At Brackin Paint & Supply in Dothan, Alabama, the employees have taken merchandising to a new level by creating a decorative concrete showroom that gives customers ideas for different projects they can accomplish with concrete products. DIYers and contractors alike can see and feel the final products in the showroom, which offers helpful visuals and inspirational ideas.
The space used to be a kitchen showroom, but wasn’t being utilized well, says Tyler Brackin, co-owner and manager at Brackin Paint & Supply. In February 2021, with the help of the store’s decorative concrete vendor and some customers, the area was transformed.
“Our concrete vendor came in for a meeting and suggested the idea of turning the kitchen showroom into a space to showcase concrete products, and we took the idea and ran with it,” he says.
Rather than having the concrete vendor do all the work, Brackin turned the project into a training session and opportunity to connect with customers. He invited customers to come in and learn how to do the different techniques from the vendor. In the process, the store got a new space, and customers had the opportunity to learn a new skill from professionals.
What started out as just an indoor showroom has already morphed into an outdoor space with a pergola. In both areas, customers can see the different projects they can complete using decorative concrete products the store sells, including wall spray, wall stamps, floor stamps and countertop mixes.
The display includes examples of concrete countertops, stamped concrete floors, faux rock facades made of concrete and wall sprays used over foam to create a textured look. It includes methods more geared toward seasoned professionals, like vertical overlay, but also shows projects DIYers can tackle.
“We haven’t put all the finishing touches on the space yet,” Brackin says. “But hopefully this will be a good thing for us to show both professionals and DIYers what they can accomplish with their clients and in their own homes.”
