A well-managed sanding and abrasives category can enhance customer satisfaction and boost sales. By strategically organizing products, prioritizing quality and leveraging customer feedback, your store can better serve both contractors and DIYers.

Paul Webster, purchasing agent at Purcell’s Paints in Syracuse, New York, has worked at his family’s store for 35 years. For the last 25 years, he has led the purchasing department, overseeing product selection and ensuring the store carries high-quality sanding and abrasives products that meet the needs of both professional contractors and home improvement enthusiasts.

Organize Products for Efficiency

Purcell’s Paints structures its abrasives category to make shopping intuitive and efficient. The store separates products based on customer type, ensuring both contractors and DIYers can quickly find what they need. Contractor-specific sanding products, such as floor sanding belts and discs, are positioned near complementary items like floor coatings and sealers.

“We want our contractors to find what they need quickly so they can get back to work,” Webster says. “Keeping everything in a logical order saves them time and makes it easier for them to grab everything
in one trip.”

For DIYers, abrasives and sanding products are placed throughout the store, near related items such as paint rollers, spackle and patching compounds. These products are also positioned closer to the paint counter, where employees can assist customers in selecting the right tools for their projects.

“DIYers often have more questions and need help,” Webster says. “By keeping sanding products near other painting and patching materials, we make it easier for them to get advice and make informed choices.”

Performance Over Price

While many independent paint retailers follow the good-better-best business model, Purcell’s Paints takes a different approach. The store doesn’t stock products that fall into the good category, instead choosing to carry only better and best options.

“Abrasives may seem like a small part of a project, but if they fail, it slows everything down,” Webster says. “We make sure we’re selling products our customers can rely on.”

By focusing on stocking durable, high-performance products rather than cheaper alternatives, Purcell’s has become the go-to for reliability in this category.

“It doesn’t do any good to buy the least expensive sandpaper or stock it just to have it,” he says. “If it doesn’t hold up,
it creates frustration for the customer and damages our credibility as a supplier.”

Validate Products Through Real-World Testing

Webster conducts a variety of product research methods to find new items for his shelves. He collaborates closely with a core group of contractors.

Manufacturers supply samples and the contractors test the products in real job settings. If the products do not meet
durability and effectiveness standards, Purcell doesn’t bring them to his store.

“We don’t just bring in a new product because it looks good on paper,” Webster says. “We want to know it works in real-world conditions before putting it on our shelves.”

Smooth Sales

3 Best Practices for Selling Sandpaper and Abrasives

• Keep It Clean
  • When selling paint, recommend sanding between every paint coat. Consider pointing out that sanding removes drips, roller lint and brush marks. It also reveals poorly adhered paint that needs to be removed.
• Get a Grip
  • Explain to customers how sanding creates a profile for paint or primer to better grip a surface, Schultz says. Sanding should be encouraged when consumers are painting doors, trim, banisters, stair treads and cabinetry.
• Stock Up
  • Merchandising a variety of grits, backings, materials, shapes and sizes improves sales. Stocking products for trade customers who require a steady product supply can also boost sales.