Insights from LBM dealers who’ve grown their sales with a showroom refresh.
The third-generation, privately-held Friedman’s Home Improvement has been in business for 69 years.
Location: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Petaluma, and Ukiah, Calif.
New Showroom: 6,000 square feet of space at the new Petaluma location, opened in mid-2014. Store is Cal-Green Certified with “living walls” and a mezzanine featuring a Kitchen and Bath Design showroom.
Customer Focus: 60% retail and 40% contractor
Key Suppliers: Therma-Tru, Milgard, Andersen Windows and Jeld-Wen
“It’s exciting to start with a fresh canvas and create an inspirational showroom for our customers.”
An interview with Ken Wright, millwork specialty sales coordinator, Friedman’s Home Improvement:
Q: Your company has constructed a brand new store with a showroom. How are you getting contractors into the showroom?
A: We located the showroom adjacent to the Contractor Sales counter for the mutual convenience of the contractors and their customers. The showroom features a full range of functional and finished millwork products to inspire the decision-making process.
Q: What else did you incorporate into your new location for the benefit of contractors?
A: We constructed private consultation rooms with full electronic design and quoting capabilities for the use of our sales associates, contractors and their customers.
Q: What have been some of your most effective strategies for reaching out to builders and remodelers to get them to visit the new location?
A: We’re using our space for outside contractor sales team product knowledge training, inside sales staffing and consultative sales efforts. We’ve used local advertising to increase awareness of the facility and we’re hosting special vendor sales each month. And, in March we hosted a dinner for both existing and potential customers at the new location with vendor tabletop displays and presentations.
