Newsroom

Nashville, Tennessee: 11/16/2006

Innovative merchandising display changes how customers see hardware

(Nashville, Tennessee, USA: November 16, 2006) Hickory Hardware™ (www.hickoryhardware.com), America's leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of decorative, functional and industrial hardware, announces that its newly designed cabinet hardware P.O.P. display has rolled out in the Sutherlands® lumber and home improvement chain. The "gallery merchandiser" presents Hickory Hardware products mounted on drawers that resemble high-quality wood furniture, allowing customers to experience the full function and appearance of the hardware.

While typical cabinet hardware store displays use clear Lucite bins primarily for storage, the new Hickory Hardware display units store product and give customers a feel for how the hardware will work on an actual drawer. The gallery merchandiser is the first rollout in Hickory Hardware's new program-driven merchandising campaign, and is in all 68 Sutherlands Home Improvement Centers nationwide.

Realistic-looking, functional P.O.P. displays are an increasing trend in many retail categories. With the increased focus on home décor in the hardware and home improvement market, Hickory Hardware vice president of marketing John Pelka says bringing new display options to chains like Sutherlands is an idea that will alter the dynamics of hardware retailing. A two-store trial proved so overwhelmingly popular with Sutherlands buyers and customers, that the displays were modified to accommodate an immediate roll-out.

"Who says hardware displays can't work as effectively as displays in other retail markets," asks Pelka. "The hardware market is a crowded space that doesn't effectively showcase a product's style or finish. We look forward to working with customers like Sutherlands to build merchandising programs that increase product turnover with competitive in-store promotions that attract and benefit consumers."

"The new drawer assembly displays the product much more effectively than traditional open bins," says Ed Burry, retail buyer, Sutherlands. "From the feedback we've received so far from both stores and customers, everyone is very happy with the look of the product and the way it is presented."

"Customers also like the new expanded selection of styles and finishes that we've added with the unit," adds Burry. "Sales are beginning to justify all of the changes we've made to our merchandising strategies."

Hickory Hardware's gallery merchandiser is available in flexible arrangements to accommodate stores of varying sizes. The display can be installed as a single 4-foot unit or configured as an integrated display based on the number of products presented. The new program is set to launch in a number of DIY, showroom, and co-op hardware stores over the next several months.

For sales or marketing information, please call Hickory Hardware toll-free at (800) 235-9484 or e-mail info@hickoryhardware.com.

For media information, contact Lauren A. Frohne, public relations, Koroberi, Inc. (www.koroberi.com), by phone at (919) 960-9794 ext. 25 or by e-mail at lauren@koroberi.com.