Sarah Hounslow , Marc Atiyolil , Liz Kovach
BUILDING BETTER RETAIL FOR ONE OF CANADA ’ S OLDEST INDUSTRIES
Why would you ever walk into a store to buy something ? Once you ’ ve experienced the exhilarating rush that is next-day shipping , why would you do anything else ?
The answer doesn ’ t have anything to do with what you ’ re shopping for , and everything about the store itself . When a store is doing things right , when everything is operating the way it should , there ’ s no replacing the human experience of inperson shopping . With home improvement , building supplies , and lumber , the
advantage of being there , seeing , feeling , even smelling the merchandise makes that online cart icon pale in comparison . ( And let ’ s face it – your computer mouse isn ’ t going to tell you that you ’ re buying the wrong type of hinges and will have to ship them back as soon as they arrive .) So , the human connection is key , but what else ? That ’ s where companies like Burlington Merchandising & Fixtures ( BMF ) come in . Recently , Western Retail Lumber Association ( WRLA ) president Liz Kovach sat down with BMF president Sarah Hounslow and Marc Atiyolil of the Marc & Mandy Show to talk about how business owners that want to thrive in today ’ s digitally driven , instant gratification world need to lean into that in-person advantage .
Samples and pop-up displays cannot only help businesses close the sale but they can , just by being out on display , convince a customer to purchase a different , better product ( often one that ’ s more profitable , too !) As Marc suggests , “ If you sell siding , why not build a shed that showcases your different siding ?” In addition to pop-up displays , thinking about the way your business operates can help improve your profitability as well . “ When you go through all the categories that you carry in your store ,” says Hounslow , “ you really need to decide which categories you want to be competitive in , and then do well in those categories . But sometimes you get stuck in the day-to-day and don ’ t have that .” WRLA has partnered with BMF for their upcoming Building and Hardware Showcase . The two-day event takes place in Winnipeg , Manitoba , and attracts over 1,500 exhibitors and retailers from across Canada each year . The theme for this year ’ s show is “ Building Better Retail ,” and Sarah and her team will be on-site , talking to attendees about bringing the retail store of the past roaring into an engaging , profitable future . - Western Retail Lumber Association Inc ., www . wrla . org