Paul Durfee, owner of Durfee Hardware in Cranston, was recently named by Chicago-based True Value Co. to its True Value Marketing Advisory Council. The council – whose members are owners of more than 4,217 True Value retail stores across the country – provides input on the planning of True Value marketing programs. Durfee Hardware has been a member of the True Value network since 1972.
PBN: What is your role in the council?
DURFEE: Let me first tell you that True Value is a co-operative. We are member/owners of the co-op. It’s our job to work with management to share ideas and opinions on True Value marketing programs.
We evaluate data on what’s working across the country. We give input from other members and local councils to management. The idea is to do what’s best for all members and drive sales at retail.
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PBN: What marketing strategies are effective for hardware retailers?
DURFEE: We use all media, from the Internet to national television. True Value even has a rewards card. We have different times of year that affect our business in a positive way, and capitalize on those times. I have been involved with the local and New England Advertising Council for many years and can bring my experiences to the table in Chicago.
PBN: How does a True Value hardware store set itself apart from competition?
DURFEE: We set ourselves apart every day. We’re local, we’re part of your community. We care about our customers – we’re friends and neighbors. We’ve been there, done that, and know the right answer to solve your problem.
When you go into a big-box, if you can find someone to help you, it isn’t Mr. Lowe or Mr. Home Depot. When you come into True Value, you find family.
PBN: When did you realize you wanted to run a hardware store?
DURFEE: My father was very big on teaching the value of a dollar. It was also a good way of giving my mother a break. So from an early age, I stocked shelves. I must have been 15 or 16 when I knew it was what I wanted to do.
I enjoy it a lot, and my dad must, too – he still works full days, six days a week, at 84. Now my children work here, so do my nieces and nephews. No one has picked up the ball yet, but they’re still young.
