April 2017

April 2017 Articles

Perspective:
The Achilles Heel

We’ve always believed that the Achilles heel of specialty retailing is the lack of professional help used in showroom design, and then the important follow-up of frequently refreshing it in order to bring customers back into the store – again and again.

In Praise of Innovation

On Friday, March 3, the 17^th Annual Vesta Awards were held at Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. As usual, the event began with a wine reception sponsored by Schott Robax.

Another Good Show

By Bill Sendelback

Once again, Atlanta proves that it’s a good and solid venue for the HPBExpo.

Talk of the Town

By Lisa Readie Mayer

Barbecue and Outdoor Room® products were hot topics at the HPBExpo in Atlanta.

Sales Slide Continues

By Bill Sendelback

Weather and the price of fossil fuels continues to negatively impact the sales of wood-burning products.

How to Draw a Crowd

By Tom Lassiter

Hot food, cold drinks, live music and a few activities are but some of the magnets that attract people.

An Exciting Ride

By Tom Lassiter

Kate Carret has taken Seaside Casual to a new level in the U.S. Now she’s tackling Europe.

Insights from "Shops That Pop!"

By Mark Brock

Here’s some hard-core, valuable advice from Pam Danziger on how to make your retail store more successful.

Some Things New

By Lisa Readie Mayer

Want to attract more customers to your store? Here’s a dozen creative ideas to help you grow your barbecue business.

Success Story

By Lisa Readie Mayer

American Propane Gas Company is proof that being first to embrace a new product line has its advantages; the company was the first propane dealer in Oklahoma (1936) and got into grills early as well (in the ’70s).

Barbecue Retail Survey Report – Similar to Last Year

There has been little sales movement in the barbecue field over the past two years.

2017 April News

Items of interest to members of the hearth, barbecue, and patio industries.

2017 February Business Climate

In early March, Hearth & Home faxed a survey to 2,500 specialty retailers of hearth, barbecue and patio products, asking them to compare February 2017 sales to February 2016. The accompanying charts and selected comments are from the 189 useable returns.

Who Reads Hearth & Home?
Gary McCray, for one!

Davidson, North Carolina

Parting Shot: Lights, Fire, Relaxation

Tucked against a canyon and hillside in the tony area of Rancho Mirage, California, this modern home embraces angles and dispenses with roofs over many of the living areas.