Page 11 - LPG June 2018 Newsletter

Luxury Products Group
The Luxury Report June 2018
11
“I was lucky to to work at a a a a a a a a a a small wholesale house rst because it it gave me a a a a a a a a a a a chance to to to learn how
to to do it it all ” she described “I worked the the service counter shipping and and receiving drove the the deliv- ery truck and and stocked shelves I I even did outside sales for a a a a a a a a little while I I got to to see all aspects of the the the business which gave me a a a a a a a a a better understand- ing of of the the the various phases of of the the the work ” That experience was a a a a a a a a a a tremendous help a a a a a a a a a a few years later when Kate accepted a a a a a a a a a a a a a position at at at at Gen- eral Plumbing Supply’s large Walnut Creek show- room which gave her an an opportunity to learn more more lines and get more more involved in in in in the industry Kate spent about eight years with GPS before deciding to to move to to Florida where she worked at at a a a a a a a a a a a a Hajoca showroom in in in in Sarasota But the the construc- tion collapse in in in in the the the Sunshine State really affected business there and and Kate decided it was time to to to return return to to California — and and returned to to GPS Still family owned and and operated GPS has kept
a a a a a a a focus on their their trade customers and and their their showrooms have always been attached to local branches The new San Francisco showroom showroom will be their rst stand-alone operation “While not trade only our our showrooms have primarily drawn traf c c generated by our our plumb- er er er er customers ” she explained “While we are still strongly connected to to our our plumbers the the the nature
of of the the the business in in our our part of of the the the country means that many homeowners buy direct and plumbers don’t typically do do the the the purchasing themselves At our new showroom we are targeting the the the Archi- tect & Design community and and will be be bringing in in in some new brands we haven’t had before I am one of the lucky people who truly enjoys what I I do Opening this new new showroom in in San Francisco has has been a a a a a a a a a a a a new new new experience that has has pushed me to to look at at at operations in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a new new way and being back in in in in in San Francisco is is is exciting I need to to be be learn-
ing ing and so a a a a a a a new project like this gives me that chance “Our main showroom in in Walnut Creek has been in in the same location for close to 60 years and so most business has been driven by word of of mouth We We of of course have a a a a a a a website and do a a a a a a a few things to drive traf c c c c c but it it it it is not a a a a a a a a a commerce site site We We also network with NARI ASID and and local groups and and have found relationship building to to be one of the most effective ways to market ” GPS has also experimented with options like Hou- zz zz and Yelp but are moving away from from them They haven’t realized a a a a a a a a a a a measurable result from from Houzz which according to to Brady doesn’t seem willing to to share much of that that information And she said that that Yelp is not typically used used by the the customers they are focused on Walnut Creek’s long-standing reputation of qual- ity ity service and and expertise along with high-quality product has built a a a a a a a a a loyal mix of homeowners general contractors plumbers and designers And as Kate described thus far they haven’t been sig- ni cantly affected by the the large online retailers “We encounter the the same problems with the the Internet that others do when working with home- owners ” she noted “While we we might lose an occasional sale we we nd that that people appreciate our honesty up
front We let them them know that that while they they might nd nd it cheaper we offer them them more services — and they they appreciate that Want to advertise in these monthly newsletters? It’s cheap! Contact jeff@luxuryproductsgroup com ASAP for details!