hardlines Digest Sat, 01 Feb 1997 00:02:54 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27426 Today's topics: 'Re: True Value vs Master Mechanic' 'Re:John Quinn Paint Factory' 'Hardlines archives online' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 11:14:01 -0600 From: "John A. Van Hengel" Subject: Re: True Value vs Master Mechanic ---------- > From: Dana Whitton > I agree Master Mechanic has never been a good line for us but at christmas > the new True Value power tools sold well. We need to keep our name recognition. > >Most of the private label stuff never took off in our store... consumers > >never seemed to identify these products with our store or True Value. I > >was thrilled when the antifreeze became True Value, and very pleased to see > >the new line of True Value power tools that Black and Decker was showing at > >the fall market. Same goes for the other lines, like the True Value > >electrical products and True Value sandpaper. For many years people have trusted the Craftsman line from Sears. I feel that this is because the product was high quality, Consistent, and Sears stood behind it 100% with guarantee, service and advertising. They pushed the name not the individual products. Cotter has pushed the True Value name, which is why it has a good reputation. Regarding the Master/whatever name: 1. For some reason I have trouble with the "Master" name as I don't trust products that have Master, Ultra, Supreme, Giant, or Super in their names. Sounds like fluff to me. 2. It is not one name. It is several Master/plumber, electrician, mechanic, painter, gardener, janitor, housewife, etc. 3. It is not consistent. They change the brand under the name like most people change underwear. First it is cheap Skill then cheap B&D then whatever. 4. The quality varies all over the place. Look at Bimford. It doesn't even exist and it has a better following. Bimford is associated with power and quality. Just my rambling... What do you Think? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 08:19:26 -0500 (EST) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Re:John Quinn Paint Factory Hi: Yesterday 1/30/97, I learned that General Paint Sales Rep The John Quinn passed away the day before. His wife is asking no flowers, just a donation instead to the Heart Foundation. Rick Schwartz True Value ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 18:20:11 -0500 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Hardlines archives online I've set up a location for posting old hardlines messages on our web server. Point your browser to http://www.cornells.com/hardlines/ for a listing of the available files. There are currently three past collections, as well as two additional information files. hard1096.txt - October 1996 Hardlines Messages hard1196.txt - Novermer 1996 Hardlines Messages hard1296.txt - December 1996 Hardlines Messages (future months will be stored the same way, and an index will show up shortly as well) rental.htm - Discussion of how to implement a simple rental tracking on the Triad wantcard.htm - Bill Round's excellent article about the Electronic Want Card for the Triad Look for more stuff on the server in the future... as I get free time. :-) John ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27426 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sun, 02 Feb 1997 00:02:41 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27427 Today's topics: 'Complete archive online' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 01 Feb 1997 17:52:13 -0500 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Complete archive online OK, for those who missed the digest last year, or just part of the year, I've posted all of last years messages in the Hardlines Digest area of the Cornell's Web Site at http://www.cornells.com/hardlines/ The articles are broken down by month, plus there is a search tool that lets you look through all the digests for a particular topic, word, or person. At the end of each month, I'll collect the articles and post them in the archive. I'm playing around with rotating banners at the top of the page. If you have a web site for your store, design a banner and send it to me and I'll include it in the rotation. If you're a manufacturer, send me email to find out how to add a banner to the rotation. John ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27427 ********************************** hardlines Digest Mon, 03 Feb 1997 00:04:16 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27428 Today's topics: 'Pennsylvania flagstone' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 2 Feb 97 14:59 CST From: Nancy Correa Subject: Pennsylvania flagstone Greetings, My name is Todd Johnson. I am a stone broker for True Value. The reason I am writing to you is that I would like to expand my distribution of Pennsylvania flagstone to more True Value stores. For the past fifteen years, I have been selling this stone to the True Value store in Highland Park Il. I have quarries in Pennsylvania that have been consistently producing blue, gray, and red flagstone. I also have other kinds of stone available. I have very competitive prices. In most cases I can deliver within seven to fourteen days from placement of order. For references, feel free to contact Dave Renz at the Mutual True Value store in Highland Park at (1-847-432-6705). For more information and pricing, E-mail me your name and location at cor252@pop.wwa.com ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27428 ********************************** hardlines Digest Tue, 04 Feb 1997 00:00:40 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27429 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27427' 'hardlines Digest - V01 #27427 -Reply' 'Triad ????' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 3 Feb 1997 01:39:26 -0500 (EST) From: Colehard@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27427 Three cheers for John for maintaining this bulletin board so nicely. Even an archive now too! On behalf of all of us who read this regularly I thank you for this valuable service. Next time you are in the Bay Area (maybe Triad will get you out again), dinner is on me! Rick @ Cole Hardware ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 02 Feb 1997 22:04:03 -0700 From: BOB JOHNSON Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27427 -Reply John, thanks again for all your help in the retail systems responses in tthe "Digest"....I think the effort is very worthwhile and gives all hardlines users a new source for answers to thre many system questions...BOB ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Feb 1997 23:34:09 -0500 From: "The Smit-Man" Subject: Triad ???? I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to reach Triad? We are looking at installing a business system next year and I am trying to get as much info as I can. We are a part True Value Hardware Store and a New Holland Agricultural Equipment Dealer. Any insite would be appreciated. I also would like to say I very much enjoy reading all of the information on the "Hardlines Digest" and look forward to it in my mailbox each day. Keep up to good work!! Mark A. Smith Smitty@falls.igs.net Smith's Farm Equipment and True Value Hardware "It's not value unless it's TRUE VALUE !" ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27429 ********************************** hardlines Digest Wed, 05 Feb 1997 00:03:52 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27430 Today's topics: 'Country Western Ballad... ' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 04 Feb 97 21:26:17 EST From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Country Western Ballad... Ladies and Gentlemen: I present to you a work in progress. Please understand that while it is not yet adorned with the full majesty of a completed masterwork, the core message of the piece can be readily heard. The mood is set with an appropriate sparce accompanyment played on an instument made of endangered tropical hardwoods (these sound better) from the days when they shipped the best and burned up the rest. The Intro: "Now, this one is for Rick Schwartz and John Fix and all the other True Value Members whose cashiers have DONE THEM WRONG! " Guitar: "... Twang, Twang, TWANG!" (Emotive Pause) Voice: "I am a Cur....ieer cashier! "I'm one 'cuz my casheeer's not here!" " I ring from morn' to night, "There's NOOOO relief in sight.... "I am a CURR--EEEIR CASHIER!" Regards, Bill Round, Round's True Value Hardware Main Street Massachusetts...... Where the unemployment rate is in the 4% range......... ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27430 ********************************** hardlines Digest Thu, 06 Feb 1997 00:01:40 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27431 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27430' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 05 Feb 1997 00:20:38 -0500 From: Gary Schwake Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27430 ------------2CB36FEB52081 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii And they say John has too much time on his hands! ------------2CB36FEB52081 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
And they say John has too much time on his hands! 
------------2CB36FEB52081-- ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27431 ********************************** hardlines Digest Fri, 07 Feb 1997 00:03:07 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27432 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27431' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27420' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 06 Feb 1997 13:30:05 -0600 From: Debbie Porter Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27431 hardlines-request@cornells.com wrote: > > hardlines Digest Thu, 06 Feb 1997 00:01:40 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27431 > > Today's topics: > 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27430' > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Wed, 05 Feb 1997 00:20:38 -0500 > From: Gary Schwake > Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27430 > > ------------2CB36FEB52081 > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > And they say John has too much time on his hands! > > ------------2CB36FEB52081 > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii > > > >
And they say John has too much time on his hands! 
> > > > ------------2CB36FEB52081-- > > ------------------------------ > > End of hardlines Digest V01 #27431 > **********************************This is a request from my hubby Del Porter. He now has his own internet mail so would everyone change his ID to eagle1@tri.net. Thanks, Debbie ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1997 21:10:34 -0500 From: "Darla Myers" Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27420 Please look at all the positives. There is so much good in this merger. We will now have the buying power that will give all of us little guys the chance to tell Lowes and those other guys that we can give our customers a choice. We have always given better service. Not just because we had to do that to compete, but because that is the way our business was started. So many of our companies began when there was a pickle barrell and a checkerboard to entertain the clerks and regulars in slower and less pressured times. We started the business that Lowes, Home Depot and those assembly-line stores have mutated and turned into the warehouse, serve- yourself, flea market type business. Many of us have to watch our pennies and I don't resent the customers or neighbors that have deserted my store at times because they were trying to stretch that dollar a bit farther. This merger will make it possible for us to serve those people who had to watch their money and also give those who could afford us and were stubborn or loyal enought to keep coming to us when they had to pay a little more. Sorry for the lenghty sermon like reply. I am so entusiastic about what is happening with our company that your comment made me sad. We need to stick together and support the great work that Dan Cotter and Paul Penz are doing. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help you. ----- > To: Hardlines > Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27420 > Date: Saturday, January 25, 1997 7:04 PM > > hardlines Digest Sun, 26 Jan 1997 00:04:38 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27420 > > Today's topics: > 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27418' > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 19:52:21 -0500 (EST) > From: JKSpaur@aol.com > Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27418 > > > Sounds like Cotter should spend some money on inventory instead of conversion > costs. I hope the members of both companies take a deep breath and hang on > for dear life on this ride. I would take odds this one is going to hurt long > after the ink is dry !! > J. Spaur > Hilo,Hi. > > ------------------------------ > > > End of hardlines Digest V01 #27420 > ********************************** ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27432 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sat, 08 Feb 1997 00:01:22 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27433 Today's topics: 'Chicagoland Directions' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 08:28:40 -0500 (EST) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Chicagoland Directions Hi: Just read TEC dismise on the Tru-Bond issue. Went to the Wandering Proxy Vote Meeting show and they nicely said that the dismise of Master ** etc will cease because this will be needed amongst the different stores. "True Value" and "Servise Star" names brands will be out. Okay, so why is Chicagoland still going with less generics? Or is Chicagoland telling us that we will have no generics after the merger?? As Bill would say, "Where is the direction NOW?" One very important statement that the show characters did say was "Not voting is automatically a NO vote" I am surprised that this has not been emphasized throughout all the other communications. Oh well. Back to present day work (and changing Master, Tru etc into manufacture names). Have fun Rick Schwartz True Value ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27433 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sun, 09 Feb 1997 00:01:31 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27434 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27432' 'Note about bouncing mail' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 8 Feb 1997 01:43:21 -0500 (EST) From: Colehard@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27432 Speaking as an Ace dealer, so of course you would say I am biased, I feel that the merger may be a good deal for Servistar and Coast dealers who have always been paying too much. Their prices will eventually lower to those of Cotter. However, Cotter dealers should see nothing more than a couple of percentage points, if that, of reduction. Buying power may be increased, but the price won't drop that much to make a difference in your bottom line nor make you more competitive with Home Depot or the Ace store around the corner. As in retail, price is not the object -- service is. You should analyze this merger on whether or not it will help you by providing services and service level, so that you can be the best hardware store in your market. I am not sure about Servistar, but from the various comments on this bulletin board, and from what is read in the trade press, I would say that Cotter has not been a shining example of a retail support company for years. Be careful, and watch those patronage dividends. Hopefully they won't dwindle. Rick Karp Cole Hardware, San Francisco ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 08 Feb 1997 13:54:57 -0500 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Note about bouncing mail Mail has been bouncing back to me for many of you, and when possible (i.e. when I have time) I have forwarded it back to you individually. I don't know where the problem is, but since it's mainly happening to AOL folks on the list, and since some AOL folks are getting the mail and others aren't, I have to assume that the mailing system at AOL is the culprit. I've made a few adjustments here on this end, so I hope to get things working more reliably. However, if mail continues to get bounced for particular email addresses, I'll need to remove the names until the situation gets resolved. There are just too many bounced messages in my "in" box each morning. Thanks! John ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27434 ********************************** hardlines Digest Mon, 10 Feb 1997 00:03:05 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27435 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27434' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 09 Feb 1997 11:22:09 -0500 From: Gary Schwake Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27434 ------------D622E245E580 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Thank you, Rick Karp, for your viewpoint on this merger. I have heard so many dealers and read so many emails about how this merger will make 'us' more price competitive with Home Depot. Bullshit! (pardon my french). The two-step distribution system is inherently more expensive than manufacturer direct and it ALWAYS WILL BE. Granted, price is an important part of the equation, which therefore requires 'us' to put more effort into variable pricing, but it is not the ONLY variable. In fact, hardware consumer's are more concerned with a store that "helps me save money..." of which price is only one of five or six other variables. We compete on service. The level of service we deliver relative to that of our competition is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is the level of service we deliver relative to our customers' expectations. I'll bet that everyone's customers EXPECT a higher level of service at your store than at Depot. Exceed your customers' expectations all the time, every time (even by 1/10th of 1%) and you will win. So PLEASE, stop whining about how the world is out to get 'us' and be aggressive. We have tools that Home-Lowe's-Quarters-Box would LOVE to have. Now more than ever, business comes to those who are willing to change and adapt to the new competitive market place. Those who want to "stay with what works" will soon be out of work. Sorry for the sobering words, but the free market is a dog-eat-dog world, and I love it! Gary Schwake Zettler True Value Stores ------------D622E245E580 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
Thank you, Rick Karp, for your viewpoint on this merger.  I have heard so many dealers and read so many emails about how this merger will make 'us' more price competitive with Home Depot.  Bullshit! (pardon my french).  The two-step distribution system is inherently more expensive than manufacturer direct and it ALWAYS WILL BE.
 
Granted, price is an important part of the equation, which therefore requires 'us' to put more effort into variable pricing, but it is not the ONLY variable.  In fact, hardware consumer's are more concerned with a store that "helps me save money..." of which price is only one of five or six other variables.
 
We compete on service.  The level of service we deliver relative to that of our competition is irrelevant.  The only thing that matters is the level of service we deliver relative to our customers' expectations.  I'll bet that everyone's customers EXPECT a higher level of service at your store than at Depot.  Exceed your customers' expectations all the time, every time (even by 1/10th of 1%) and you will win.
 
So PLEASE, stop whining about how the world is out to get 'us' and be aggressive.  We have tools that Home-Lowe's-Quarters-Box would LOVE to have.  Now more than ever, business comes to those who are willing to change and adapt to the new competitive market place.  Those who want to "stay with what works" will soon be out of work.
 
Sorry for the sobering words, but the free market is a dog-eat-dog world, and I love it!
 
Gary Schwake
Zettler True Value Stores
------------D622E245E580-- ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27435 ********************************** hardlines Digest Tue, 11 Feb 1997 00:04:37 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27436 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27434' 'Merger:' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 07:50:24 -0500 (EST) From: IMPINE@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27434 I AM A SERVISTAR DEALER, AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE BIG SAVINGS FROM THE MERGER WILL COME FROM THE CONSOLIDATION OF DISTRIBUTION CENTERS AND THE CLOSING OF THE SERVISTAR PAINT FACILITY. AS A LUMBER DEALER THE DISCOUNTS TOUTED HAVE LITTLE IMACT ON ME BECAUSE THE ARE MAINLY AFFECTED BY "HANDLED" HARDWARE SALES. HOWEVER THE INCREASED NUMBER OF NO ADDER VENDORS AND LOWER OPERATING COSTS SHOULD YIELD A GOOD RESULT. MIKE BOCHNER HENDERSON LUMBER JERSEY CITY, NJ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 08:04:28 -0500 (EST) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Merger: Re: 27434 Comments The merger should help, but the I feel the main culprit of success comes from within one's own organization. I feel that Cotter has been lacking and will continue to lack after the merger assistance to each store owner, internal management tools -->store planning, employee planning, store development, and continuation programs. Cotter is more concern in selling then preserving. Comments?? Rick Schwartz Schwartz True Value ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27436 ********************************** hardlines Digest Wed, 12 Feb 1997 00:00:48 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27437 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27436' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27436' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 00:45:43 -0500 (EST) From: Colehard@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27436 Yes, it is true that Truserve will consolidate warehouses, but this will not be a longterm solution. I don't believe there will be any savings except in longterm management staff perhaps. Warehouses that Ace is building today are 600,000 - 800,000 square feet, with a capacity to build up to 1.2million. Most of the older Servistar and TrueValue centers that might be closed are probably around 250,000 feet. Soon after closing some of these, you will see the plans announced for a major building program to enlargen remaining sites where possible and/or sell them off only to build new ones. In short, I don't believe you will save a penny. In fact, I feel that your future patronage dollars are going to be directed towards major building initiatives. Rick Schwartz is correct. If you are experiencing mediocre service now, don't expect it to get better just because of size. When Builder's Square and HomeBase, two sick companies merge, do you really believe that they will become enlightened and bold enough to take on Home Depot? In reality, they will probably spread their own brand of cancer even further throughout their organization. I hope that the same will not be true for Truserv, for yours and our industrie's sake. But I have to be honest: If Ace was going to drop the Ace Hardware name after all of the millions of dollars that went into making it a household name, I would be dismayed ... and pissed! No, I am not on Ace's payroll, but I feel that the merger of True Value and Servistar represents a tremendous opportunity for Ace to pick up many more disgruntled stores, and I have conveyed that to Ace's officers and board in our recent Dealer Focus Meeting here in the Bay Area. If any of you would like a free trip to their next show in St. Louis, or would like to chat privately about Ace at anytime in the future, please feel free to e-mail me at rickkarp@colehardware.com. Rick Karp Cole Hardware, San Francisco ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 21:22:27 -0500 From: Tony Brinkmann Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27436 hardlines-request@cornells.com wrote: > > hardlines Digest Tue, 11 Feb 1997 00:04:37 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27436 > > Today's topics: > 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27434' > 'Merger:' > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 07:50:24 -0500 (EST) > From: IMPINE@aol.com > Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27434 > > I AM A SERVISTAR DEALER, AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE BIG SAVINGS FROM > THE MERGER WILL COME FROM THE CONSOLIDATION OF DISTRIBUTION CENTERS AND THE > CLOSING OF THE SERVISTAR PAINT FACILITY. AS A LUMBER DEALER THE DISCOUNTS > TOUTED HAVE LITTLE IMACT ON ME BECAUSE THE ARE MAINLY AFFECTED BY "HANDLED" > HARDWARE SALES. HOWEVER THE INCREASED NUMBER OF NO ADDER VENDORS AND LOWER > OPERATING COSTS SHOULD YIELD A GOOD RESULT. > > MIKE BOCHNER > HENDERSON LUMBER > JERSEY CITY, NJ > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 08:04:28 -0500 (EST) > From: RICKSS1@aol.com > Subject: Merger: > > Re: 27434 Comments > > The merger should help, but the I feel the main culprit of success comes from > within one's own organization. > I feel that Cotter has been lacking and will continue to lack after the > merger assistance to each store owner, internal management tools -->store > planning, employee planning, store development, and continuation programs. > Cotter is more concern in selling then preserving. > Comments?? > > Rick Schwartz > Schwartz True Value > > ------------------------------ > > End of hardlines Digest V01 #27436 > ********************************** Rick Schwartz, I don't understand how you can beat up on Cotter & Co so much. Our experience with them has been nothing but positive. We have found all their resources to be extremely helpful over the years. In fact without them we would never have grown from $120,000 a year in sales to over 2 million. We started the store from scratch in 1976 knowing nothing about harware or retail. Cotter thought us everything. They are the best wholesalers I have dealt with. No-one else I have bought from over the years came even close to them on price, order completeness and accuracy. They had the best and deepest assortment and provided unlimited amounts of support to help in our success. We are excited about the new TruServe merger and thank Dan Cotter for having had the vision to plan it and the drive to see it through. The merger is bound to help us at our store as it strengthens our own wholesaler's competitiveness in the hardlines industry. Tony Brinkmann Brinkmann True Value Hardware Sayville, NY ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27437 ********************************** hardlines Digest Thu, 13 Feb 1997 00:01:02 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27438 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27437' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27437' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 20:20:58 -0800 From: Bernard Rielley Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27437 Dear fellow dealers, I have been reading Hardlines now for a few weeks, and am amazed at the amount of negative feelings about the prospects of the TrueServe merger (acquisition). I remember the discussion at a local dealers' meeting a few months ago, where the talk was "what is Cotter going to do to regain #1 market share?" Many dealers were embarrased by Ace beating out Cotter as Number 1. Well, Dan and the guys are doing something about it. And, if any of you think it will be easier to jump ship, and join ACE, rather than live through a few months of transistion, you really have your head in the dark place. Just think of the termoil such a change would deal to your business. It would take at least a year to regain momentum. We started a ground up store four years ago. Our little store now exceed $1 million in sales, and a lot of the credit goes to our Cotter rep and the Cotter system. We use every service and feature Cotter offers, from TruTrac to Signage to Pin Point pricing to 15 - 18 circulars each year. I had retired after 30 years of providing services and computer equipment to banks, and needed the Cotter system to succeed. I survived four mergers through my prior career, a couple of which make this thing you all all afraid of look like "childs play". So, lets get on with it, and go sell something. Bernie Rielley Oakbrook True Value Tacoma, WA. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 23:27:00 -0500 (EST) From: ROTENRAND@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27437 Who! sounds like the Ace guys are scared. Free trip to the ace show sounds good. If they throw in tickets to see the Blues play the Pens I may be interested. No purchase required right? To Rick's comments on no support from cotter, he does not have the same rep I do. We built a new store in 89. Our rep provided blue prints, store layout, projections for the bank, lighting ,signage,heck he even set up the fixtures. All this for a 5,000 sq. ft. store. Cotter 's not perfect but if you look around at what is out there they are still tops. Randy Whetstone Nelsons True Value Claysburg, Pa ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27438 ********************************** hardlines Digest Fri, 14 Feb 1997 00:02:32 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27439 Today's topics: 'Reply' 'UPS SUPPLY' 'Re: UPS SUPPLY' 'Merger' '' 'Re: UPS SUPPLY' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 10:04:04 -0500 (EST) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Reply Hi: To the people that think I am being negative regarding Cotter, this is far from the truth. Cotter has been a "Good" tool for growth and I hope that Cotter (TruServe) will continue to grow stronger. However, growth must continue with constructive critism versus apathy. My comments are for constructive viewpoints in order to make us all think on both sides of the fence. I am glad that I did rouse some feathers, but I also hope you looked around as well. One very good comment came from the Wandering TruServe Show was that apathy will destroy this merger and your vote does count. Jumping Ship is the worst direction! Improving and growing is better. Have Fun: Rick Schwartz ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 16:52:14 -0500 (EST) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: UPS SUPPLY Hi: Just had an hour ordeal with the TRIAD system. Do you know your UPS Powersupply can go "flukey"? Warning to all those who have old ones. Have fun Rick ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 17:00:16 -0500 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Re: UPS SUPPLY At 04:52 PM 2/13/97 -0500, Rick Schwartz wrote: > > >Just had an hour ordeal with the TRIAD system. Do you know your UPS >Powersupply can go "flukey"? Warning to all those who have old ones. > > This is an item that does go bad, and one that Triad should probably swap out on a regular basis. Periodic maintenance generally consists of vacuuming out the printers, and little else. It would be nice it a schedule was made up... new invoice print heads every year, new UPS every three years, etc. Unfortunately this is a habit that all field service companies get into... just replace what's broken, not the stuff that's getting old. Regarding UPS's, they're a good investment for all kinds of things around the office. Our phone system is on a UPS, as are both our Sierra POS stations, all our office PC's, our modems for credit auth and Internet access, and even our time clock. Most are 500 watt units we bought direct from SL Waber, but 250 watt works fine for the modems and time clock. John ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 18:50:49 -0600 From: "True Value" Subject: Merger Hi Group, I've enjoyed all the discussion and comments on this form since I've joined in, but I'm a little upset at some of the comments from the members of other coops (I'm True Value). I've never cut down ACE or HWI and I really resent the way some of you have taken to cutting down Cotter. I know only too well that no organization is perfect, but I would not even consider leaving Cotter. I've heard the stories of the half truths being told to Cotter members to try to get them to jump ship even before the merger was happening. I am glad Cotter does not use these tactics to get members. I'm looking forward to the merger, in fact a lot of positive things have already taken place! But enough of this-why not use this form to help each other to grow our businessess from pooling our knowledge, not cutting down each other. And no thanks, I don't want to attend the ACE show. David Casaletto True Value Home Center Pittsburg, Kansas truevalue@pitton.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 16:56:19 -0600 From: "True Value" Subject: ---------- Hi Group! FYI > > Forward: > ------------------------------------- > > gavin@glass.biosci.arizona.edu > Date: 97-02-07 15:35:27 EST > > Your local telephone company has filed a proposal with the FCC to impose > > per minute charges for your internet service. They contend that your > usage has or will hinder the operation of the telephone network. > Internet usage will diminish if users were required to pay additional > per > minute charges. The FCC has created an email box for your comments, > responses must be received by February 13, 1997. Send your comments to > isp@fcc.gov and tell them what you think. > > Every phone company is in on this one, and they are trying to sneak it > in > just under the wire for litigation. Let everyone you know hear this one. > > Get the e-mail address to everyone you can think of. > > isp@fcc.gov > > Please forward this email to all your friends on the internet so all > our voices may be heard! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 19:31:26 -0600 (CST) From: Dana Whitton Subject: Re: UPS SUPPLY What do you mean by "flukey"? And How old is old? Ours is almost 2 years old. At 04:52 PM 2/13/97 -0500, you wrote: >Hi: > >Just had an hour ordeal with the TRIAD system. Do you know your UPS >Powersupply can go "flukey"? Warning to all those who have old ones. > >Have fun > >Rick >*************************************************************** > Hardlines Mailing List is an unmoderated Internet mailing list > for hardware and building materials industry members. Back > issues are available at > > http://www.cornells.com/hardlines/ > > To remove your name from the mailing list, send email to > listserv@cornells.com with the following line in your message: > > unsubscribe hardlines firstname lastname > > For any other questions, send email to postmaster@cornells.com >*************************************************************** > > ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27439 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sat, 15 Feb 1997 00:01:18 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27440 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27439' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27439' 'UPS -- More info' 'power supplies' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 08:03:53 -0500 (EST) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27439 Hi: To answer how old --> my UPS unit from my estimate (time memory lapse) was put into service around March '93. I talked to another TRIAD user -- his latest about the same time span. Maintenance?? -- I thought that is now on when the system breaks down now with the Eagles? Also, maintenance means down time. Yup, a good selling point for the Sierra Systems. Is there a way to find out if an UPS is on the way out?? UPS = Power Supply On another subject -- in MPC there is now a screen 2 Is anybody using it (MSO protected)? Have fun Rick Schwartz ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 07:01:28 +0000 From: "Peter J. Cailotto" Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27439 We had a UPS go bad. I repaired it myself. Opened up the box and had the batteries tested. They do go dead. You can usually get the batteries at an electronics store. Just a note if your not on any kind of service contract or find it easier to be a computer DIY'er. -- *********************************************************** Peter Cailotto business page: http://www.dedot.com/pkm/Arrow.html personal page: http://www.dedot.com/pkm *********************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 10:10:34 -0500 (EST) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: UPS -- More info Hi: Just got the new UPS -->what a difference in machines! The old one had just a switch and test button on the front -->The new one has idiot lights for On Line On Battery Overload Low Battery REPLACE BATTERY Nice!! Also, since 6/15/95 there is a new TRIAD service --Automatic Return Service --> we get the repair parts , do the work and send back the defective service part. Any comments??? Saves time and leaves the Field Rep to do other things. ????In the catalog screen there is the field BASIC ITEM coming up with * ** 1 2 3 4 is this something we should get involved with?? Have fun Rick Schwartz ------------------------------ Date: 14 Feb 97 20:40:37 EST From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: power supplies Dear Gang, My power supply delivered with the Eagle System in 1991 was still working as of two months ago. The system went down "a little faster than we thought it should have, " as the crew said one evening after the lights flashed on and off in the building. This made me wonder. Than one of the SL Waber units protecting my office PC died, which prompted me to call Triad for a replacement... which the sent out quickly. I believe the SL Waber unit "self-sacraficed" as it was taking frequent hits from a big Xerox machine plugged into the same circuit. This item was obviously a policy A unit.... I don't know if Triad insists on an isolated circuit for their systems anymore; They should if they don't. The copier people spent a lot of $$$ servicing our copier before it occurred to them that the power source was "dirty." Hardware stores have lots of "dirty" outlets. Cheers, Bill Round Round's True Value. ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27440 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sun, 16 Feb 1997 00:00:40 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27441 Today's topics: 'ROP vs Magic' 'Re: ROP vs Magic' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 15 Feb 1997 09:37:05 -0500 (EST) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: ROP vs Magic Hi: At the TRIAD/Cotter EDCON, the ROP discussion suggested to take the mummblejumble out of the weight calcultions and use just per 1 25% per 2 25% per 12 25% per 13 25% I have tried this and found it works satisfactory and very simple to operate. Also, the order points have become more realistic. Has anybody else? I run the ROP on a 7 day cycle 7th, 14th, 21st, and the 28th Love that SEQ program!!!! Also, a suggestion -->put EDM and EPM on SEQ. Have fun Rick Schwartz Schwartz True Value ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Feb 1997 10:02:03 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: ROP vs Magic i 'gave up' several years ago and decided that some of my order points had no seasonality. don't panic, all i really discovered was that on an example item if i set my minimum at 10, i'd never run out and since the cost of that quantity was less than $5 i'd not be making an excessive investment. then i discovered that since the triad doesn't track sales by week, i could get away with setting order points once a month. now i devote a day a month 'beating-up' each individual order point change and use the weekly RSO to key me in on other skus that should have been changed. in fact all i let triad consider are the 'next 2 months' based on last year. i have a much better 'history screen' in my 'offline' database that i run the ROP against, so i can swiftly evaluate each suggested change based on the last 6 years sales. when i set up a sku, i use a seasonal sales code of 0,1,2 which tells ROP what the minimum order point can be as well as several letter codes telling me why i won't let triad mess up the order points. this means that there are three ROP's, but i just combine them when i move them to my database. At 09:37 AM EST 2/15/97 -0500, you wrote: >At the TRIAD/Cotter EDCON, the ROP discussion suggested to take the >mummblejumble out of the weight calcultions and use just > per 1 25% > per 2 25% > per 12 25% > per 13 25% >I have tried this and found it works satisfactory and very simple to operate. > >Also, the order points have become more realistic. > >Has anybody else? > >I run the ROP on a 7 day cycle 7th, 14th, 21st, and the 28th > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! Keweenaw Peninsula Chapter American Red Cross CIO/Treasurer Ham It Up! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27441 ********************************** hardlines Digest Wed, 19 Feb 1997 00:02:57 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27442 Today's topics: 'Bin Labels' 'Re: Bin Labels' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 19:01:53 -0600 From: "KENNETH E. HULTGREN" Subject: Bin Labels I have several questions relating to switching from price tickets to bin labels: 1.What are the best type of bin labels to use and from do you buy them? 2.Is there a way to get the Triad to print more than 1 bin label in those cases where an item is stocked in more than location? 3.We have some items we plan to continue using price tickets on but all the options in IMU-C PRINT LABELS want to print a bin label along with a price ticket. Has anyone found a way around this? Thanks Ken Hultgren ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 20:31:18 -0600 (CST) From: Dana Whitton Subject: Re: Bin Labels 1. Type of labels we use are the ones you can order from Triad or Centurion. We also use special scan hooks where mdse hook and bin label are on same piece. Since going to these types of hooks we don't loose labels as much. 2.User Codes User Codes User Codes 3.User Codes User Codes You won't regret the change, time spent on pricing mdse can now be spent in more productive areas also your receiving process should go much faster. Good Luck Dana At 07:01 PM 2/18/97 -0600, you wrote: >I have several questions relating to switching from price tickets to bin >labels: > > 1.What are the best type of bin labels to use and from do you >buy them? > > 2.Is there a way to get the Triad to print more than 1 bin label in >those cases where an item is stocked in more than location? > > 3.We have some items we plan to continue using price tickets on but >all the options in IMU-C PRINT LABELS want to print a bin label along >with a price ticket. Has anyone found a way around this? > >Thanks >Ken Hultgren > >*************************************************************** > Hardlines Mailing List is an unmoderated Internet mailing list > for hardware and building materials industry members. Back > issues are available at > > http://www.cornells.com/hardlines/ > > To remove your name from the mailing list, send email to > listserv@cornells.com with the following line in your message: > > unsubscribe hardlines firstname lastname > > For any other questions, send email to postmaster@cornells.com >*************************************************************** > > ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27442 ********************************** hardlines Digest Thu, 20 Feb 1997 00:04:24 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27443 Today's topics: 'Quick Recall' 'Bin Labels' 'Re: Bin Labels Pricing' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 07:03:05 -0500 (EST) From: nfn00161@naples.net (Mary Albee) Subject: Quick Recall Is anybody out there using Quick Recall? Right now we give one copy of the invoice to our charge customers, keep one copy, and file a third copy in each charge customer's folder. We mail those copies with the monthly statement. It's time consuming and costly, and we're looking for a way to improve that without upsetting our charge customers. Thanks. McConnells True Value ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 07:45:17 -0500 (EST) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Bin Labels Hi: However in the dear old state of MAssachusetts, it is still required to price ALL merchandise (there is one other state ??MI). This labor intensive mode is being contested, but.............. The Big Boxes and others are fighting the system. Do not forget -->with Eagle we now have the clock program SEQ to beat up on ROP and other mundane jobs except certain calendar programs such as RAG. Having RAG on the clock is one of my wish list --- to have the system automaticly recycle the closing date by month/year day is set by us if we close other then EOM / or EOM. Have fun Rick Schwartz Schwartz True Value ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 10:10:34 -0500 From: Tony Brinkmann Subject: Re: Bin Labels Pricing We have been experimenting with non-item pricing for several years. Idealy the label pricing used by large chains such as Wal-mart and Grand Union are best. They use "bin labels" with prices on their shelves and scanner hooks. Those labels are designed to be customer friendly and have large print descriptions and large print prices. The price is usually printed in black and highlighted in yellow. Although these methods are available to us, they are too expensive for a single unit hardware store. The investment of label printer, software and special labels wouldn't be cost effective. So we looked for other ways. We started by doing our entire National Hardware aisle with scanner hooks and price labels provided by National with our own custom prices on them. This worked well especially since National has had no price change in years. Our next step was to try other departments using Triad labels. We are using the bin labels with prices printed from our Triad. We have been replacing our regular hooks with scanner hooks and applying the Triad labels to the new hooks and shelf fronts. So far so good. Even though the Triad price is small and not highlighted on the labels, it's working out well. We wish we had done this sooner since our labor savings are so great. This method of simply using the Triad bin labels with pricing would be more customer friendly if Triad changed its software so that the labels would print with larger prices. Then there would be no need for additional hardware - simply a software upgrade. In regards to questions 2 and 3, check out the user codes to isolate certain skus. As an aside, what will it be called when Ace finally joins? TruServAce!? Tony Brinkmann Brinkmann True Value Hardware Sayville, LI, NY ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27443 ********************************** hardlines Digest Fri, 21 Feb 1997 00:00:53 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27444 Today's topics: 'Re: TruServAce?' 'Re: Bin Labels' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 02:26:09 -0500 (EST) From: RMorris95@aol.com Subject: Re: TruServAce? In a message dated 97-02-20 00:04:56 EST, you write: << As an aside, what will it be called when Ace finally joins? TruServAce!? Tony Brinkmann Brinkmann True Value Hardware Sayville, LI, NY >> I would be willing to bet that if that ever does happen the name will be ACE!!!! Rick Karp, what is your bet? Randy Morris Phoenix Az ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 08:55:33 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: Bin Labels At 07:45 AM EST 2/19/97 -0500, you wrote: >However in the dear old state of MAssachusetts, it is still required to price >ALL merchandise (there is one other state ??MI). This labor intensive mode >is being contested, but.............. The Big Boxes and others are fighting >the system. > yup - it's michigan.... and it's interesting to note that the 'labor intensity' affects the 'boxes' more than it does the 'smalls'... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! Keweenaw Peninsula Chapter American Red Cross CIO/Treasurer Ham It Up! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27444 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sat, 22 Feb 1997 00:02:21 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27445 Today's topics: 'Bin to Massachusetts?' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 21 Feb 97 09:52:16 EST From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Bin to Massachusetts? Dear Folks, Bin labeling and item pricing are two separate but linked issues. Labor, whether intense, tense or full of nonsense and its dollor cost or opportunity cost is another driving issue. How stuff sells is greatly affected by how merchandise prices are communicated to customers whether it be by bin label, price tag, sign or clerk (the most expensive price communicator of them all!). 1. People have mentioned printing bin labels off the Triad report printers. This is labor intensive in that people have to scan through lengthy reams of printouts. The most useful printing sequence is by location then sku. Information in the Triad inventory file had better be good. If you are not pricing your merchandise, then the sku sequence is useless.... there are no skus on the items. There are no UPC codes on the RBL labels. John Fix III and this correspondent have traded stories over the years about who's pile of price change or bin labels found stashed on the top shelves by less intense and usually ex-employees was bigger. If there is a way to get away from people sorting through piles of paper or labels... I feel duty bound to do it. It takes lots of time away from customers. 2. Better is the laser printer labels off either printware, fredware, or equivalent. They look a lot better, are "customer friendly" and last longer. Colored boarders and logos contribute to the look. The require info to be dragged of the Triad. That's burns up some time. The sorting and paper shuffling still remains. Troublesome to print single tags to replaced lost tags, price changes, etc. 3. The best I've used so far is the hand-held scanner-printer. An IST or LDT gun can print up a pile of bin labels on demand with NO paper shuffling. Scan print, scan print, get the job done, go on to the next area. The Cotter version on the TruTrac will hold an entire inventory. The Triad version is crippled by its slow download time and limited file storage. Mine can hold a few departments, but not the whole store. The Triad gun does hold the entire bar-code file which will verify the item's barcode as being valid in the system. It's amazing how must stuff gets to the floor with bad bar codes. We found two Olympic screwdrivers out of the Cotter warehouse which had reversed bar codes printed by the manufacturer. It is endless. The Triad physical inventory on the IST is good. If bin labeling is being done, why not tie everything together? Reset the display. Fix the pricing. In fact, price the entire location up 2% to pay for the work you'll be doing. Fix the locations in the system. Do an inventory. Print out the fineline or location with physical inventory dates prior to the recent counts. 4. When the cost of radio frequency comes down, that's what we will go with. 5. A good intermediate step for the PC (the personal computer, not the politically correct) people is a laptop with a good data base plugged into a cheap personal printer. Fredware has an off the shelf database to do this, I think. Any database program can do it. I haven't had the time to do it, and the choices of laptops befuddles me. 6. The beginning of inventory control is housekeeping. The key to housekeeping is location control. Everything in its place. Bin tags mark the location. An added benefit is that the bin label can also communicate pricing to the customer... but not for everything. Most carded items, bulk items, and stuff like that can be successfully sold without item pricing. However, the more expensive the item, the bigger the item, the greater the need to communicate price to th customer. They have been subjected to all the news stories about how "corporate america is ripping them off." It's a routine election year thing for the attourney general's office to prosecute some unfortunate store with poor price maintenance. Did I mention that entropy, the guiding force of the universe, also applies to bin tags? If you don't have a way to maintain it all by replacing missing tags, catching price changes, labeling new stuff, and removing old tags.... it will all fall to chaos. The Webster's definition of entropy includes "... the degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity." Good Lord! Substitute "Hardware store" for "universe" and you have Round's True Value... or Home Depot. They will both fall to ruin if constant effort to maintain a desireable state is not made. 7. In my constant effort to inform the readership here about the state of item pricing and other things in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where our President and First spend an awful lot of time... too much time... too much rubs off in both directions... I offer the following gleaned from the salesfloor of my Brother's store: Question: How many Kennedys does it take to screw in a light bulb? Answer: Seven. One to stand on a ladder and hold on to the light bulb, and six to keep drinking until the room starts spinning. Regards, Bill Round President, Hound Master, cashier, stategic planner Round's True Value Hardware 290 Main Street Stoneham, MA 02180 617-438-0131 , fax 617-279-9123 Email via Compuserv ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27445 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sun, 23 Feb 1997 00:03:43 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27446 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27444' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27445' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27445' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 02:39:21 -0500 (EST) From: Colehard@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27444 Hi Randy and everyone else out there in hardware land, I'll bet it won't happen! However, I do think that Ace will remain healthy, dealer focused, and will continue to grow in the future, regardless of how successful TruServ is (and I do hope that they are very successful). The real competition ain't you and me, but Sears, Home Depot and the like, who have tons of bucks to throw at us. Sears has an interesting twist...If they can't find a good location next to or near the best independent in town, they go in an try to buy out the existing Ace, True Value, etc, with a ridiculously large offer. Would somebody please give them my number?? To aid our ramblings in getting on a positive track for all dealers, regardless of team, I have two totally different subjects to bring up: 1. For those of you who are multistore, I have found an RQ bug on both levels. If you are trying to design a report from the purchasing file that shows IMU data on skus ordered, the info maps back to the root store of the P.O., if it is consolidated P.O.. We are trying to design a report that prints what we ordered today from our non-Ace vendors, that will show QOH, etc. We then require our staff to audit the floor prior to auditing. If the QOH was accurate, items could be pulled from P.O.'s more easily. But until Triad fixes this (maybe level 18, is what the RQ guru says, but I am lobbying...) we have a more laborious task. Anyone else who is multistore, running consolidated P.O.'s have any other suggestions on how to tackle this issue? 2. I am working on a training program for Ace (but would be happy to share with all of you) to assist us in teaching our mid-managers the nuts and bolts of running a salesfloor, as well as teaching multi-store general managers how to manage a multi-store operation. We all seem to learn and teach these skills by trial and error. If anyone has suggestions on topics from your stores that should be addressed in a formal training atmosphere, please let me know. (A big deal in my stores is just coming up with a winning strategy to make sure that all items are bin tagged! It is pathetic how much unmarked and un-bin tagged merchandise there is in the stores.) So, enough of our time I have wasted ... As for this Ace-TruServ patriotism stuff ... let's forget it (unless you really would like that free trip to St. Louis of course .........) Adios for now, Rick Karp in San Francisco (but writing from Lake Tahoe! The wonder of laptops!) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 02:49:26 -0500 (EST) From: Colehard@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27445 3 cheers for Bill Round! Great essay on inventory control! Rick Karp ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 09:25:40 -0800 From: Bernard Rielley Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27445 Dear Fellow Dealers, We feel we have been pretty successsul in implimenting TruTrac in our store, but we are still trying to come up with a good way to order, receive and sell Hillman bulk items. We have the Hillman salesman use our LTD to enter his order for the UPC labeled snap packs, which can then be uploaded to our server and received in the usual manner. These items are sold by UPC scanning, and thus the physicals are kept quite accurate. The bulk stuff is another problem. Some of it has UPC tags inside the display box, and can be ordered and received. Still sold by department, so counts go bad immediately. The other bulk stuff has no UPC, so its all in limbo. I would appreciate hearing from some TruTrac stores about how they deal with this situation. Bernie Rielley Oakbrook True Value Tacoma, WA ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27446 ********************************** hardlines Digest Mon, 24 Feb 1997 00:00:13 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27447 Today's topics: 'Hillman Fasteners' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 23 Feb 97 21:03:23 EST From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Hillman Fasteners Ladies and Gentlemen, Lurkers, Corporate E-mail monitors, Gagged Corporate Readers, and other interested folks, Despite charging too much for their product, Hillman is a good outfit to do business with so long as one has a conscientious salesman. That's what we pay for, I guess. The best salesman we had from Hillman was a back-woods ex-trailer park resident from Maine who returned there several months ago. We hope he gets tired of the pickings up there and comes back to take care of us. Points to make for Hillman: 1. Hillman is on full EDI with Triad. Purchase order transmissions and ERP (electronic receipt posting) is available through the Sierra Something or Other with Triad. That program costs $200 to start, $10 bucks a month, and 5 cents a line or there abouts. National Hardware is on that, too. Given the traffic we have with these two vendors and the EXTREME detail involved, the service is very cost effective. It used to take hours to do a hillman receipt posting. Now it takes 5 minutes. 2. We have the Salesman do his own order via MSI hand-held unit. We give him 2 purchase order numbers which are valid PO's in our system. One for the pull drawer assortment refills for which there is no sku in our system , the other for items which do have specific skus in our system. He transmits the order to hillman. 3. The next day we call down the files from our mailbox at Triad, wherever they have it. It works with BTC, so it is primitive, but it does work. They need to clean it up. The file is then posted to the hillman purchase order and the detail lines are added to the respective PO's. 4. Invalid skus are listed at the end of the ERP report. We add those, if necessary, and fix the bad info in our system. 5. Bad info usually comes in the form of the alternate part numbers. I use Cotter's skus to sell on and receive file maintenance from Cotter where Cotter stocks the item. I attached an "H" in front of each Hillman mfg part number and installed them in MAP as alternate part numbers. It's a hassle, but it has to be done. If I had used the Hillman numbers as skus, this would not have been necessary. 6. Special orders are taken and transmitted as their own purchase orders. 7. We can create and transmit our own orders when Dear Ol' Dad gets uncomfortable with the inventory level or during high season. 8. The initial set up for Hillman can be a bear. I used Fredware to take information off the Triad, I did the creation of the alternate part numbers in that ancient spread sheet Lotus 123 (DOS), and then put them in the Triad with Fredware's MAP utility. I did the same with UPC's, costs, etc. I was fortunate enough to get a good HILLMAN datafile to do my initial set up. They will now only provide you with a purchase history datafile on 3-1/4" disk. (To get this data, ask the manufacturer to GIVE IT TO YOU. It is a customer service they should provide. Triad has not yet crept out of the locked-box stategy on manufacturer data files. Triad has a load tape which will do the trick, but I don't know what state it leaves the system in. To be really useful, a HILLMAN inventory file needs a good sequence number scheme to print out in good order, finelines, selling and stocking units which will allow the system to properly calculate and post receiving, as well as a way to keep clerks from selling a box of 5/8" x 4" grade 8 hex screws as a quantity of one. If you are on a TruTrac or a Cotter dealer with a standard load tape, a CIS database user (Dimensions?)... you may be in danger. 9. The danger: Bar Code scanning at POS may fire off a quantity of ONE piece instead of ONE BOX OF 10, 25, OR 100 PIECES! Cotter makes it difficult by selling carriage, lag, and hex screws by the each out of the warehouse. 10. Selling in bulk. We sell lots of stuff on a generic sku "150." This is for bulk fasteners and Hillman specialties ONLY. A customer buys 10 lag screws, it is sku 150 for 10 at whatever price. If the customer buys a box of lags, that box's UPC is linked to a Kit sku for a quantity of one and this in turn links out to the individual lag screw sku and releaves inventory by the box quantity. The customer gets a special price and everything works out. 11. Where it doesn't quite work out. After years of training, my Father now religiously refill bulk stock from boxes and SAVES THE BOXES. The boxes are taken to the front desk checkout where they are scanned through and sold. At the end of the sale, the net amount is credit memo'd against sku 150 ( the bulk sales sku), thus relieving the bulk sales sku history and charging out the proper "tracked" sku inventory. It is not exact, but it does help out. Gosh, did I already write this stuff up? Is it on John's server already? Damn... Regards, Bill Round Round's True Value Hardware ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27447 ********************************** hardlines Digest Tue, 25 Feb 1997 00:01:34 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27448 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27446' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27447' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 08:12:24 -0500 (EST) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27446 hI: Regarding Hillman If you want to keep track of all those nuts and bolts -- Hillman did come out with a scanning book (or at least tried) with all the bulk nuts and screws --> scan the image. Is it worth it?? Rick Schwartz ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 08:14:06 -0500 (EST) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27447 Hi: Another place to see Hillman is on CIS --- EDI!!!! Just found them on Saturday. Rick Schwartz ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27448 ********************************** hardlines Digest Wed, 26 Feb 1997 00:02:11 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27449 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27446' 'A small victory...' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 05:56:40 -0500 (EST) From: ROTENRAND@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27446 dear bernie, I solve the bolt problem by not tracking them. Bolts are one of the few things i from an outside source but bill them thru cotter. The salesman comes once a month and fills the bins and we seldome run out of anything. Same gos for screws. You could try using grids but i don't think it would be worth the time. The best tool for pricing bolts is a boltmaster. I have had one for years. Its a flat piece of plexiglass with half round groves on the side, you lay the bolt in the grove that fits the diameter and read a chart at the end of the bolt for your price. You could use it for sku numbers too. I track everything in my store except bolts, screws, and keys and am pleased with the results. I guess you could say "works for me" Randy Whetstone Nelsons True Value Claysburg PA ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 12:28:36 -0500 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: A small victory... Just had a visit from inspectors from our county consumer affairs department. Several weeks ago, I filed a complaint against the new Home Depot in New Rochelle, the first of three planned HD units in Westchester County. In wandering the new HD, I had noticed that they had absolutely no items with price stickers, in obvious violation of the county laws. Even supermarkets must price all merchandise (with the exception of eggs, milk, and other dairy products). My complaint to the county pointed out the lack of item pricing, and requested that they be required to comply with the local laws. The inspectors who visited my store today were here to verify that our store was in compliance, as well as to update me on the status of my complaint. Home Depot tried to claim that they were unaware of the law, and that they feel that bin label pricing is adequate. The consumer affairs department is not in agreement, and in fact has even been in litigation with the local warehouse clubs in order to force them to price items. Home Depot is required to appear at the consumer affairs office next week to outline the steps they will take to bring the store into compliance. They promised to update me with a report on my complaint, and assured me that Home Depot will be required to comply with the item pricing law. Evidently, they also cited Home Depot for not posting return policies at each checkout counter. They only had one large sign in the center of the checkout area, but the county requires one sign at each station. A minor inconvenience, but I'm sure they caused the local HD manager to spend about half a day escorting the inspectors around the store and posting return policy signage at the checkouts. Until the next battle.... John PS - Loved Bill Round's salutations to "muzzled corporate folks" or something to that effect. Just for the info of all, although several corporate folks read mail on this list, most are prohibited by their employers from responding to this list. Even technical responses are frowned upon. So although you don't see them posting messages, they are reading and passing along comments. ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27449 ********************************** hardlines Digest Thu, 27 Feb 1997 00:03:41 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27450 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27449' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27449' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 21:35:52 -0800 From: Bernard Rielley Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27449 Randy, I posed the question about Hillman, hoping someone would have come up with workable way to track the bulk stuff. Guess not. We have been selling the stuff by department, and using the opening stock order as the inventory valuation, since it is refilled to approximately the opening stock levels every two weeks. EDI might have been a partial solution to the receiving process, if every item had a Cotter number. But, many of the Hillman items are not in the warehouse, so no Cotter number. Our TruTrac system assigned numbers unique to us when we loaded the Hillmin load diskette. Hillman has no idea what our six digit number is,(although National knows our unique stock numbers, since they keep our unique numbers in their customer file), and any invoice they produce (manual, automated, or EDI) will not have the number we need to automatically receive the stuff. Even if we could come up with a slick way to receive the stuff, it still leaves the other end open, how to sell it by IBM number. Maybe we just need smart customers. So, I guess we just go on the way we are for the time being... Bernie Rielley Oakbrook True Value Tacoma, WA ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 22:02:00 -0800 From: "Jay, Will and Linda Farr" Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27449 I have a quick classified ... anyone out there know of a used Sierra POS station for sale? It seems our remote store has seen Pari, and the Triad salesman is hot on my trail. Is it worth $4,000 for a PC with software?? Jay Farr 541-267-2137 jwlfarr@mail.coos.or.us ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27450 ********************************** hardlines Digest Fri, 28 Feb 1997 00:00:11 Eastern Standard Time V01 #27451 Today's topics: 'Rule: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27450' 'nuts, bolts, & bin tags' 'RE: hardlines Digest - V01 #27443' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 27 Feb 97 10:15:12 edt From: "Kip" Subject: Rule: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27450 I'm away on vacation. If your message is urgent, please contact Keith or Kim at 609-587-4020 or by E-mail, keith@hamiltonsupply.com or kim@hamiltonsupply.com. Thanks, Kip ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 18:54:50 -0500 From: truevalue@chamber.worcester.ma.us Subject: nuts, bolts, & bin tags re: nuts & bolts In my store we use our Triad much like Bill Round does for nuts & bolts. Our generic sku is "NB" because I can't remember complicated things. The one drawback that I found is that selling the box sku (either Cotter 6 digit or Hillman's leading "H") and returning the generic sku can do some very strange things to your gross profit dollars for that day. If this is a concern you can easily test results by posting the transaction at POS then running an non-final RDI. Do this before you open so that other sales won't be included in the results. My answer was to create another generic sku (NBR for nuts & bolts returned). Gross profit margins in IMU are adjusted so that the transaction comes as close to zero profit as possible when selling the sku then returning NBR; and as close as can be approximated for selling NB. Drywall & deck screws, nails by the pound, individual wire nuts, and latex gloves are some other products treated the same way. Like Bill, I use Cotter skus for warehoused items, and have some Hillman DS items using the leading "H" followed by Hillman's part #. To set up for EDI, alternate part numbers were crunched in using MAP, programmable keys, and the fineline catalog. That's a lot of work but I've never regretted spending the time or money. It works very well . Using Cotter skus allows me to keep the Hillman drawers full in between visits from my rep. Caution has to be taken on the weeks that the rep puts in a DS or many items can be double ordered. Since Hillman orders come in quickly with a good fill rate, and since my rep seems to be quite thorough, on these weeks I usually elect to delete from my warehouse order any item in department 30. (a separate department created just for Hillman). On a slightly different note: Cotter still has "F" packs of 100 or whatever on many boxes. The project to change from "F100" to "1" has been put on hold because of the merger. I can well understand the priority, but would still like to someday be able to buy and receive "1" box. I'll be patient while waiting for this project to surface again, but would still like to vote against F100, and hear from others on the subject. re: John Fix III vs. HD John, you are to be applauded for your efforts. Tossing rocks at giants is not always my favorite outdoor sport. Sometimes it just has to be done. I've go to say, you've got big gumbies. Congrats & good luck. As for item scanning, I wish we could do more of it here in Massachusetts. Our laws are similar to those in your county. I feel that consumer lack of knowledge is giving scan guns a bad rap. We all know that the same price will ring up whether the item is scanned, or the sku is keyed in (assuming an accurate sku-upc database). It is inventory management and other forms of human error that is the villain in mis-priced items, not the scan gun that the media blames. Once again the computer is taking the hit and the consumer is eating this up. I am in favor of shelf pricing and recognize that it too has unique problems. Since I'm a small (10k sq ft) store I can maintain my inventory and related computer data with a high degree of accuracy. I have a work station set up near POS. If an error is found, I can get it corrected RIGHT NOW, often before the customer can check out. Although mistakes are very embarrassing, they are few. If they are taken care of quickly, it can show a higher level of customer service in our store compared to the big boxes. Mis-priced items are just as likely to happen if you have stock clerks who peel wrong stickers. The scan gun will still take the blame but now you have many stickers to change rather than just one bin tag. Have you ever gone to the pricing screen and changed the price field instead of 23 price stickers simply because you had more important things to do? No, I will never openly admit to doing that. It must be something that a friend told me. . Right now I'm using the Eagle tied to a Tru-trac handheld. It has its own "special" problems but prints slick bin tags and makes doing inventory and location changes very easy.(It also holds much more than the 16,000 skus that I load into it.) Bin tags are often used even on item priced skus simply because it looks terrific. Customers like the large price tag as many of them "forget to bring their glasses" so they can't read that tiny price sticker anyway. I wish I didn't have to put the stickers on in the first place. Well I've gone on too long. Thanks for the chance to speak. Paul N. Poirier Park Ave True Value Inc. 548 Park Ave Worcester, MA 01603 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Feb 97 03:31:33 UT From: "MIKE JONES" Subject: RE: hardlines Digest - V01 #27443 ---------- From: hardlines-request@cornells.com Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 1997 11:04 PM To: Hardlines Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27443 From: nfn00161@naples.net (Mary Albee) Subject: Quick Recall Is anybody out there using Quick Recall? Right now we give one copy of the invoice to our charge customers, keep one copy, and file a third copy in each charge customer's folder. We mail those copies with the monthly statement. It's time consuming and costly, and we're looking for a way to improve that without upsetting our charge customers. Thanks. McConnells True Value Hi, Mary Albee We used to keep the white copy, give the yellow to the customer and mail the pink with the statement, but found that with quick recall it's not necessary, even if you lose the copy that you file in the customer's file -- and we saved on postage. We seldom have someone ask, but if they do we have two different ways to look up an invoice. However, we do use quick recall for various Request programs that give us information for our accountant (Cotter Retail Acctg) and provide management checks that aren't available in the regular reports. Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 10:10:34 -0500 From: Tony Brinkmann Subject: Re: Bin Labels Pricing We have been experimenting with non-item pricing for several years. Idealy the label pricing used by large chains such as Wal-mart and Grand Union are best. They use "bin labels" with prices on their shelves and scanner hooks. Those labels are designed to be customer friendly and have large print descriptions and large print prices. The price is usually printed in black and highlighted in yellow. Although these methods are available to us, they are too expensive for a single unit hardware store. The investment of label printer, software and special labels wouldn't be cost effective. So we looked for other ways. We started by doing our entire National Hardware aisle with scanner hooks and price labels provided by National with our own custom prices on them. This worked well especially since National has had no price change in years. Our next step was to try other departments using Triad labels. We are using the bin labels with prices printed from our Triad. We have been replacing our regular hooks with scanner hooks and applying the Triad labels to the new hooks and shelf fronts. So far so good. Even though the Triad price is small and not highlighted on the labels, it's working out well. We wish we had done this sooner since our labor savings are so great. This method of simply using the Triad bin labels with pricing would be more customer friendly if Triad changed its software so that the labels would print with larger prices. Then there would be no need for additional hardware - simply a software upgrade. In regards to questions 2 and 3, check out the user codes to isolate certain skus. As an aside, what will it be called when Ace finally joins? TruServAce!? Tony Brinkmann Brinkmann True Value Hardware Sayville, LI, NY Tony, We have been using Scancor's Labelmaster program for some years now. They offer a yellow and white label (as well as True Value logo cards in various sizes) that work as shelf tags or scanner hook tags. One of the great advantages of Labelmaster is you can custom design your own labels to fit your needs. We put the aisle location, dept, class on the label as well as the description, price, and UPC bar code. You can create a file in RBL, spool it, download and print in a matter of minutes. We usually do this with any P.O., especially our Warehouse order. I have also created an RQ report that tells me whether I should adjust my pricing from Cotter's if I should desire. I change the prices in RP, download and I'm on my way. As far as being cost-effective, I was not on hand when we bought the system (I heard it was pricey), but the labels cost us about a penny a piece, which is not prohibitive. Hope this helps. Mike Jones Arcola True Value P.S. Sorry this is so late. ********************************** ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27451 **********************************