• FR

    • Two hardware stores pilot with ten measurable objectives

    The fall campaign for “Well Made Here” (WMH) will be highlighted by the choice of two hardware stores from across Canada to serve as labs that aim to verify a theory: if a business makes the effort to position itself as a destination of choice for quality products that are made here, will it be more profitable? And by extension, will it help its banner and suppliers? Lets take that a little further, will it be perceived positively by its end-user customers and professionals?

    Thanks to the synergy provoked between the five stakeholder groups of the “Well Made Here” program, we’ll want to demonstrate that all involved parties win, namely the retailer and its banner, its suppliers, its clients and contractors.

    It will in fact consist in synchronizing operations for all the implicated players and coordinating a marketing offensive to elicit certain change.

    What are specific outcomes do we hope for? 

    1. More traffic and sales, because people would be attracted to the fact that a hardware store positions itself as a destination for products that are well made and made. If there is more in-store traffic, the mathematical odds improve that sales will increase.
    2. More sales at a just price, because the accredited WMH products are promoted for their quality and not through price reductions.
    3. More clients from outside the natural circle, attracted by the concentration of WMH products.
    4. Greater consumer satisfaction due to the information and drive from people who will find it noble and justified for a store to encourage local buying and especially, products that meet construction codes and other standards.
    5. Greater customer loyalty conversion due to the store’s position in solidarity with local manufacturers and because staff has higher product knowledge.
    6. More contractors who have become store customers due to products that are well made and made here.
    7. More manufacturers engaged in merchandizing and in-store promotions and by media to support the notoriety and the sale of their products.
    8. More notoriety for the banner to which the hardware store is affiliated.
    9. More noise about the new WMH program due to the press relations and social media campaign orchestrated around the pilot experience.
    10. More manufacturers interested in joining the program.

    What indicators will be used to measure achievement of the objectives?

    1. Comparison of the corresponding month’s sales performance to that of past years’ (we’ll reveal the percentage of increase, not dollar amounts, to maintain the confidentiality of sales revenues).
    2. Measurement of the sale of accredited products compared to prior years.
    3. Contest during the promotional campaign during which buyers’ postal codes will be captured.
    4. Customer survey about their appreciation of the program and the retailer’s engagement.
    5. Calculation of repeat customers during the period thanks to the contest held during the campaign.
    6. Sales comparison in quantity or dollars for professionals during the same period using prior years’ data.
    7. Inventory of activities hosted in store and in the media by manufacturers who make “Well Made Here” products.
    8. Audit of media mentions of the banner’s name.
    9. Calculation of the number of times the program was mentioned in the media thanks to the pilot experience.
    10. Identification of manufacturers who joined the program specifically due to the pilot experience.

    Exactly how will the pilot experience be carried out?

    The campaign will span five largely months, namely from October 2019 to February 2020.

    The two hardware stores will make the following seven commitments:

    • Accept to be part of a promotional campaign;
    • Help identify the supplying manufacturers that have not yet joined the program for us to solicit their participation;
    • Supervise staff who will receive information and training about the program;
    • Allow the WMH team to « decorate » the store and tag accredited products;
    • Collaborate with manufacturers who wish to conduct promotional activities;
    • Diffuse and compile the survey/contest at cash registers during the campaign;
    • Provide the necessary statistical data to draw up the operations report.

    The WMH team will make the following commitments to the two hardware stores:

    • Provide the information and training to staff;
    • Solicit the renovation centre’s suppliers’ participation and implication in the program;
    • Request the retailer’s approval for any activity that could physically affect the store (contest, decoration, tagging, etc.);
    • Request the retailer’s approval for any activity that could affect the store’s name and reputation in the media;
    • Respect the confidentiality of information that will be shared during the partnership;
    • Keep the banner’s head office informed of the process and invite them to lend support.

    The results of the operation will be broadcast to the business community at the end of February or March 2020.

    If you know of two dynamic hardware stores that would be interested in volunteering to lead the pilot experience, invite them to contact Isabelle Champagne.