Have you ever been on vacation and felt the urge to visit a local hardware or paint store? Your family and friends might not understand, but these store visits are a great way to improve your business. They allow you to find new products, meet your peers and explore new ideas to take home.
To help retailers discover new stores, the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) has stepped in with a solution—NHPA On the Road and the new YourNHPA.org/on-the-road landing page.
In 2022, NHPA was excited to make visiting stores a priority again through the NHPA On the Road series of road trips. The trips were organized and led by NHPA retail engagement specialist Renee Changnon.
“During the height of the pandemic, we kept our communication with our members virtual,” Changnon says. “So when we felt it was safe to hit the road again, we were so excited to launch NHPA On the Road. In total, we have gone on six trips, explored seven states and spent time in 28 stores this year alone.”
To help keep retailers in the loop, the NHPA team shared trip posts on social media. However, the association wanted to share these adventures in one space that would make it easy for retailers to browse and learn more about the stores. The solution was a new, dedicated landing page.
Over the next several months, NHPA will continue to update the page with content and photo galleries from 2022 store visits. Association members can also expect future NHPA On the Road-themed podcast episodes featuring the stores visited.
As the new year approaches, the NHPA team is excited to continue their travels to even more stores across North America.
“Traveling to new places and discovering what makes independent retailers so special is something our team loves to highlight,” Changnon says. “From an impressive hardware store in a big city with a small footprint to a massive farm store in the Midwest serving several communities or a chain of independent paint stores keeping locals across the country happy, these trips show the strength of the independent retailer.”
Stay Tuned to NHPA On the Road
Stay tuned to YourNHPA.org/on-the-road as the association continues to add 2022 stories and photos, and follow along with NHPA on Facebook and Instagram as NHPA staff continues to document travels in 2023.
Nominate a Store
Should NHPA visit your store on the next NHPA On the Road trip? Complete the online form to submit a nomination.
