Summer is upon us, and it is time for exterior painting. If you have a project you’re considering, you are probably keeping your eye out for a good sale. It’s not uncommon to see paint advertised by our competitors at 20, 30, or even 40% off. This presents an interesting math problem for a small independent retailer which operates without an inflated suggested list price. Rest assured, we compete every day and provide value to our contractor and DIY customers alike. How do we do it? We use our knowledge of coatings to properly match the competitive crossover based on technical data, and provide it at a lower price. Here’s an example:
A national competitor manufactures an exterior satin acrylic with nearly identical technical specifications as our UltraSpec EXT. The other guys have this product available every day for $55.49 per gallon. The only customers in their stores during non-promotional periods are contractors who have everyday discount pricing. Our UltraSpec is value priced every day at $37.29 per gallon, and yes our contractors get discounts too. You could visit our store any time you want and save over 30% on exterior coatings.
What happens during a sale? Yes, we have sales and promotions as well (check out our web page for the latest). Our competitor will advertise a huge 30% off sale. What? But you already save that much shopping at Tommy’s all summer long. What about when they offer 40% off? If you are into math that’s $33.29 per gallon, but before you run in and spend your hard earned money you should do one more calculation. Our exterior promotions offer a variety of high quality Benjamin Moore coatings at 15% off, so the UltraSpec EXT would drop to $31.70. Oftentimes our promotional periods line up with our competitors, usually surrounding the major Summer holidays, but if for some reason they are having a sale and Tommy’s isn’t? Just give us a call, or come on in. We are your local independent paint store with the flexibility to work with you and the timing of your project.
Keep in mind the quality and value of any coating is not determined by a suggested list price, but rather the components and raw materials in the paint can. Don’t be fooled by inflated list prices, make your decision on the net price to determine real value. Why would our competitors approach the market with inflated retail prices? I can think of three reasons; controlling or limiting the DIY traffic heading to their stores to promotional periods, additional profits from sales at suggested list when not on promotion, and perhaps they just don’t think anyone will do the math. Tommy’s has been in business since 1954 serving the savvy paint consumer looking for great value, we’ll see you soon.
