Page 36 - BusinessWest March 20, 2023
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 He can cite many instances of meeting a former customer for, say, a roofing project, they get to talk- ing, and by the end of the conversation, she’s order- ing patio doors.
In fact, about 70% of Phil Beaulieu & Sons’ proj- ects last year were repeat customers, and “we think the Home Show is huge for that because we get a lot of the same people coming back every year and buying something new — not to mention, we do a lot of work for people who have booths. Not every- one is in the roofing, siding, and windows business, so we do work for garage-door guys, and we culti- vate those relationships.”
Another category of show attendees are those who attend purely for fun, who may arrive without an agenda but often develop ideas for future pur- chases and home products. Not only might they make a connection on a traditional improvement project, but they might find something unique, in realms like home entertainment, security, and ener- gy efficiency.
“A high point of this year’s show will be energy,” Crane said. “Everyone knows their energy bills have gone up, specifically electricity. Energy is a big buzz-
word; everyone’s talking about it, and the building industry has to react to it.”
Of course, many vendors are producing not high-tech innova- tions, but quality craftsmanship in time-honored fields, like Ameri- can Rustic Woodworks of Spencer. “People are asking for that, too,” Crane said. “It’s beautiful stuff — and where do you go to get it?”
That, in the end, may be the one unchanging draw of the Home & Garden Show — bringing together, in one space, old and new disciplines in every possible aspect of home improvement and, yes, quality of life at home.
“Sometimes it’s hard to get all that on a computer,” Crane said. “Here, you can certainly talk to the salesperson, owner, what have you, and feel like you’re leaving with an answer.” BW
“Everyone knows their energy
bills have gone up, specifically electricity. Energy is a big buzzword; everyone’s talking about it, and the building industry has to react to it.”
 Fran Beaulieu’s company has been involved with the Home Show for almost seven decades.
in Chicopee — and president of this year’s Home & Garden Show — can appreciate the ways in which the event has evolved, as his com- pany has been participating as a vendor for almost seven decades.
“The value has changed over the years,” he told BusinessWest. “Everyone has a smartphone, so they don’t necessarily need a home show, but we’ve noticed something over the past several years: in the early days, it was about generating leads because it was really hard to get in front of everybody. Nowadays, with such a huge cus- tomer base, we’re rekindling old relationships.”
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