Page 48 - LPG July 2018 Newsletter

48
The Luxury Report July 2018 Luxury Products Group
MEMBER OF THE
MONTH —
continued...
“We are currently in the process of a pretty extensive showroom renovation in Plattsburgh, which includes an interactive kitchen faucet and shower wall display,” Allison described. “The kitchen faucet display has been operational for only a short time and has proven to be incredibly helpful in selling higher end faucets because people can really feel and understand the value in a high quality faucet.
“We also are building a barrier-free bathroom display showcasing a VIM Level-Entry shower oor system, grab bars, and wall-mounted shower seat by LPG Vendor Health At Home. It is very important to be able to offer our clients not only beautiful products, but also products that are safe and will enable them to stay in their homes for as long as they wish.”
According to Allison, she works closely with
her team to ensure that they are up to date
on the latest products and offerings from their vendors, as well as providing the best customer service possible.
“The best way to track what is happening within our showrooms is to shadow and watch how the showroom team works with our clients, including what questions we ask, and most importantly the way we listen to our clients,” she noted. “We are constantly utilizing webinars to stay up on the latest products and trends. We also have frequent meetings with vendors, and we hold showroom team meetings. I especially like to hold showroom meetings following a big show like LPG and KBIS so I can keep our team abreast of the latest information.”
Hulbert Supply has been part of Omni for nearly 25 years, and joined LPG about eight years ago. The Hulberts believe that af liation is an ideal t for their company.
“I believe our membership in LPG has been invaluable for our company,” Allison described. “Obviously one of the main goals of a buying group is to help give wholesalers like us more buying power, and these bene ts should not be understated. However I have found that the relationships forged with other LPG members are extremely important as well. There is a
real sense of ‘We’re all in this together’ at our meetings. Members are more than willing to share ideas and best practices, to offer advice and brainstorm through issues. This is mutually bene cial to all of us. We often purchase products from other LPG members who carry lines that we don’t, which is a win-win for everyone. When I buy products from another member, I am satisfying my client’s need and I am getting my feet wet with a line that I don’t currently handle. If all goes well, I may decide to bring that line into my showroom. We bene t, the vendor bene ts, and the member we purchased from bene ts.“We do business with Omni and LPG vendors whenever possible, and we encourage vendors that we do business with who are not members, to become members. OMNI and LPG have been an important part
of helping wholesalers like ourselves to be competitive in today’s market. Overall, our vendor relationships have always been solid, long-term relationships. We believe in loyalty, and that’s a two-way street. We are loyal to our vendors and we expect loyalty from them.”