Orgill Hosts Grow Your Way Event at Innovation Center

Orgill is hosting its two-day Grow Your Way event at its 553,000-square-foot Innovation Center in Collierville, Tennessee, bringing together current and prospective customers, manufacturers and industry partners to explore opportunities for retail growth.

Built around the theme “Your business. Your opportunities. Your way,” the event emphasizes customized growth strategies for independent hardware retailers through product discovery, merchandising, retail services, education and networking.

“The home improvement industry continues to face stubborn headwinds from the economy this year,” says Boyden Moore, Orgill president and CEO. “That’s why we designed the Grow Your Way event to serve as a foundational platform for retailers to work with the Orgill team, our vendors and one another to really focus on how they can grow their operations.”

Attendees can tour three fully merchandised model stores, compare product assortments and meet with representatives from nearly 50 vendors with permanent exhibits at the Innovation Center. Participating manufacturers include 3M, Makita, Milwaukee Tool, Moen, National Hardware, Oatey, Rheem, Rust-Oleum, Sherwin-Williams/Valspar and Stanley Black & Decker.

The event coincides with Orgill’s Winter Online Buying Event, running Nov. 2–15. Purchasing opportunities include Door Busters, Power Buys, a New Item Showcase, 2027 Spring/Summer Booking and Spring Is Here programs. A dedicated Private Brand Showcase highlights merchandise across multiple product categories.

“Our role is to provide our customers with the choices, resources and expertise they need to succeed on their own terms,” says Clay Jackson, Orgill COO. “Grow Your Way brings that philosophy to life.”

Event Provides Retail Services, Education Sessions

In addition to product displays and purchasing opportunities, the event features dedicated areas where retailers can meet with specialists in store technology, marketing, merchandising and business operations.

Technology offerings include electronic shelf labels, e-commerce capabilities, electronic data interchange and digital product information tools. Other services cover store signage, branding, customer loyalty programs, store planning and conversions, market research, demographics and pricing.

“Providing support with operations and services is one of the big ways a company like Orgill can help provide our customers with the support and scale they need to compete more effectively,” Jackson says. “That’s why we are placing so much emphasis on helping align customers with all of the services and support that Orgill and our partners make available to them. But another key element of this event isn’t just showing the customers these services but creating an environment where they can talk with one another, share thoughts and really vet their ideas.”

Industry partners, including the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) and Cleveland Research, are participating to provide educational resources and market intelligence.

Educational programming includes presentations, retailer panel discussions and peer networking sessions. The first day focuses on Orgill’s approach to assortment development, pricing, merchandising and marketing, along with retailer experiences applying those resources.

The second day emphasizes financial and operational performance, including sessions drawing on findings from NHPA’s recent Cost of Doing Business Study.

“One, we felt it was very important to get retailers up on stage to share their real-world experiences working with Orgill so all of our customers can see the possibilities available to them,” says David Mobley, Orgill executive vice president of sales. “Then, we want all of the education to translate to helping customers build actionable plans for growth.”

Grow Your Way also reflects Orgill’s shift away from a traditional twice-yearly live-event schedule toward multiple buying events aligned with retail purchasing cycles and more targeted gatherings focused on specific business opportunities.

Moore says the revised approach gives Orgill greater flexibility to address retailer priorities through specialized events rather than concentrating purchasing and education into traditional spring and fall shows.

“For so long, everybody kind of forced their events into a twice-a-year pattern,” Moore says. “The industry has just evolved beyond that. Buying cycles are different, which is why we pivoted to hosting multiple buying events throughout the year that are more closely aligned with retail buying cycles. And with that change, we can now offer more targeted events like this one that help retailers address their needs and present them with opportunities around timing that works for them, not try to force it into either a fall or spring event.”