I recently visited a kitchen showroom that buys some of its products from us. There was new slatwall with a single plumbing line on it. It was a major line that I sell in my showroom. I also recently saw that same line in an appliance store showcased as its only plumbing line.

I then went across the street to a larger bath showroom with old displays. They had the same displays that I saw years earlier, but in even worse shape. More than half of the displays were in shambles or incomplete. The store seemed to have a lot of lines, which is fine by me, until I ran across some high-end lines that I also carry. They were displayed so poorly that they were simply out of place for this showroom. To be honest, I thought the line was more exclusive or was shooting for a better image than what was represented at this store.

“What’s going on here?” I thought to myself.

If I wrote my personal mission statement, it would be similar to a lot of business mission statements throughout the decorative plumbing and hardware industry. It would include something about creating a niche by providing unique high-end products to discerning consumers.

I’ve always operated this way, but lately, I sometimes wonder, am I still that guy, or am I just the guy who has the same stuff everyone else has but at a higher price? Or put another way: Has our industry lost focus or has it grown up a bit?

Brand Identity

I recently read an article in Kitchen & Bath Design News that indicated consumers earning an annual income of $200k or more are twice as likely to agree with the statement, “I believe that the brands I buy somehow reflect on me” than those who make less.

This is good to know.

Now I wonder if all of the vendors who have their $1,000+ faucets in warehouse-type, run-down showrooms think that this is helpful in achieving the brand identity they are seeking.

It’s hard to stay focused on bringing unique, high-end and often expensive products to our markets when we are continually tempted to sell to the masses. The line is not so clear anymore between the typical DPH store and what you find at the plumbing supply house or on the Internet.

And selling service as the differentiating factor is a hard sell. A big chunk of customers buy products, perceived value and status ahead of customer service.

In the past, I’ve judged products and vendors by a simple question: Is this a company I could grow with?

In the last few years, though, I’ve changed my approach. I now recognize that I want one-third of my vendors to be exclusive, one-third semi-exclusive and the final third to be lines that are “must have” lines. I don’t know that I will ever hit my desired product mix, but this formula has guided me in recent times. Still, it’s scary to realize how many lines we carry that do not fit into any of the three categories.

Did you want to sell high-end products and build your brand name to represent luxury, but found your products online for less than what you are paying for them? It’s not a good feeling, is it?

Are you taking control of your destiny or are you just letting it happen?

The Right Fit

As a dealer, if a line is not consistent with your goals, you should replace it with a line that is a better fit to your brand. If you don’t know a better fitting line, then go out and find one. Research. Make an effort and network. It’s not easy, for sure, but there are plenty of associations like the Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association (DPHA) that do make networking a lot easier.

The same goes for vendors. Not every dealer is the best fit. I wish more vendors would take the time to figure out who they want to be within the marketplace. Their marketing approaches should be in writing, and they should take the time to interview both dealers and reps and find the proper fit. We often waste a lot of time, effort, space and money because of a lack of clarity.

There is a growing wave to push vendors for Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) and Minimum Retail Selling Price (MRSP) policies. I consider this one of the most important and easiest baby steps that our industry needs to take in order to catch up with other, more sophisticated industries – ones that have already gone though this evolution with success. If you find yourself a vendor whose products do not fit one of the three product categories I previously described and you have neither of these policies in place, you are leaving yourself open for replacement.

I know a dealer who worked very hard for many years to develop a much larger percentage of exclusive and semi-exclusive products than most other dealers. This dealer, within a very competitive Florida marketplace, had a very good year when most of us did not.

Some dealers will private label products and some will hide or scramble quotes in an effort to close sales. If I were to track the number of people we help vs. how many we close, I’m sure I would be very upset. These methods, while helpful, would not be important if we did a better job with our product mix.

I want to do the best job I can for my customers, and it’s harder to achieve that goal if I have to worry about the product being purchased from the Internet for a significant discount or from a guy around the corner using our showroom as his own with access to a line.

I prefer to see vendors create more exclusive, higher-end lines that fill my needs versus creating less expensive lines designed to increase cash flow.

The Washington, DC market, in which I work, is not a very crowded market. Yet I believe we are gradually losing our identity – stolen by time, growth and a lack of effort on my part and perhaps my vendors and reps.

But all is not lost. Yes, the economy and the Internet are forcing us to change how we do business, but they have also created new opportunities for all of us. Let’s take advantage of this evolution and improve the way we do business and raise the image of our showrooms as well as the image of our industry.

There is a lot we can do, and it is time we started doing it.