(This appeared in the August '08 issues of Merchant Magazine and Building Products Digest.)
As far our industry is concerned this economy is absolutely abysmal, but there is a silver lining. The only aspect of our little corner of GDP that seems to be moving in the right direction is green building, both in terms of projects in the works and the products that go into them. In past columns, we’ve talked about a variety of things you can do as a retailer to take advantage of this growth. Now, we turn our attention to the core issue: selecting and selling quality green products.
If the goal is to stock green building products your customers want, it will help to know a little about green building guidelines. For our purposes here, we can generalize what guidelines call for and categorize the products according to resource, energy and water conservation; and indoor air quality. Sourcing products and materials locally is also a plus.
Here’s a short list of green building products everyone should probably stock:
• GreenSeal certified, low-VOC paint
• Low-VOC, formaldehyde-free adhesives, caulks and sealants
• Formaldehyde-free, recycled content insulation
• Energy Star lighting – fixtures, CFLs and LEDs
• EnergyStar ventilation
• High-Efficiency Toilets (HET) – more than one model!
• Tankless water heaters
One can go much farther, of course. There are hundreds of green building products one could put on the retail floor, too many to talk about here. And probably you already have many of the less obvious ones, such as pipe insulation. But once you’ve source them, you have to sell them.
The first big question most merchandisers pose is whether or not to put green items in their own section, end-caps, or mix products in with the rest. It’s a good question and generally the answer is, “Yes!” A large home center in Northern California, Friedmans Home Improvement, has 20 feet of shelving at the front of the store with a broad sampling of green products, in addition to end-caps, and mixing the green products in with their conventional brethren. Since most people shop by category, the green products must be found with the other product in their category, along with appropriate signage. Segregating green products into green-only section is a recipe for failure. On the other hand, adding end-caps to highlight a product line or a solution, such as green paints, recycled rags, and recycled paint rollers, is generally good retailing practice for promoting any sort of product.
I mentioned signage above, and there’s more to say about that. Since we’re talking about selling green building products, it’s important to identify them on the shelf for your customers. Shelf talkers that indicate whether a product meets green building guidelines are simple enough to produce. Adding posters and banners that call attention to green building products, the fact that you have them, where they can be found in the store, prompting questions, etc., all contribute to creating a positive selling environment.
Finally, if you have contractor sales desk there are several little things you can do here that will make a big difference. First off, educate your sales staff about the guidelines in your area and the products you sell. Have them ask each customer that comes to the desk about their interest in green building and what you’re doing to help them. Second, have at least one binder at the desk with product literature for each of the green building related products you stock and those you can source through special orders. Third, have signage on the desk that talks about what you’re doing, brochures about the local green building program.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Get Connected: building community around your store
(This appeared in the July '08 issues of Merchant Magazine and Building Products Digest.)
For generations, the hardware store was a focal point in the community, where folks could get great advice, discuss the issues of the day, or catch up on the latest gossip. Obviously, things have changed as “big box” retailers have muscled in and literally changed the landscape. And it seems the bigger “the box”, the less community connectedness. In contrast to that disturbing trend, a recent report from Conscientious Innovation, a sustainability think tank, found that consumers ranked feeling connected to family and community as their most important sustainability issue. Also ranking high was the desire to support locally-owned businesses. These results lead to an important insight - forging deep connections within your local community just may be one of the greenest ways you can grow your business.
Last month we talked about things you can do to “green up” your store’s operations, suggesting that offering CFL, battery and paint recycling provides a valuable community service. Recycling programs provide convenience to your customers, but deliver something more important to your community. By diverting toxic waste, such as mercury that accumulates in the food chain, from the local landfill where it can leach into the ground water, you demonstrate a concern about the health and well being of your patrons.
But to get really connected with your community, you’ve got to get involved. Contact your local green building organization - it might be a city agency or a local non-profit – call them on the phone as soon as you’ve finished this article, go to their meetings, and let them know you want to be involved. This will get you access to valuable know how and help you connect with local green building leaders. Most cities with green building programs embrace interested retailers and will even include them in promotions. In San Francisco recently, the city took out ads in the local paper promoting the local hardware stores stocking green building products.
But don’t stop with green building, connect with other non-profit organizations. If your store is locally owned, join the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, or BALLE, (www.livingeconomies.com). BALLE’s mission is about building community through local business networks. They can help you build the “buy local” advantage in your market. Don’t forget to support your local schools and parent groups. Making a small donation of organic compost for the school garden, participating in their fundraisers, sharing information about non-toxic alternatives – those small ways of showing your support will help to build long-lasting relationships. There are probably other organizations in your area that are focused on protecting local watersheds and bays, wilderness areas or providing job opportunities for young people. Find out what your staff members are interested in and encourage them to get involved, too.
You should also consider participating in local green events where you can educate your local community members about what your store is doing to make less-toxic, environmentally friendly, and resource conserving choices available. Better yet, host a green event at your store. If you’ve gone out and developed relationships with local green building and other sustainability organizations, you should find no shortage of enthusiastic help. Enlist the aid of your local green product manufacture and distributors, as well. After all, they are an important part of your community, too.
Getting connected with concerned community groups will make you feel good about offering eco-safe and non-toxic alternatives. It will also build your reputation and generate excellent word-of-mouth referrals, bringing new appreciative customers into your store. You can do good and do well and that’s what getting connected is all about.
For generations, the hardware store was a focal point in the community, where folks could get great advice, discuss the issues of the day, or catch up on the latest gossip. Obviously, things have changed as “big box” retailers have muscled in and literally changed the landscape. And it seems the bigger “the box”, the less community connectedness. In contrast to that disturbing trend, a recent report from Conscientious Innovation, a sustainability think tank, found that consumers ranked feeling connected to family and community as their most important sustainability issue. Also ranking high was the desire to support locally-owned businesses. These results lead to an important insight - forging deep connections within your local community just may be one of the greenest ways you can grow your business.
Last month we talked about things you can do to “green up” your store’s operations, suggesting that offering CFL, battery and paint recycling provides a valuable community service. Recycling programs provide convenience to your customers, but deliver something more important to your community. By diverting toxic waste, such as mercury that accumulates in the food chain, from the local landfill where it can leach into the ground water, you demonstrate a concern about the health and well being of your patrons.
But to get really connected with your community, you’ve got to get involved. Contact your local green building organization - it might be a city agency or a local non-profit – call them on the phone as soon as you’ve finished this article, go to their meetings, and let them know you want to be involved. This will get you access to valuable know how and help you connect with local green building leaders. Most cities with green building programs embrace interested retailers and will even include them in promotions. In San Francisco recently, the city took out ads in the local paper promoting the local hardware stores stocking green building products.
But don’t stop with green building, connect with other non-profit organizations. If your store is locally owned, join the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, or BALLE, (www.livingeconomies.com). BALLE’s mission is about building community through local business networks. They can help you build the “buy local” advantage in your market. Don’t forget to support your local schools and parent groups. Making a small donation of organic compost for the school garden, participating in their fundraisers, sharing information about non-toxic alternatives – those small ways of showing your support will help to build long-lasting relationships. There are probably other organizations in your area that are focused on protecting local watersheds and bays, wilderness areas or providing job opportunities for young people. Find out what your staff members are interested in and encourage them to get involved, too.
You should also consider participating in local green events where you can educate your local community members about what your store is doing to make less-toxic, environmentally friendly, and resource conserving choices available. Better yet, host a green event at your store. If you’ve gone out and developed relationships with local green building and other sustainability organizations, you should find no shortage of enthusiastic help. Enlist the aid of your local green product manufacture and distributors, as well. After all, they are an important part of your community, too.
Getting connected with concerned community groups will make you feel good about offering eco-safe and non-toxic alternatives. It will also build your reputation and generate excellent word-of-mouth referrals, bringing new appreciative customers into your store. You can do good and do well and that’s what getting connected is all about.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Walking the Talk: making your store a little greener
(This appeared in the June '08 issues of Merchant Magazine and Building Products Digest.)
The demand for greener product choices is clearly growing from both pros and consumers. Last month we talked about what makes a product green and how to identify them. Stocking greener products will help retailers take advantage of this growing business opportunity, but is that enough? Not necessarily. Advertising and other communications are essential, of course, but to effectively connect with the green customer, there has to be credibility behind the claims. If you, the retailer, are not “walking the talk” it may all be for naught.
Most everyone these days has heard the term, “greenwashing.” Cynical attempts to jump on the green bandwagon, misrepresentations of environmental claims, and hypocrisy are the kinds of things that earn the “greenwash” label and it can result in losing customers fast. So, what can retailers do to walk the talk and build lasting relationships with their new green customers? There are three really easy things a retailer can do to start building their green cred: 1) become a community resource, 2) reduce operational impacts, 3) increase staff’s product knowledge.
1) Many cities have programs in place that make it easy for retailers to become a community resource for recycling batteries, paints, and fluorescent lighting. Being a collection point for these kinds of items provides a valuable service to your community. These programs, whether through your local city government, utility or third parties, also provide opportunities to connect with local schools and non-profits that will be happy to promote the good work you’re doing. Make sure the store and lumber yard are recycling their own waste, and inform your pro customers about recycling on the job site.
2) Operational impacts are sometimes hidden from customers, but doing something in this area can save money and build brand loyalty, especially when your efforts are known. Change lighting from inefficient incandescents and T12’s to CFLs, LEDs and T5’s. Swap out your inefficient toilets for High Efficiency Toilets (HETs) and/or waterless urinals. These measures often come with aggressive rebates – take advantage! If your locality has a Green Business Program, participate!
3) Getting your staff educated about the greener choices on the shelf is the easiest of all to accomplish. Most manufacturers and distributors are more than willing to come into your store and educate your staff on the ins and out of their soy-based sealer, energy-saving-device, or zero-voc paint. Product knowledge sessions are a good way to get even your crustiest department heads on board and you can incorporate them into an in-store event.
There are other things retailers can do, of course, such as put solar panels on the roof or use bio-diesel in your delivery vehicles. The main issue, however, is that retailers that make a genuine effort to reduce the impact of operations, educate staff, and take advantage of community programs, while stocking greener products, will establish themselves as the green leaders in their communities.
The demand for greener product choices is clearly growing from both pros and consumers. Last month we talked about what makes a product green and how to identify them. Stocking greener products will help retailers take advantage of this growing business opportunity, but is that enough? Not necessarily. Advertising and other communications are essential, of course, but to effectively connect with the green customer, there has to be credibility behind the claims. If you, the retailer, are not “walking the talk” it may all be for naught.
Most everyone these days has heard the term, “greenwashing.” Cynical attempts to jump on the green bandwagon, misrepresentations of environmental claims, and hypocrisy are the kinds of things that earn the “greenwash” label and it can result in losing customers fast. So, what can retailers do to walk the talk and build lasting relationships with their new green customers? There are three really easy things a retailer can do to start building their green cred: 1) become a community resource, 2) reduce operational impacts, 3) increase staff’s product knowledge.
1) Many cities have programs in place that make it easy for retailers to become a community resource for recycling batteries, paints, and fluorescent lighting. Being a collection point for these kinds of items provides a valuable service to your community. These programs, whether through your local city government, utility or third parties, also provide opportunities to connect with local schools and non-profits that will be happy to promote the good work you’re doing. Make sure the store and lumber yard are recycling their own waste, and inform your pro customers about recycling on the job site.
2) Operational impacts are sometimes hidden from customers, but doing something in this area can save money and build brand loyalty, especially when your efforts are known. Change lighting from inefficient incandescents and T12’s to CFLs, LEDs and T5’s. Swap out your inefficient toilets for High Efficiency Toilets (HETs) and/or waterless urinals. These measures often come with aggressive rebates – take advantage! If your locality has a Green Business Program, participate!
3) Getting your staff educated about the greener choices on the shelf is the easiest of all to accomplish. Most manufacturers and distributors are more than willing to come into your store and educate your staff on the ins and out of their soy-based sealer, energy-saving-device, or zero-voc paint. Product knowledge sessions are a good way to get even your crustiest department heads on board and you can incorporate them into an in-store event.
There are other things retailers can do, of course, such as put solar panels on the roof or use bio-diesel in your delivery vehicles. The main issue, however, is that retailers that make a genuine effort to reduce the impact of operations, educate staff, and take advantage of community programs, while stocking greener products, will establish themselves as the green leaders in their communities.
Monday, May 12, 2008
What Makes A Product “Green”?
(This article appeared in the May '08 issues of Merchant Magazine and Building Products Digest.)
Last month’s Earth Day is now behind us and the media frenzy around all things green was truly impressive. Major retailers and manufacturers, from Wal-Mart to Clorox, sought to establish their “green” credentials, announcing initiatives, reformulated products, carbon offsets and renewable energy plans. As the news stories and advertising begin to subside, most of the rest of the retailing world is taking notice and asking what they can do to better address the rising demand for greener products and services.
In this, and future columns, we’ll seek to answer those questions in ways that help independent retailers in the hardware and home improvement channel win over new customers and reinvigorate relationships with existing ones. So let’s start with one of most frequent questions I’m asked: What exactly is a “green” product?
As with most questions of this sort, there are simple answers and slightly more complex answers. OK, simple answer first: green products pose no health threat to the user, are good (or at least not harmful) for the environment, and are made in ways that do not negatively affect the communities where they’re made or the workers who make them. This, of course, is an ideal that most “green” products approach but cannot attain if no other reason than most production and distribution requires energy in the form of fossil fuel, which carries with it some serious negative impacts in the form of air pollution and green house gas emissions.
So let’s look at a slightly more complex, more useful definition of what makes a product “green.” And to do that, we need to consider the context. Who’s buying the products in the first place? In our business, we generally serve two types of customers, building professionals and consumers, each with their own set of motivations and criteria.
For building professionals, the relevant context for products and materials are green building guidelines, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), as well as numerous local and regional programs. These programs define design and construction criteria that make commercial or residential buildings energy and water efficient, healthy, and with minimal negative impact to the environment, specifying material and product characteristics that earn credits, or points. Building projects that gain enough points are awarded “green” status, such Silver, Gold or Platinum in the case of LEED. Using lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), for example, will earn LEED credits, as will using low-VOC paints, adhesives, and caulks, materials with renewable or recycled content, etc.
While the USGBC and other programs don’t identify specific product brands, other resources do. One of the best building product guides comes from Building Green, a well respected organization in the world of green building, who publishes the GreenSpec Guides. GreenSpec is also online at www.greenspec.com. These guides ostensibly cut through marketing noise to identify the best-in-class products for use in any green building project. If you’re a retailer with a strong pro customer base, GreenSpec is a must have publication for your buyers and contractor sales team.
For the consumer market, the task of identifying green products is a little more involved because there is no comprehensive program like LEED to guide product choices. A good place to start is with the consumers themselves. While green builders may be motivated by lower operating costs, enhanced rent and real estate values, or regulation, (building green is becoming mandatory in some communities,) consumers are increasingly motivated by concerns for the environment and personal health issues. It is this rising tide of shifting consumer attitudes that is powering the growth of Whole Foods, for example. These consumers tend to be skeptical of manufacturer claims, respond better to word of mouth than traditional advertising, and are willing pay a little more for a greener product.
Product certifications don’t yet exist to help us identify products in every category for the increasingly green consumers, but they’re catching up. Energy Star has been around for awhile, of course, with nearly universal recognition, and it’s expanding to include new electrical products, such as cordless power tools. The EPA recently introduced a similar program for water-related products called WaterSense, which covers High Efficiency Toilets (HET), faucets, showerheads and irrigation products. The growing popularity of organic foods and other products has helped to drive demand for organic supplies for the garden. Lawn and garden products that carry the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) label have been certified to comply with the USDA’s National Organics Program. And of course, there are other products in these categories that would certainly be considered green but aren’t covered by these certifications, such as smart power strips that shut down phantom energy loads, solar lighting, water purifiers, and composters.
Identifying green product choices for the rest of your store gets a little trickier. Cleaning products, for example, is probably the most vexing category because there’s no trustworthy certification program and manufacturers are not required to disclose ingredients. Unfortunately, unverified claims can’t always be trusted and some claims, even if verified, might not be relevant. For example, a household cleaning product might be biodegradable, but may contain ethylene glycol, a chemical that studies have shown to be linked with reproductive harm. That’s obviously important since women are the primary users of cleaning products in the home. Non-profit organizations, such as the Center for a New American Dream (www.newdream.org) and Healthy Child Healthy World (www.healthychild.org) offer good background information on common chemicals and even make a few product recommendations.
There are a growing number of products coming to market that do represent greener choices for both consumer and building professional, outpacing the ability of certifications to keep up. By looking for products that conserve resources and promote healthier living, asking questions of your suppliers, and doing a little research, you can do a lot on your own to begin offering greener choices to your customers.
Last month’s Earth Day is now behind us and the media frenzy around all things green was truly impressive. Major retailers and manufacturers, from Wal-Mart to Clorox, sought to establish their “green” credentials, announcing initiatives, reformulated products, carbon offsets and renewable energy plans. As the news stories and advertising begin to subside, most of the rest of the retailing world is taking notice and asking what they can do to better address the rising demand for greener products and services.
In this, and future columns, we’ll seek to answer those questions in ways that help independent retailers in the hardware and home improvement channel win over new customers and reinvigorate relationships with existing ones. So let’s start with one of most frequent questions I’m asked: What exactly is a “green” product?
As with most questions of this sort, there are simple answers and slightly more complex answers. OK, simple answer first: green products pose no health threat to the user, are good (or at least not harmful) for the environment, and are made in ways that do not negatively affect the communities where they’re made or the workers who make them. This, of course, is an ideal that most “green” products approach but cannot attain if no other reason than most production and distribution requires energy in the form of fossil fuel, which carries with it some serious negative impacts in the form of air pollution and green house gas emissions.
So let’s look at a slightly more complex, more useful definition of what makes a product “green.” And to do that, we need to consider the context. Who’s buying the products in the first place? In our business, we generally serve two types of customers, building professionals and consumers, each with their own set of motivations and criteria.
For building professionals, the relevant context for products and materials are green building guidelines, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), as well as numerous local and regional programs. These programs define design and construction criteria that make commercial or residential buildings energy and water efficient, healthy, and with minimal negative impact to the environment, specifying material and product characteristics that earn credits, or points. Building projects that gain enough points are awarded “green” status, such Silver, Gold or Platinum in the case of LEED. Using lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), for example, will earn LEED credits, as will using low-VOC paints, adhesives, and caulks, materials with renewable or recycled content, etc.
While the USGBC and other programs don’t identify specific product brands, other resources do. One of the best building product guides comes from Building Green, a well respected organization in the world of green building, who publishes the GreenSpec Guides. GreenSpec is also online at www.greenspec.com. These guides ostensibly cut through marketing noise to identify the best-in-class products for use in any green building project. If you’re a retailer with a strong pro customer base, GreenSpec is a must have publication for your buyers and contractor sales team.
For the consumer market, the task of identifying green products is a little more involved because there is no comprehensive program like LEED to guide product choices. A good place to start is with the consumers themselves. While green builders may be motivated by lower operating costs, enhanced rent and real estate values, or regulation, (building green is becoming mandatory in some communities,) consumers are increasingly motivated by concerns for the environment and personal health issues. It is this rising tide of shifting consumer attitudes that is powering the growth of Whole Foods, for example. These consumers tend to be skeptical of manufacturer claims, respond better to word of mouth than traditional advertising, and are willing pay a little more for a greener product.
Product certifications don’t yet exist to help us identify products in every category for the increasingly green consumers, but they’re catching up. Energy Star has been around for awhile, of course, with nearly universal recognition, and it’s expanding to include new electrical products, such as cordless power tools. The EPA recently introduced a similar program for water-related products called WaterSense, which covers High Efficiency Toilets (HET), faucets, showerheads and irrigation products. The growing popularity of organic foods and other products has helped to drive demand for organic supplies for the garden. Lawn and garden products that carry the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) label have been certified to comply with the USDA’s National Organics Program. And of course, there are other products in these categories that would certainly be considered green but aren’t covered by these certifications, such as smart power strips that shut down phantom energy loads, solar lighting, water purifiers, and composters.
Identifying green product choices for the rest of your store gets a little trickier. Cleaning products, for example, is probably the most vexing category because there’s no trustworthy certification program and manufacturers are not required to disclose ingredients. Unfortunately, unverified claims can’t always be trusted and some claims, even if verified, might not be relevant. For example, a household cleaning product might be biodegradable, but may contain ethylene glycol, a chemical that studies have shown to be linked with reproductive harm. That’s obviously important since women are the primary users of cleaning products in the home. Non-profit organizations, such as the Center for a New American Dream (www.newdream.org) and Healthy Child Healthy World (www.healthychild.org) offer good background information on common chemicals and even make a few product recommendations.
There are a growing number of products coming to market that do represent greener choices for both consumer and building professional, outpacing the ability of certifications to keep up. By looking for products that conserve resources and promote healthier living, asking questions of your suppliers, and doing a little research, you can do a lot on your own to begin offering greener choices to your customers.
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