Fort Wayne, IN—The 2007 Do it Best May MarketSM, held at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis from May 19-22, gave thousands of the co-op’s members the chance to access exclusive deals from more than 1,500 vendors, explore innovative merchandising strategies, and learn new ideas to grow their business.
Quarterback entertains with secrets of success at Kickoff Breakfast
An audience of about 1200 was heartily entertained by legendary Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw at Saturday’s Kickoff Breakfast. Bradshaw used humor, anecdotes, and impressions of current and former players as he shared his strategies for maintaining success through persistent self-improvement. At a time when business is experiencing very serious challenges, he says, perhaps it's time to go back to basics and take a closer look at what makes people successful despite disappointment, adversity, and relentless competition. Bradshaw’s energetic, informal style was very well received by those in attendance. Bradshaw now serves as co-host and analyst for FOX NFL Sunday. When he was finished speaking, Bradshaw was joined onstage by Bob Taylor (president, Do it Best Corp.) and two Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders. The women carried the Vince Lombardi trophy, currently in possession of this year’s Super Bowl winners, the Indianapolis Colts. Do it Best members were invited to have photographs taken with the trophy and the cheerleaders following the breakfast.
Members get hands-on education at Power Tool UniversitySM
The 2nd annual Power Tool University filled the RCA Dome, home of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, with hands-on education and exhibition of a variety of power tools. Members visited 40 special vendor displays and attended informative seminars to learn more about new power tools and their many uses, as well as how to sell them in their stores. One of the seminars generating interest was the demonstration of the impact driver--a relatively new tool that looks like a compact cordless drill but has a hammer mechanism inside which allows the user to address nuts, bolts or screws without over-tightening and with less effort. A crowd-pleasing demonstration took place in the Dome when a vendor cut apart a minivan using a reciprocating saw. It wasn’t all about work, though: another well-received activity gave the members an exclusive opportunity to practice passing and kicking field goals on the Colts’ turf.
Sneak PeekSM brought members in early for unbeatable savings
Friday night generated a lot of excitement when members swarmed to the market floor to take advantage of the two-hour only Sneak Peek specials. More than 65 vendors offered products for sale at tremendous savings, available only during the two-hour timeframe, and only for those present. Members were able to pre-plan their purchases by utilizing the Sneak Peek Pre-Planner, an online tool made available three weeks prior to the market. The pre-planner, introduced prior to the 2006 Do it Best October MarketSM, gives members the ability to view the items available during Sneak Peek, check their inventory, determine their savings and plan their purchases accordingly. It also gives them detailed information on the product, including the special price, item description, order quantities and SKU. Do it Best Corp. was an early innovator in the use of such an online feature to members, and the response has been phenomenal. Purchases during the two hour period approached $5 million, a new May market record.
Members pack purchasing, education, and entertainment opportunities into four-day market
The Sneak Peek and Power Tool University were just the beginning for members who came to the market to get great deals and see new products. The market expo floor opened on Saturday and remained open until Tuesday at noon. Members were able to wander through a Winter Wonderland display, complete with lit trees, decorated mantles, and other holiday decorative items. Members could also visit the New Idea Room, which showcased new vendor programs and more than 1,000 items recently added to inventory at the eight Do it Best Corp. retail service centers.
When members were not on the market floor, they had a variety of education options designed to help their business grow. Friday’s Education Day featured 40 free seminars that offered expert advice in technology, business management, increasing sales, and product knowledge. The May market also featured expanded seminars on utilizing technology in designing kitchens and baths, which gave members the chance to deepen their knowledge and grow sales in these two popular categories. Another popular session focused on strengthening members’ rental programs to increase profits.
Members also had the opportunity for a close look at the Do it Best Corp. exclusive brands and globally sourced items, all in one location. More than 8,500 SKUs representing all departments, including Do it®, Do it Best®, Best Look® and Home Impressions®, were displayed in the expansive Special Exhibit Area. By displaying all these items in one location, members could see the huge assortment of exclusive brand products available as well as the margin opportunities of the exclusive brand versus the national brand. Items from Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards, Target, and Wal-Mart were compared side by side on attractive displays with the Do it Best exclusive brands.
“By directly comparing our products to the competition, members can offer these products with retails the same as or lower than their competitors and still make a good margin,” said Steve Markley, divisional merchandise manager. “These products provide great value and high margins. They differentiate members’ stores from the competition while providing incredible quality and savings for their customers. Not only that, when the consumer goes to buy that item again, they go looking for your exclusive private label.”
The May market also provided members with time to enjoy themselves with social events. On Saturday night, members had the track to themselves at a private trackside event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with eventual Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti. The evening’s activities also included photos taken on Victory Circle, a tour of the Hall of Fame Museum, a bus trip around the race track, and a demonstration by the Indy 500 Parade- leading Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Motorcycle Drill Team.
An international members’ reception brought together nearly 75 percent of all of the co-op’s international members for an evening of networking. InCom® members and their guests attended the 11th annual INCOM Distributor SupplySM Awards Banquet, which honored top performing members and vendors, at a private dinner in the Dolphin Adventure area at the Indianapolis Zoo.
The next Do it Best market is scheduled for October 12-16, 2007 in Indianapolis. The 2008 Do it Best Winter Conference & Expo is scheduled for January 16-18 in Orlando.
About Do it Best Corp.
Based in Fort Wayne, Ind., Do it Best Corp. is the only full-service, U.S.-based, member-owned hardware, lumber and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry. With annual sales of $3 billion, Do it Best Corp. is the second largest co-op in the industry, serving 4,100 member-retailers in the United States and in 45 foreign countries. |
Bradshaw's antics had the Kickoff Breakfast crowd in stitches.
At the Sneak Peek, members made nearly $5 million in purchases in just two hours.
Eventual Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti shared his experiences about what a day at the track was like, answered questions from the crowd, signed autographs, and posed for photos with members.
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