Paint Store In A Parts Store
What’s the most popular color when it comes to paint? Well, if you’re a NAPA AUTO PARTS store owner, that’s easy: green. As in the profit that comes with selling it.
Martin Senour, an automotive paint brand of the Sherwin-Williams company, has been exclusively distributed through NAPA AUTO PARTS since 1925. Martin Senour provides a complete line of innovative and competitively priced products and refinish systems for the PBE (Paint, Body, Equipment) marketplace.
Martin Senour’s dedicated, nationwide sales force of over 90 service and technical representatives are strategic partners for NAPA store owners, connecting them with extensive in-store, e-learning, and training center teaching. Martin Senour professionals also provide numerous marketing and merchandising programs to assist NAPA owners sell paint and other associated products.
Who is your Market for Paint?
“We’ve been doing paint here for about 27 years. The area we’re in is very rural. We have a lot of agriculture, a lot of construction,” noted Joe Williams, NAPA AUTO PARTS store owner. “We also service four to five body shops, but the majority of sales is with the construction companies. We do a lot with painting construction equipment, tractors, and heavy equipment.”
“I guarantee, people are painting in every town, small or large. There are tremendous opportunities,” added Bozied. “There’s a paint product available for each customer out there and we can come out with a price point that makes them happy and we’re making money on the backside. That’s fantastic.”
“We’ve gone after the industrial market where you can sell large quantities of paint,” Williams said.
How do you ‘get into’ Paint?
“I know a lot of the stores are scared of paint for whatever reason but to me I’ve always had the understanding that if it’s got a part number on it and I can sell it, then why not sell it?” said NAPA owner Darren Gahms. “We started in paint back in the ‘70s selling just staples, the thinners and primers, and then in ’88 we teamed up to mix paint. Now we’ve got three mixing banks and six outside mixing body shops. It’s like with anything else, it’s what you put into it; if you want to sell it, have the opportunity to sell it, then you have the opportunity to grow.
“The first thing you can start with is the Martin Senour Finish 1™. You can spend a very minimal amount put up a nice little display, maybe a four-foot gondola, but just get it out front when customers walk in the door. They’ll say, ‘Hey, now you’re handling primers and thinners and stuff like that? That’s great,’ added Gahms. “So get with your rep. Get with your DC. Put a little bit of it in. What have you got to lose?
How does Martin Senour support us?
“The support we get from Martin Senour is excellent,” said Williams. “Our rep makes it fun and makes it easy to sell paint. All the body shops like him. He works hard for them and he’s the reason we are where we are with the paint.”
“From technical support to product support, you name it; the support from Martin Senour is great,” said Bozied. “There is great money to be made in paint whether you’re selling over the counter, to the local farmer, or knocking on the door of your existing industrial accounts or your commercial customers.”
What Paint Products are good to Sell?
“Thinners, primers, and clears are a good starting point. That’s where Martin Senour offers its Finish 1 products,” said Gahms. “You can get into paint for a very small investment. Finish 1 is available at a good price, it’s a great product, and you don’t have to spend the big, big money to take on a whole line.”
“Martin Senour has the best undercoats, the best basecoats, and the best topcoats in the business,” said Dellapenna. “And with the VORTEX™ technology, the waterborne technology, we have the best waterborne system in the market going on right now.”
“The Pro//BASE™ refinish system has been a really good product for us. It has a good color match and has good coverage. Two coats, the guys are done with it. Because they sure don’t want something that’s not covering,” said NAPA AUTO PARTS store owner Kelly McCusker. “Pro//BASE really filled a need for us and has huge growth potential. As a result, we brought Pro//BASE into all three stores.”
Gahms added, “Also, the Martin Senour IMC™ is a great line because it really doesn’t need any undercoats or anything like that so it’s for light industrial, agriculture, as well as do-it-yourselfers. When the DIYers come in for an oil change find out what other projects they’re doing. They’re always going to need paint.”
Martin Senour has your back
“Paint is a terrific, and many times entirely new, market segment opportunity – and many of your sales targets are already customers,” said Martin Senour Sales Director Jeff Hartl. “We provide great products from innovative high-end refinish systems to midprice automotive products, and for all types of NAPA customers – vehicle refinish, fleet, industrial, and agriculture coatings.
“We deliver tremendous marketing support including in-store merchandising, national advertising and editorial, plus monthly in-store special and product promotions. We also provide True Blue™ points on jobber quarterly purchases.
“We’ve made a lot of jobbers a lot of money. If you’re not into paint, it’s a great opportunity to create a fantastic new revenue source. And if you’re just dipping your toe into the paint market, we can help you expand and really increase your bottom line.
“If you’re a NAPA store owner or manager interested in developing a new or increased revenue stream through paint sales, send me an email at Jeff.J.Hartl@sherwin.com.”