LEWISBins+™ Adds Nationwide Merchandising Efficiency
at Fastenal® Stores
Rugged plastic bins provide merchandising solution and add efficiency
at over 1400 stores
Oconomowoc, Wis. -– Have you noticed a change at your local Fastenal
store? In a company-wide effort to continue
 to position themselves as the leading provider of high quality
industrial products, Fastenal recently took a closer look at their 1400 store locations. Their goal
was simple: to position their stores to be the best industrial products distributor in each of the
territories they serve.
A progressive team at Fastenal led the Customer Service Project
(CSP), an effort to better serve their industrial and construction customers at the store level.
This team, consisting of Fastenal’s product development and marketing professionals, collaborated
with their suppliers to determine which products should be represented and how they should be
merchandised.
Their ideas focused on stocking a broader inventory at each store and
displaying it so their customers can service themselves faster. These efforts would enhance the
customers' shopping experience, as well as improve store efficiency.
As part of the CSP, Fastenal re-designed retail signage, applied an
open concept floor plan, added in-store navigation tools, enhanced store fixtures and displays,
accelerated the check-out processes and expanded their product selection.
Application
Prior to the CSP, each Fastenal store used gondola shelving to
display a limited amount of product in the front of the store, but typically stored most of their
inventory in their back room. Their customers visited or called the branch to request product. The
Fastenal employee would pull the inventory from their back room or order it from their "hub", or
distribution center, for delivery to the store the next day.
The Challenge
Fastenal’s challenge was to show their customers that they were a
full-source supplier, rather than just a fastener shop. In addition, the store design was
inefficient for branch employees and didn't allow customers to see and shop from the full range of
products that Fastenal offers.
Finding a Solution
For many years, LEWISBins+, a division of ORBIS Corporation, had been
a supplier of plastic storage and material handling containers for Fastenal’s hubs. In 2002, these
products were added to Fastenal’s expansive printed catalog for resale.
As a result, they were invited to participate in the one of the
annual Fastenal Vendor Tradeshows. During this tradeshow, Fastenal approached LEWISBins+ with
the need for a bin that would help them increase their inventory, improve their customer’s shopping
experience and standardize their 1400 stores, as part of their CSP efforts.
The product designers at LEWISBins+ set out to provide a
merchandising solution to meet Fastenal’s CSP objectives. They had extensive experience in
providing expertise to pharmaceutical and electronics manufacturers, who utilize “picking” in their
operations. This “ picking” is very similar to the shopping experience taking place in Fastenal
stores. As a result, the designers were familiar with creating products that needed to be durable,
easy to use and worker-friendly.
Fastenal’s initial impulse was to select a standard 24" shelf bin for
their stores. After further review, LEWISBins+ recommended a customized bin that better met
Fastenal’s long-term merchandising needs.
The resulting bin was created specifically for Fastenal’s in-store
shelving units. Designed in just 8 weeks, this plastic bin offers:
-
Rugged durability: The outer rim makes the bin more rigid than
standard shelf bins.
-
Efficiency: A larger front label area allows an impressive,
attention-getting colored label for easier product selection for the customer.
-
Safety: The 2" engagement of the divider allows it to hold more
weight without snapping out of place.
-
Versatility: The 1" back hang slot allows the bin to be used on
multiple styles of shelves.
-
Flexibility: Each bin accommodates up to 7 dividers, for easy product
separation.
Benefits
With LEWISBins+, Fastenal was able to apply merchandising
standardization across their branches, while improving the productivity of the branch personnel. In
addition, the new bin helped Fastenal:
-
Improve their retail presentation
-
Optimize their store re-sets
-
Increase sales of "impulse" purchases
Summary
Since June 2002, Fastenal converted approximately 600 of their
existing and new stores with this new format. With in-store sales on the rise and satisfied
customers, Fastenal has plans to convert the rest of their stores by the end of 2003.
About LEWISBins: Headquartered in Oconomowoc, Wis.,
LEWISBins+
manufactures a comprehensive line of durable plastic part bins,
divider boxes and heavy duty storage totes, which integrate with a wide array of metal storage
systems and wire products. These products reduce linear workspace, improve assembly operations and
reduce product damage. LEWISBins+ may be reached at 877-97LEWIS or visited on-line at
www.lewisbins.com
.
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Contact:
Samantha Goetz
LEWISBins
262/560-5364
info@lew
isbins.com
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