Lancaster Hosts First In-Person Buying Show in 3 Years

Independent paint and decorating retailers gathered at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 17-18 to attend the Lancaster 2023 Buying Show in person for the first time since 2020. The two-day event brought together retailers to discover new products and deals and reconnect with fellow dealers and vendors. The much-anticipated event drew record attendance.

Educational Opportunities Open Buying Show

The event kicked off with a flooring seminar and presentation on Taking Sales Outside, presented by the North American Hardware and Paint Association’s (NHPA) Dan Tratensek.

In the afternoon the buying floor opened up to retailers, and for the first two hours they shopped early bird specials available at vendor booths such as Wooster, Dripless, Old Masters and more.

A show floor reception took place in the evening where attendees were treated to drinks and appetizers while shopping for deals, talking to vendors and watching product demonstrations.

“We have been running a construction and home renovation company and recently decided to expand into retail, so this is our first show ever,” says Ashley Peterson from Blue Mist Paint & Flooring in Spartanburg, South Carolina. “It has been great interacting with other retailers and absorbing all the knowledge we can at this event.”

Spiffs were available at 50 vendor booths, and the buying show included vendors new to Lancaster such as Graco, Texture Tek, ShopVac, CUTEK®, Mi-T-M, SAS Safety, Nova Floor, Pretty Boy Products, Titan, Vibac, and more.

For the first time, Lancaster offered customers a second way to place show orders—their new online eStore. Through the eStore, customers could pre-order products before the show, granting them more time to discuss product additions or assortments while still qualifying for spiffs and earning prize points for their orders.

Buying and Networking Close Out Show

The last day of the Lancaster 2023 Buying Show featured seven more hours of buying fun and mingling.

Jordenne Godwin from NC Paints in Durham, North Carolina, was impressed with Dumond’s paint removal test kits.

“This is our first time attending an in-person show,” Godwin says. “Being able to see the products in person, touch them, test them out and watch product demonstrations makes a huge difference.”

Charity Campbell from Anderson Paint & Decorating in Anderson, South Carolina, says she was enjoying the chance to interact with other retailers while shopping hot deals and was really hoping to be the winner of the Wooster Truck.

After all of their orders were complete, retailers could redeem their Prize Giveaway Point Book for raffle tickets and then enter their tickets into prize buckets. If their ticket was drawn at the end of the night, they won valuable prizes.

At the end of the buying event, customers gathered around the Wooster Brush Company booth for a drawing to see who would win a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado. Raffle tickets were earned by visiting the booth, and retailers could increase their chances to win through purchases. Adams Paint Company from Lubbock, Texas, was the lucky winner.

To end the Lancaster 2023 Buying Show, retailers celebrated at a Luau. The event featured food, drinks, aloha dancers, fire dancers, live music, caricature artists, games, prize drawings and the chance to hold a tropical bird named Holly.

Lancaster president Geff Lynch addressed the crowd before the prize drawings, which featured prizes like a six-passenger golf cart, diamond earrings, an 85-inch Samsung Smart TV and a hot tub.

“It is great to be back in person after three long years,” Lynch says. “I want to thank everyone, and as your distribution partner, we want to continue to make sure we are providing the best products and programs while partnering with our vendors to do so. I hope this show was a great start to the year, and we look forward to hearing feedback so we can continue to be the best we can be.”