Expert Advice: 4 Ways to Turn Your Caulk and Adhesives Category Into a Competitive Advantage

The caulk and adhesives category has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years, evolving from simple, low-cost commodity products to highly specialized solutions requiring expert knowledge to sell effectively.

At Woodstock Hardware in Woodstock, New York, owner Vince Christofora has turned this challenging category into a competitive advantage through strategic product curation and customer education.

“The caulk and adhesives category has completely transformed over the past decade,” Christofora says. “We’ve gone from shelves full of basic tubes to specialized products that require expertise to match with customer applications. It’s become one of our most consultation-heavy categories.”

After 31 years of serving a customer base that’s 70% homeowners and 30% contractors in his 5,000-square-foot store, Christofora has learned that success in this category isn’t just about stocking shelves—it’s about becoming a problem-solving consultant for every customer who walks through the door.

Focus on Quality over Quantity

Christofora says his shelves used to be lined with dozens of low-cost options.

“There used to be a lot of cheaper caulks,” he says. “That’s completely changed. Now we focus on fewer varieties but higher-end, specialized products.”

This shift wasn’t arbitrary. Christofora discovered customers prefer paying more for products that solve their problems rather than dealing with failures from budget options. Today, Woodstock Hardware dedicates 12 feet of shelf space to caulk and adhesives, plus another 8 feet for specialty caulk and adhesive items.

Woodstock Hardware’s caulk and adhesives department is strategically positioned near the paint section, alongside brushes, rollers and drop cloths.

“This strategy creates natural cross-selling opportunities,” Christofora says. “Customers often need multiple related products for the same project.”

Ask Before You Recommend

What sets Woodstock Hardware apart is Christofora and his staff’s approach to customer service. Rather than simply pointing customers toward products, his team conducts personalized, one-on-one training sessions right in the aisle or at the sales counter.

“You need to identify not just what the customer wants, but what they need,” Christofora says. “We ask specific questions: Is this a wet application? How big is the gap? Do you need instant grab or can you wait for the cure time?”

Based on those answers, the staff offers different products for different needs.

Solve Problems Early

Christofora says he’s trained his staff to be able to inform customers about common problems when using caulks and sealants.

“One of our most frequent situations is customers returning with complaints that ‘the caulk gun didn’t work,’” he says. “We discovered the caulk backed out the other end of the tube because they didn’t break the inner seal after cutting the tip.”

With his employees conducting short, impromptu training sessions with customers on how to use the tools properly, he’s able to eliminate unsatisfied customers.

“When customers have a problem and you say, ‘This is going to solve it,’ and it actually does—they’re much happier,” he says. “That’s what keeps them coming back.”

Another way Christofora has eliminated unhappy customers is by frequently rotating older product so it won’t be dried out when customers make a purchase.

“They’re all dated, so you need to rotate them frequently,” he says. “Some displays make it easy to just shove new stuff in front and push old stuff to the back. We train everyone to pull the old out, put the new in and rotate the stock. Nothing destroys trust faster than selling someone a product that doesn’t work because it’s too old.”

Build Customer Loyalty

Christofora credits his continued success to staying educated about industry developments. He and his staff attend their wholesaler’s markets, then conduct internal training sessions to share new product knowledge.

“Since products have become much more specific—whether for wet applications, big gaps or instant grab needs—we have to understand the technical differences and match them to customer applications,” he says.

As the adhesives and sealants industry continues to evolve with new technologies and applications, Christofora remains committed to his core philosophy: quality curation, thorough consultation and education during every customer interaction.

“After 31 years, I’ve learned that success isn’t about having every product,” he says. “It’s about having the right products and the knowledge to match customers with exactly what they need.”