House-Hasson’s January Dealer Market Starts New Year with Momentum

House-Hasson Hardware, America’s largest independent regional hardware distributor, saw its New Year New Beginnings dealer market get the company off to a fast start.

The market, for independent hardware stores and lumberyards, was held January 6-8, 2022 at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. Despite a winter storm that dumped snow on the area the first day, a strong contingent of dealers was on hand to walk the aisles and seek out innovative new items.

“I just want to thank you for coming to our hardware show in this weather. That’s the most important thing to us. We’ve got some great deals and we put together a great market. We’re excited about what we have to offer our dealers, and just very humbled and surprised there are this many people here today,” said President Steve Henry, in his opening remarks at the Bonus Buy Breakfast on Friday morning.

“We plan to get together with dealers and vendors again at the Summer 2022 dealer market in Sevierville, Tenn.,” Henry said. “Relationships and personal contact are fundamental to our business, and there was a strong desire to get back together for this January show.”

Nearly 500 vendors participated in January’s market including a large number of new vendors, said Jason Monroe, House-Hasson’s vice president of merchandising. “We are doing everything we can to make sure our dealers have the products they need for their customers,” Monroe said.

The new vendors exhibiting at the January show included big names like Milwaukee Tools and Hyde Tools as well as the return of Shop-Vac. Other new vendors included OX Tools, Instant Brands, Sterno Products, HT Enterprise, Royal Appliance, Zuen, Winston, B3C, Simple Strap, Smith’s Consumer and Medterra CBD.

“We’re as busy—and perhaps busier—than at any time in the history of House-Hasson,” Henry said. “While the last two years have been difficult and challenging with the pandemic and supply chain issues, we find ourselves positioned well to grow this year and beyond.”

Dealer who were in attendance said they planned to invest in new niches and beefed up assortments to better meet their customers’ needs. They expressed a general optimism about business conditions for 2022. “We always find good deals at the markets,” commented Todd Eads of Eads Hardware in Paris, Ky.

On Thursday afternoon, dealers were able to gain insights by attending a seminar presentation on “Online Marketing Tools and Solutions” from Keegan Edwards of New Media Retailer, which now offers social media and website services to House-Hasson customers.

“Why has so much advertising moved to Facebook and Google? Because it works,” said Edwards.

“Forty-nine percent of businesses get more than 1,000 views on search per month,” he pointed out. “Set up a person who will be in control and add photos and attributes to make your site more relevant.”

Edwards offered the following takeaways for dealers in attendance: put your products on your website, collect emails, manage and ask for reviews, message your customers, invest in images and videos, learn to advertise online and update your Google My Business listing.

He also advised to take the following actions: talk to a vendor about connecting your POS to your website, plan to train staff on collecting emails, figure out who will manage reviews, put a chat widget on your website, hire a local photographer, put out a brand awareness Facebook ad and update your categories in GMB.

House-Hasson’s next dealer market is scheduled for June 9-11, in Sevierville, Tenn., just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For market information, contact Pat McCutcheon, vice president of sales, at pmccutcheon@househasson.com or call 800-333-0520, ext. 202.

House-Hasson serves some 2,500 dealers in 23 states and the Caribbean Basin. The company’s website is www.househasson.com.