Fashion has a lock on the minds of consumers - discount store sales of locksets

Discount Store News, August 7, 1989 by Pamela Meek

Fashion Has a Lock on the Minds of Consumers

In an effort to create more cohesive home decors, many consumers are now turning to fashionable locksets.

Once strictly just functional hardware products, locksets are now playing an integral role in the development of complete at-home styling.

While many discounters are currently sticking to the more commodity-oriented lockset basics, other industry competitors are now starting to realize the added sales volume and potential of the more decorative products. Vendors, in what is perhaps wishful thinking, expect mass merchants to soon follow the trend.

Many of the major lockset vendors are now devoting a portion of their selections to the more fashionable styles, supplying both a range of looks, finishes, materials and quality levels.

In the past, the more forward styles were available only at specialty stores, now however, these same looks are hitting the mainstream distribution channels.

Currently, the leading style is the lever lockset for both interior and exterior doors. At entries, levers are typically paired with a deadbolt lock.

Diverse Finishes

Sleek contemporary shapes, scrolled Italian designs and embossing or etching adds uniqueness and variety. Finishes are also diverse, with most manufacturers agreeing that polished brass is currently the best seller. Popular for a number of years, but now second, is antique brass.

Manufacturers such as Kwikset also stock lever locksets in antique bronze, satin bronze, antique nickel, polished chrome and satin chrome finishes.

One- and two-piece entrance handlesets have also been a strong forward-looking style. Here, too, both modern and more colonial versions are available, so consumers can match locksets to their decor.

Contemporary ball-shaped passage and privacy locksets have witnessed consumer interest. Also, door and lock accessories have become popular.

While security is a factor in lockset choice, Master Lock/Dexter Lock director of sales Jim Donegan said consumers are driven more by the look, quality and touch of the product offerings.

Yale Security national sales manager Mark Van Meter agreed, and noted: "Now consumers can have something that looks better and is secure as well."

According to several manufacturers, consumer interest in buying replacement locksets has been a growing trend for the last few years. As discretionary income has continued to rise and more people have tried to stay in one dwelling, do-it-yourself projects have expanded in scope and depth to often include locksets. "The business is definitely directed to the step-up business," Donegan said.

Acceptance of designer locksets, in part, has been due to some of the recent trends in bath and kitchen fixturing, according to Weiser Lock director of marketing Bob Pacelli.

Just as plumbing hardware has become more stylish and has gained greater consumer interest, so too have locksets, Pacelli said. In fact many DIYers now look to coordinate locksets with other interior hardware.

Pacelli said lockset fashion also follows furniture and textile trends, and future Weiser styles are partially based on input from these areas.

Going forward, most manufacturers agreed that many of the current trends would continue. However, some newness is slowly being introduced in the way of colorful Euro-looks. Again reflecting a plumbing fixture trend, some locksets will feature both bright solid colors and combined brass and colored styles, noted Weslock advertising manager Mark Botefur.

Discounters acknowledged the growing fashion trend in locksets, but few are willing to expand much beyond an under $20 traditional selection.

At Troy, Mich.-based K mart, for example, the discounter does carry both polished and antique brass finishes, but predominately in just basic lockset designs. Because of the chain's inventory turn requirements, "we have to stick to basics," explained hardware buyer Roy Jones.

Traditional Lockset

Depending on whether a store includes K mart's Home Care department or not, the chain's lockset selection typically runs either 7 1/2 feet or 12 1/2 feet and includes both a private label offering and one name brand. Because K mart sticks to traditional lockset replacement products, the chain does very well with the category in areas with a lot of rental and temporary housing.

Several manufacturers praised the overall hardware selection of upscale discounter Target. However, the Minneapolis, Minn.-based chain is currently stocking just a traditional lockset selection.

Yet vendors agreed the fashion-oriented designs are moving toward the mass merchant level, and will most likely be a part of the many chains' selection in coming years as other industry competitors realize continued success.