Hardware attendees search for new products amid tighter space - Hardware Show

Discount Store News, August 15, 1994

NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- Hills is beefing up its delegation to the Hardware Show this year to eight buyers, merchandise managers and vice presidents from six last year for a special reason unrelated to trends in hardware. Its president, Mike Bozic, will be named Discounter of the Year at a DSN honors banquet to be held during the show, which is being held at the McCormick Place, Chicago, from Aug. 14 to 17.

But Hills will use the visit to good advantage, said Howie Gerstein, dmm hardware, looking particularly for new ideas in display techniques. As usual, Hills will concentrate on meeting executives from key vendors, keeping up contacts, he added.

"Year after year, nothing dramatic changes in hardware," Gerstein said.

As have many regional chains, Hills has shifted its hardware selection toward commodities and fashion goods and away from hardware applications.

But Hills is expanding its ceiling fan and lighting categories, and will be looking for new products in solar lights, coach lights and low-voltage outdoor lighting, Gerstein said.

Exhibition space was tight with the demolition of McCormick Place West to make way for construction of the new South Building. Buyers will find offerings consolidated--and condensed a bit--in an expansion of the East Building, as well as the North Building.

When the South Building is completed, exhibitors will have a total of 1 million sq. ft. of net space, compared to 791,000 sq. ft. this year.

Because of losing the West Building, space dipped this year 4.6% from 830,000 sq. ft. in 1993, despite an extensive waiting list and disappointed vendors that wanted to expand booths.

Web Products, for instance, wanted to expand its booth to 20 ft. from 10 ft. to display its family of electrostatic furnace and air conditioning filters, said Janet Snyder, vice president, marketing. Some exhibitors had to trim down their booths a bit to squeeze in as many as possible.

To make room for 200 exhibitors, the show this year expanded into the Chicago and Lindheimer rooms, alongside the Mall area.

Some relief from the space squeeze will come next year, when the newly developed Navy Pier on Lake Michigan opens and the Hardware Show will move its National Building Products Exposition there. That move of 300 exhibitors will free 70,000 sq. ft. of space for the Hardware Show itself. As usual, Lawn & Garden is the biggest show category, occupying 300,000 sq. ft., or 40%, of total show floor space in the North Building. The environment is a recurring theme in product offerings, she said.

Housewares is a growing category and will occupy 100,000 sq. ft. of space scattered throughout the East Building.

Including the increased Hills delegation, discounters appear to be holding their own in attendance, said Amy Reimer, spokeswoman for show management, Reed Exhibition Cos. Reimer said she expects about 70,000 attendees, or about the same as last year.

Former President George Bush will deliver the keynote speech, Monday, Aug. 15, at 8 a.m. in the Arie Crown Theater in the East Building. His talk, titled "America's Role in the New World Order," is open to anyone with a show badge, and Reimer said she expects every one of the 3,000 seats to be taken. No breakfast, however, will be served.

New Products

Exhibitors will introduce 1,100 new products, Reimer said, with a trend toward safety products. A number of products, such as the new hard-wired carbon monoxide detector from First Alert, a line extension of its battery-powered detector brought out in 1993, are intended to protect home and people. American Sensors also is introducing a hard-wire carbon monoxide detector, a line extension of its plug-in detector, also introduced last year.

Other home security products include:

* DesignTech: pool and driveway monitor that signals when someone enters pool area or comes up driveway;

* Lamson Home Products: wireless, motion sensing ceiling-mounted intruder alarm;

* Basement Systems: water watch alarm that warns if basement water rises above sump pump;

* Sonic Technology: electromagnetic field detector to measure electromagnetic fields from home appliances;

* Master Lock: patio door security bars with locking levers.

The new products include a number of "fun" items, Reimer said, such as a voice activated collar to train a barking dog from Radio Systems Corp. Another is a brush that attaches to a garden hose to clean barbecue grills from Brushtech.

Here is a sampling of new products that appear especially suited for the discount channel of trade:

* Black & Decker: a hedgesaw that combines a hedge trimmer that will cut 3/4-in. branches; also a "Versa Pak" system of cordless drills and screwdrivers that use interchangeable batteries, and an extension of the Quantum line of tools into cordless drills;

* Adams Manufacturing: Christmas light holders for roofs;

* Lee/Rowan: 8-ft. free-slide wardrobe organizer;

* Span-America: terry cloth covered foam cushions for outdoor furniture;

* Angelo Brothers: a Smart Bulb that dims to a night light;

* Minwax: hardwood floor cleaner and wood cleaner spray for furniture and cabinets;