April 2017

Reimagining Retail By Richard Russo

Good news for lawn and garden retailers: Your market segment is blossoming like a flower — and all the key trends feeding that growth are on display at the National Hardware Show, May 9 to 11, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Discover “What’s in Store for YOU” this year as the Lawn, Garden & Outdoor Living product category presents a wide range of inventory selection for the upcoming growing season — now expanded outdoors joining the Tailgate, Backyard & BBQ section and featuring one of our biggest exhibitor bases of nearly 900 exhibitors showcasing products for your store.

Plus, with a focus on new product discovery, we’ve made it easy for you to find the most innovative products with a few quick stops throughout the show: “Lawn, Garden & Outdoor Living Awards Display,” dedicated to the latest products and trends in your market; “Inventors Spotlight,” the place to find the newest products and inventions showcasing products not yet on the market.

Get an inside look at what may be the next big product or service to revolutionize the home improvement industry. “New Product World,” sponsored by DIY Network and showcasing over 800 products that are new to the market having been launched within the past 12 months. “New Product Launch,” sponsored by Amazon highlighting 50+ products being launched at the show and never seen before.

But that’s not all: The National Hardware Show also gives you the opportunity to create year- round revenue streams (and differentiate your store in the process), by adding complementary products from popular niche categories. With the full range of vertical markets assembled in one convenient venue, and targeted pavilions dedicated to showcasing the top new products and best sellers, you’ll have no trouble finding merchandise that’ll be just right for your retail shelves.

So, take three days to get back to the basics of profitable retailing: seeing the trends, comparing the best new products, tapping new profit centers, and finding the resources you need to make smarter, better buying decisions.

Looking for more? Here are the National Hardware Show’s top 5 reasons to join us in Las Vegas this May.

1. Add New Products to Your Mix
Browse new cross-selling opportunities, find new vendors and diversify your inventory with trending products. From Pet Supply and Tailgate, Backyard & BBQ to Farm & Ranch and Homewares — and all the categories in between — here you’ll find the products you want to see (many offering “show only” discounts and deals). Visit them in targeted pavilions to determine which niche products and categories will work best in your store to generate traffic and increase sales.

2. Get Answers, Ideas and In-Store Strategies
This retail business isn’t easy. We can help you get a handle on it all. Our top-notch education sessions, presented by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA), are geared specifically for retailers like you, with topics focused most critical to your success. This year’s theme is “Forward-Thinking Retail” with sessions focused on providing valuable insights on a variety of industry topics including multi-channel retailing, the changing consumer, generational trends and more.

3. Connect with a Valuable Community of Hardware Pros
This isn’t just a trade show. It’s a place where you can get together with other lawn & garden and home improvement retailers from different parts of the country to compare notes, trade stories and talk about common challenges. It’s also a great way to meet suppliers and build relationships with business colleagues.

4. Access Personalized Exhibitor Recommendations
We know with 2,800+ exhibitors exploring the show floor can be intimidating. We’re here to help! Once you register, you’ll receive personalized exhibitor and product recommendations based on the product categories you select that matter most to your business in the year ahead.

Are you an independent retailer? If so, we’ve amped up our matchmaking technology to help you connect with those exhibitors who are ready to sell to you during the show. You’ll receive recommended exhibitors selling to independent retailers at the show within your key product categories.

5. Reimagine Retail
What would you do to improve your store with $100,000?

We’re awarding $100,000 to one independent retailer to use to fund a business improvement project — for the future of their retail store(s).

We’re asking retailers to submit a 500-word essay highlighting what you would do to improve their business with the $100,000.

We’ll be looking for projects that focus on four key business improvement areas: Store Design, Technology, Employees (training, retaining and/or recruiting, etc.) and Products. Together with NRHA and a panel of industry professionals, we will review the entries to determine which project
wins the $100,000.

Finalists will be provided transportation and hotel accommodations at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas and the winner will be announced during the show — May 10, 2017.

For more information and details, visit www.nationalhardwareshow.com/reimagineretail.