Discounters and catalogers are of two minds about closet organizers.
At the same time, ALCO, which will test three sku's of Quaker closet organizers in August, will display them on a 5-1/2-ft. endcap adjacent to its KD furniture offerings, according ot Issitt. "They just kind of fit in with our KD department and unfinished furniture," he said.Overall, sales from discounter and catalog showroom hardware assortments are expected to top $5.6 billion, and account for 5% of all merchandise sold in discount stores by year's end.At the same time, Best Products is featuring the Quaker
closet organizer for $68.47, while Service Merchandise features it at $64.97.In power tools, discounters look for growth from accessories or nontraditional electrical tools. Overall, 1984 may not be a banner year for the segment, with total sales growth a virtually flat 5%. According to most merchandisers, any real growth will come from items such as Black & Decker's popular Workmate assortment and the portable Hirsh Iron Horse, as well as small vacuum cleaners, portable lights and similar products. However, most chains expect little growth from hand-held power tools such as drills and saws or from bench tools."Our stores are mostly in ethnic Mexican-American communities," said buyer Lee King. "While everybody says this is a booming business, it doesn't seem to be for our customers."Another part of the problem with closet organizers for discounters is which department should merchandise them. For example, Murphy's Mart, which carries a two-shelf storage rack priced at $9.97 every day, and an eight-shelf storage rack priced at $39.97, displays them on a 5-ft. shelf in its housewares department. But when these items are promoted at $4.97 and $26.97, they are shown with home improvement offerings in ads, according to buyer Barbara Balwajder.Given this uncertain scenario, ALCO will test three
closet organizers ranging in price from $19.99 to $49.99 for 30-45 days beginning this August. "There'll be no advertising," said chain buyer Stan Issitt. "They'll have to stand on their own and sell themselves."Among discounters, Murphy's Mart plans to maintain its current two-sky assortment following good chainwide sales since its introduction last November. The closet spacesavers garner the Pennsylvania-based chain margins ranging from 35% to 45%, according to buyer Barbara Balawajder.Similarly, ALCO is looking to capture urban apartment dwellers with its upcoming test of closet organizers.Promotional 36-in. and 42-in. fans, with prices at or below $60, no longer attract the majority of customers. Instead, because prices on dressed-up 52-in. fans have dropped, customers are eager to trade up, buyers from chains such as ALCO, Heck's and S. E. Nichols reported.On the other hand, Heck's will cross-merchandise
closet organizers between its hardware and housewares departments when it adds a 9-ft.-wide Hirsch closet organizer to its hardware department this August, according to hardware buyer Carlos Owens. The West Virginia-based chain now carries a limited assortment of
closet organizers in its housewares department.The high price points are also causing discounters to wonder if the items are appropriate for their stores at all.Nevertheless, one Pamida buyer attributed his chain's lack of success with three sku's of Hirsch closet organizers to their urban-area appeal.These organizers can also be customized before you buy them. If you need extra drawers or shelves in your closet you simply request the number of drawers or shelves you need before you buy it. Customized
closet organizers can be expensive but some people feel that they are worth the money.You may find you need additional space to hang clothes or store shoes or other items in your closet. If this is the case, you can simply add a few more shoe racks or an extra hanging rod whenever you need it."They're excellent items, but our people felt they just didn't make it," said hardware buyer Taylor. "My feeling is that they would do much better in a large city, and many of our stores are located in very small towns."In conclusion, installing a wood closet organizer is a great way to get your closet in order. When you have your closet organized, you can find everything you need in just a matter of seconds. All items will be neatly stored and easy to reach. While an organized closet may not seem like that big of a deal at first, you will discover how it willsave you time, reduce your frustration, and even improve your mood.At least one of the test store locations is likely to be in Wichita, Kan., or Little Rock, Ark., according to Issitt.Some chains, including Zayre, have dropped kerosene heaters because of the products' poor publicity, stiffened regulations or local prohibitions. Merchandisers at Zayre, as well as Murphy's Mart, Clover, Heck's, Nichols and other chains expect the real strength to be in oil heaters in the $50-$80 range.Regardless of weather, kerosene heaters seem in for a poor winter season, but most chains anticipate that oil-filled space heaters will prove capable of taking up the slack. In addition, humidifiers may help turn up the temperature for sales in this supplementary heating category.In contrast, Zodys is planning to either completely eliminate its 8-ft. program or to reduce it by as much as 75% later this year, according to buyer Lee King. Similarly, Pamida abolished
closet organizers after last year's sales failed to live up to chain expectations, according to hardware buyer John Taylor.In contrast, Zodys, many of whose stores are located in urban areas in greater Los Angeles, has experienced flat sales with closet organizers.
Closet organizers have the greatest sales potential in urban areas, where a large number of apartment dwellers lack sufficient closet space, buyers believe.In contrast, catalogers are keying in on the category, with such chains as Best Products, Service Merchandise and H.J. Wilson featuring higher-priced organizer sku's for the first time in their current catalogs. Consumers Distributing, meanwhile, is offering a very broad assortment.
In contrast, Consumers Distributing offers a broader mix of closet organizing products, ranging from the $67.97 Quaker organizer down to lower-end storage boxes priced at $10.67.
