hardware stores have stood on the female friendly shoulders of these early home center giants.

The article – which carried the headline “Retailers woo women with clinic come-ons” -- included  the following quote and prescient prediction from Ole’s merchandise manager Mike Benza: “Our company feels that in the next two or three years, the female shopper will be one of the most dominant factors in our industry, if she isn’t already.”

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Throwback Bonus: Lighting up sales.

A father and son spend time together in the aisle of a new Jersey Rickel store. In-store smoking must have been too common in 1975 to warrant mention in a caption.