Indianapolis—In the two years since Do It Best debuted plans for a flooring and kitchen and bath program, a growing number of the group’s 4,500 members have taken advantage of what the co-op has to offer. With its recent spring market came the unveiling of a comprehensive program Do It Best hopes will take its members to the next level of floor offerings, as well as to compete against the big boxes. “We’ve had members who have taken on elements of this program in the past,” said Bob Taylor, Do It Best’s president. “What we’ve done in the last couple years is to pull it together into more of a coordinated, departmental presentation. This has been helpful to the members. As we’ve done this, we’ve expanded the list of participating vendors and increased the program’s product availability.” 

This first step in the evolution of the Home Décor flooring department was a positive one, noted Taylor, but the job was not finished. “The next step is what we see here at the market. We have given our members the tools in the form of a visual merchandising package, a design department area and an on-site training program to really back all that up and provide them with the basic flooring elements.” For Do It Best in the near future, Taylor sees increased business in flooring and, in the fall, for kitchen and bath products as well. “I believe this is going to really help grow our members’ business. It helps them connect with their customers in a much more coordinated fashion. We’ll also be able to add elements to the flooring space, whether it’s bath or kitchen. These categories will support one another.” 

Since Do It Best began offering home decor merchandise to its member-retailers, sales from this category have exceeded projections each year. “We’ve had tremendous success and growth in the flooring category,” said Quent Ondricek, Do It Best’s vice president of purchasing, Lumber and Building products. “Because we are a full service co-op and our goal is to improve our members’ business and profitability, we felt we needed to give our members a vehicle that would take them to the next level. The reaction has been tremendous.” While Ondricek admits Do It Best’s flooring department is not the “do-all, answer-all for anyone in the flooring business,” it allows those who take on the program to be competitive with the big boxes while adding to their bottom line. “Anyone who wants to go past the basics would have to add some type of designer or accessory lines, but our goal is to take our membership and reposition them so that they have organized, full-line departments rather than dabblings into the flooring business.” 

The program offers a store-within-a-store concept, encompassing approximately 750-sq.ft. of floor space for those who want to take on the entire program. It includes advertising and training. A complete display system with all of the major flooring products of carpet, ceramic, hardwood, laminate and vinyl is offered including 200 residential and commercial carpet styles, 100 ceramic styles, four sheet vinyl styles with 120 colors and an assortment of laminate flooring. In addition, the Home Décor category includes cabinets, vanities and countertops. To date, more than 300 members have taken on some aspect of the Home Décor program which features a full array of floor covering as well as kitchen and bath options. “We would like to start off our first year of this program with a minimum of 50 members in place,” said Ondricek. “We have a huge interest from individuals who are not in the flooring business. “What we’re saying is, we have the expertise in the building side already, why not finish that with the flooring business?” he explained. “And I think the thing we bring to the forefront, as do all independents, is a high level of service.” 

Do it Best hopes to finish with more than $20 million in flooring sales in its next fiscal year. “This is the evolution of our flooring program,” said Kevin Doyle, Do It Best’s product manager for building specialties. “We have a program with 10 displays encompassing all types of flooring. Our vendors have been able to work within our system and deliver to the stores in the way that we needed.” John Ambs of Mahdavis Rugs said of Do It Best, “I think it is headed in the right direction. It already has that ‘home improvement’ traffic in its stores so it may as well sell as many different products as possible. It’s just another part of the home anyway. Area rugs are a very hot item right now. As far as Mahdavis is concerned, with our fresh new looks, we look forward to growing with Do It Best.”

Randy Jackson, a specialist in Mohawk Industries’ hard surfaces division commented, “the Do It Best program has been good for us. Our sales have grown with it each year. It’s beneficial for these independents to get involved in a flooring program like this because it gives them a chance to compete with the big boxes. We feel we can be a part of that for Do It Best as it tries to be the one-stop shopping experience for consumers.” “It’s been a good show; one we enjoy participating in,” said Ken Smith, vice president of marketing for Host. “We support the independent dealer which is important to Do It Best given the strategy it’s trying to employ in its marketing.” Being able to compete with the boxes and national buying power are just two reasons many Do It Best members have gotten involved with the flooring business.

“Flooring is about 25% to 30% of our business and I’d like for it to be more,” said James Burns of Burns Do It Center & Flooring in Clovis, N.M. “Do It Best is really getting into it. The biggest advantage is its national buying power. I bought a carpet business next door to me just over a year ago; the dealer was buying from Mohawk. That same Mohawk rep still sells to us but, through Do It Best, we’re getting the best prices the store was getting plus a discount because we’re a national account. “It’s easier to pay your bills,” he added, “you’ve just got one check to write. It simplifies things. When I’m buying through Do It Best I’m confident I’m getting the best deal out there. The buyers have done their homework.” “This is a great opportunity to look at the flooring department as a concept rather than just by product,” said Dennis Dorn of Portage Lumber Do It Best in Portage, Wis.

“You look at it more comprehensively. Although this is relatively new for Do It Best—it has had parts of it available—it’s great to have all the pieces consolidated. The ease of purchase is phenomenal—billings are directly through the group. The product selection is abundant. We’re able to treat flooring as a fashion industry, which is what it is. When the program matures, it will be a specialty store within a store, not someone mixing paint one day and selling flooring the next.” Don Deibolt of Deibolt Lumber & Supply in La Harpe, Kan., said, “the only category of flooring we don’t buy from Do It Best is ceramic tile and we are currently looking into adding that now. We sell a lot of tile. It is much easier if I can get my flooring all through one source. Do It Best also has the type of buying power where we can get a better price. Do It Best is definitely saving us money.”