Wrapping up the Summer Season

In addition to those last bits of lawn care, like raking the leaves, homeowners will be buttoning up their homes for the winter. Here are three ways you can help get them prepared.

Offer to maintain outdoor power equipment. Whether it’s for summer equipment like lawn mowers and tillers getting ready for a winter break or the snowblower gearing up for the winter’s work, there’s a lot of outdoor power equipment that will need maintenance. Many retailers have found success by offering an end-of-season maintenance service for a fixed price. If this isn’t something you have space for, consider partnering with another local business or handyman that will. Offer your store as a pick-up and drop-off point both as a service to your customers and as a way to get the business of the service center. For customers that want to do that maintenance themselves, promote spark plugs, filters, replacement blades and gas and ethanol treatment products.

Guide the weatherproofing process. Fall may be the best time of the year to sell caulks, sealants, window films and insulation. Help customers make sense of all of the different types of products and which ones will offer them the biggest bang for their buck. One great way to do that is to offer a clinic showing all of the common air leaks around the home. Make sure your employees are educated so they can sell these products. A great place to start is www.energysavers.gov. Include project checklists near weatherization products to include add-on sales, like scissors, staple gun, utility knife, insulation supports, respiratory protection, eye protection and gloves.

Develop a checklist for summer home winterization. If you live in an area heavy with resort traffic, consider putting together an endcap with a checklist of what homeowners need to do to their vacation home before heading south. Highlight items such as cleaning supplies, antifreeze for drains, mothballs for the closet, long-lasting insecticides and packing supplies.