Cook said that more customers are asking to see invoices, and check inventory online. “As we move forward, we’ll offer these things,” he said.
Hannan said that in every market, an LBM dealer will find themselves with different competition. In Dubuque, it happens to be big box stores with large marketing budgets.
“We don’t want to do exactly what they do,” he said, “but something else.”
That ‘something else’ for Spahn & Rose is an increase in size and selection so that their customers have no need to go anywhere else.
As part of Spahn & Rose’s new Dubuque store design, management and marketing staff met with designers from Do it Best’s Signature Store Design team. The best images from Spahn & Rose’s deep archive of historic photos were digitized, enhanced and displayed on the walls of the new store. The bold photos are present on large open wall spaces in the store and help to reinforce the company’s history in the community, further differentiating its business practices and values. The largest image, from the late 1950s featuring the original Dubuque location, is 33′ long by 12′ high and hangs on the store’s back wall. Support columns throughout the store are decorated with banners signifying significant years in store—and Dubuque—history. A timeline on a frosted glass display shows milestone moments from throughout the years. From horses and wagons carrying lumber, to employees outside the store from generations ago, the images solidify Spahn & Rose’s place in the Dubuque area. General Manager John Cook said the building’s historic décor creates conversations between staff and customers and reinforces the store’s deep roots and commitment to the community. |