Throwback Thursday: Time to Remodel
The Oct. 12, 2009 issue of Home Channel News, the immediate forerunner of HBSDealer, published a Do it Best Corp. special report that included a profile of Paradise Home Center in Union, S.C.
Dan Berry, the fourth generation owner, had recently remodeled his 50,000 sq. ft. home center to make it friendlier to homeowners, who had previously been a secondary consideration behind contractors and commercial customers.
Berry offered the following advice: “People have money to spend, but they’re spending it on smaller stuff,” he said. “If you manager your overhead and your expenses, and you figure out where the sweet spots are, you’ll be OK.”
That advice remains as sound today as it was a decade ago, when housing starts were at their all-time low -- 554,000, according to the Commerce Department.
Among the specific changes were merchandising additions such as expansion of laminate flooring at an attractive price point (under $2 per foot); introduction of chilled coffee beverages; additions of hunting, fishing and camping gear.
On the redesign, Berry said: “When your remodel your store with your buying group, it gives you a great opportunity to ride the wave and look at everything from uniforms to letterhead to services. It’s a good time to make changes.
The store continues to thrive today. Check out the website here.
HBSDealer’s Throwback Thursday is sponsored by Schaffer Associates, a national management consulting firm specializing in executive search and organizational strategies for the hardware, home improvement, building materials, and consumer products industries. As the premier management consulting firm serving the industry, we help build organizations and leadership teams that foster corporate growth and success well into the future. Contact us at SchafferAssociates.com.
Dan Berry, the fourth generation owner, had recently remodeled his 50,000 sq. ft. home center to make it friendlier to homeowners, who had previously been a secondary consideration behind contractors and commercial customers.
Berry offered the following advice: “People have money to spend, but they’re spending it on smaller stuff,” he said. “If you manager your overhead and your expenses, and you figure out where the sweet spots are, you’ll be OK.”
That advice remains as sound today as it was a decade ago, when housing starts were at their all-time low -- 554,000, according to the Commerce Department.
Among the specific changes were merchandising additions such as expansion of laminate flooring at an attractive price point (under $2 per foot); introduction of chilled coffee beverages; additions of hunting, fishing and camping gear.
On the redesign, Berry said: “When your remodel your store with your buying group, it gives you a great opportunity to ride the wave and look at everything from uniforms to letterhead to services. It’s a good time to make changes.
The store continues to thrive today. Check out the website here.
HBSDealer’s Throwback Thursday is sponsored by Schaffer Associates, a national management consulting firm specializing in executive search and organizational strategies for the hardware, home improvement, building materials, and consumer products industries. As the premier management consulting firm serving the industry, we help build organizations and leadership teams that foster corporate growth and success well into the future. Contact us at SchafferAssociates.com.