Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
While independent home improvement retailers may not be top of mind for consumers seeking home security products, your store can still become a trusted destination for these purchases by offering thoughtfully selected options that fit your business model. To help you find success in this category, Hardware Retailing gathered best practices to introduce or upgrade your home security product offerings.
Focus on Merchandising
Michael Husemoller, general manager of Breed & Co. in Austin, Texas, says at his operation, home security products are essential for new homeowners or those new to the neighborhood.
“Home security products aren’t No.1 on somebody’s list when they come in unless they’ve had a prior need for them due to an incident,” Husemoller says. “But they’re products that are good for your store to have especially for new homeowners or anybody moving into the neighborhood to have peace of mind.”
Floodlights and electronic door locks are particularly popular among customers, Husemoller says, especially as more homeowners look to integrate smart technology into their homes. Relying on thoughtful merchandising, Husemoller places his camera systems in the smart home section, alongside products like LED light strips and customizable lightbulbs, making it easy for customers to find complementary smart home items.
When walking in the center aisle of Breed & Co., a static endcap features flood lights that are refilled as they are sold. Then in the aisle next to the endcap are the padlocks, electronic deadbolts and traditional deadbolts—keeping similar products together.
Service With the Sale
Marc Adler, owner of Adler’s Design Center & Hardware, in Providence, Rhode Island, says his door
hardware category is one of the most successful in his store because his employees are highly trained and have years of product knowledge, which helps them walk a customer through an order.
“Over time, we’ve developed our team to be good salespeople,” he says. “The category is successful not only because of the offerings we have, but also because of the service we provide. It’s a service intensive business, which is great because stores like Home Depot don’t have the high-end hardware, and they don’t have the service like we do. It allows us to compete with them.”
Adler makes strategic choices due to limited space. Instead of stocking video cameras, he focuses on expanding his successful door hardware category, including electronic deadbolts. When new products become available, he relies on his manufacturer representatives to educate his team, ensuring employees are knowledgeable about the latest offerings. This expertise is crucial for guiding customers, especially those unfamiliar with electronic deadbolts.
Adler says electronic deadbolts aren’t a large portion of his deadbolt sales, but the demand for them has increased over time. When Adler sees a new product in a catalog or hears about it from a manufacturer, he has his representative from that company come to his store and introduce the new product to his team so they can decide whether they want to bring it to their shelves.
“We depend on our reps to come out and educate us on these new products,” he says.
Adler’s has a vast selection of door hardware, including electronic deadbolts, which it has carried since manufacturers began offering them in the late 1990s. Over the years, Adler says he’s seen more parents buying electronic deadbolts instead of needing to rely on their children keeping track of a house key.
“The customers that come to our store looking for electronic deadbolts usually know what they want,” Adler says. ”But the ones who don’t know a lot about them, we have to educate them.”
