Paint Store In A Parts Store
What’s the most popular color when it comes to paint? Well, if you’re a NAPA
AUTO PARTS store owner, that’s easy: green. As in the profit that comes with
selling it.
Martin Senour, an automotive paint brand of the Sherwin-Williams company,
has been exclusively distributed through NAPA AUTO PARTS since 1925. Martin
Senour provides a complete line of innovative and competitively priced
products and refinish systems for the PBE (Paint, Body, Equipment)
marketplace.
Martin Senour’s dedicated, nationwide sales force of over 90 service and
technical representatives are strategic partners for NAPA store owners,
connecting them with extensive in-store, e-learning, and training center
teaching. Martin Senour professionals also provide numerous marketing and
merchandising programs to assist NAPA owners sell paint and other associated
products.
Who is your Market for Paint?
“We’ve been doing paint here for about 27 years. The area we’re in is very
rural. We have a lot of agriculture, a lot of construction,” noted Joe
Williams, NAPA AUTO PARTS store owner. “We also service four to five body
shops, but the majority of sales is with the construction companies. We do a
lot with painting construction equipment, tractors, and heavy equipment.”
“I guarantee, people are painting in every town, small or large. There are
tremendous opportunities,” added Bozied. “There’s a paint product available
for each customer out there and we can come out with a price point that
makes them happy and we’re making money on the backside. That’s fantastic.”
“We’ve gone after the industrial market where you can sell large quantities
of paint,” Williams said.
How do you ‘get into’ Paint?
“I know a lot of the stores are scared of paint for whatever reason but to
me I’ve always had the understanding that if it’s got a part number on it
and I can sell it, then why not sell it?” said NAPA owner Darren Gahms. “We
started in paint back in the ‘70s selling just staples, the thinners and
primers, and then in ’88 we teamed up to mix paint. Now we’ve got three
mixing banks and six outside mixing body shops. It’s like with anything
else, it’s what you put into it; if you want to sell it, have the
opportunity to sell it, then you have the opportunity to grow.
“The first thing you can start with is the Martin Senour Finish 1™. You can
spend a very minimal amount put up a nice little display, maybe a four-foot
gondola, but just get it out front when customers walk in the door. They’ll
say, ‘Hey, now you’re handling primers and thinners and stuff like that?
That’s great,’ added Gahms. “So get with your rep. Get with your DC. Put a
little bit of it in. What have you got to lose?
How does Martin Senour support us?
“The support we get from Martin Senour is excellent,” said Williams. “Our
rep makes it fun and makes it easy to sell paint. All the body shops like
him. He works hard for them and he’s the reason we are where we are with the
paint.”
“From technical support to product support, you name it; the support from
Martin Senour is great,” said Bozied. “There is great money to be made in
paint whether you’re selling over the counter, to the local farmer, or
knocking on the door of your existing industrial accounts or your commercial
customers.”
What Paint Products are good to Sell?
“Thinners, primers, and clears are a good starting point. That’s where
Martin Senour offers its Finish 1 products,” said Gahms. “You can get into
paint for a very small investment. Finish 1 is available at a good price,
it’s a great product, and you don’t have to spend the big, big money to take
on a whole line.”
“Martin Senour has the best undercoats, the best basecoats, and the best
topcoats in the business,” said Dellapenna. “And with the VORTEX™
technology, the waterborne technology, we have the best waterborne system in
the market going on right now.”
“The Pro//BASE™ refinish system has been a really good product for us. It
has a good color match and has good coverage. Two coats, the guys are done
with it. Because they sure don’t want something that’s not covering,” said
NAPA AUTO PARTS store owner Kelly McCusker. “Pro//BASE really filled a need
for us and has huge growth potential. As a result, we brought Pro//BASE into
all three stores.”
Gahms added, “Also, the Martin Senour IMC™ is a great line because it
really doesn’t need any undercoats or anything like that so it’s for light
industrial, agriculture, as well as do-it-yourselfers. When the DIYers come
in for an oil change find out what other projects they’re doing. They’re
always going to need paint.”
Martin Senour has your back
“Paint is a terrific, and many times entirely new, market segment
opportunity – and many of your sales targets are already customers,” said
Martin Senour Sales Director Jeff Hartl. “We provide great products from
innovative high-end refinish systems to midprice automotive products, and
for all types of NAPA customers – vehicle refinish, fleet, industrial, and
agriculture coatings.
“We deliver tremendous marketing support including in-store merchandising,
national advertising and editorial, plus monthly in-store special and
product promotions. We also provide True Blue™ points on jobber quarterly
purchases.
“We’ve made a lot of jobbers a lot of money. If you’re not into paint, it’s
a great opportunity to create a fantastic new revenue source. And if you’re
just dipping your toe into the paint market, we can help you expand and
really increase your bottom line.
“If you’re a NAPA store owner or manager interested in developing a new or
increased revenue stream through paint sales, send me an email at
Jeff.J.Hartl@sherwin.com.”