A necessity for any paint job, applicators stand as one of the cornerstone categories in any paint store. Although paint applicators may seem like an easy sell, having a well-organized and well-stocked department can take those sales to the next level.
At Blue Mist Paint & Flooring in Spartanburg, South Carolina, co-owner Ashley Peterson, alongside her husband and fellow co-owner Heath, have learned practical lessons about merchandising, advertising and selling applicators since opening the store in 2022.
Although the Petersons have only been in the independent paint industry for a few years, they’ve gained a wealth of knowledge on how to run a store. Ashley shared three ways they improved their applicators category using creative merchandising, engaging in digital marketing and bundling products.
Shop Your Own Store
Using strategic presentation of products and effective organization is key when trying to pique customer interest and encourage purchases.
Grouping key products, like rollers, brushes and sponges, gives customers a convenient shopping experience. They’re also less likely to need help finding related products. Ashley says she’s learned how to organize her products to better serve her customers. When thinking about organizing their store, she and Heath thought through their layout as if they were shopping there.
They analyzed their store layout and found that many of their sundries were sporadically located, with no thought put into how customers shop for these items.
“When we first opened the store, we had a lot of fixtures floating around the center of the store with different brushes, roller covers and other sundries, but they were mismatched all over the place,” Ashley says. “We decided to make a big change, moving all of our sundries to a 16-foot gondola along one wall.”
By consolidating her sundries, putting similar products near one another and keeping her best-selling products at eye-level, Ashley was able to show customers everything the store sold in one spot, rather than making them hunt the aisles.
“I noticed an increase in sundries sales almost immediately,” Ashley says. “Our sundries section is now a massive wall of tools, it’s really in your face. I’ve noticed that keeping your sundries together and making it the biggest presence you can, more people will gravitate to it, especially when your store is smaller.”
Be Social Media Savvy
The Pew Research Center released its global entertainment and media outlook that says nearly 60% of Americans still prefer making purchases in physical stores, and social media can be an effective driver to catch your customers’ attention online and drive them into the store.
While online platforms like Facebook and Instagram can seem daunting to some, putting in just a little effort can pay off in the long run. In a digital age where more customers are choosing to purchase online,
the Petersons recognize the importance of social media.
Ashley regularly uses her store’s social media accounts to promote sales, share reviews of the store and provide details about the business. To promote the store’s applicators, she posts special sales and deals on these products. Ashley is also a member of multiple local Facebook groups, where she routinely posts community polls asking customers what they want to know, common DIY problems and what customers want to see their store carry.
Bundled Brilliance
When thinking about ways to compete with big-box stores, the Petersons devised a “Weekend Warrior Package” that includes everything a homeowner needs to begin a DIY project: 1 gallon of paint in any color or finish, a brush, a roller with covers, a sanding sponge, a paint trim cup and a paint tray.
Selling related products in a bundle allows customers to buy a complete project, rather than shopping around your store for what they need. Bundling products creates an instant project sale, leading to higher transaction sizes.
“We tried it to compete with the local box stores,” Ashley says. “When thinking about this deal, we thought about what a homeowner who wanted to paint a room would need, and that’s everything we put into the package deal.”
FAQs About Applicators
Customers will likely come into your store with questions about proper applicator use. Here are answers to three commonly asked questions to help you make the sale.
- Should my brush type change with the type of paint I’m using?
Natural bristle brushes are preferred for use with solvent-based coatings, such as stain. Natural bristles are hollow and can absorb the water contained in a latex paint, causing them to swell and become soft and limp.
Most synthetic brushes work well with both latex and solvent-based coatings, but always check the manufacturer’s recommendations on the brush. Some of the solvents used in solvent-based products can break-down the composition of a synthetic bristle so always check the label. - Is an expensive brush really worth the additional cost?
High quality or more expensive brushes have distinct advantages over the inexpensive ones. High quality brushes will finish the job more quickly because a top-quality brush has the ability to “hold” more paint in the reservoir, which means you will spend less time “painting the can” than applying the paint to the surface. Also, a top-quality brush will have a tapered end, which means there are shorter bristles on the outside and longer bristles in the center. - How should I care for my brush so it maintains its performance level after use?
Clean every brush immediately after use with paint thinner or brush and roller cleaner for bristle brushes and soap and water for nylon or polyester brushes. Use a brush comb to clean and straighten the bristles. Do not soak your brushes for extended periods of time as it will cause them to lose their shape.
