Thousands of retailers have gathered in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Orgill’s 2025 Dealer Market, which kicked off today. The Dealer Market runs concurrent to Orgill’s Spring Buying Event, which began Feb. 17 and runs through March 2 and is one of four seasonal online events Orgill holds throughout the year.

 

Following the official event opening for the Dealer Market, attendees explored nearly 1 million square feet of products, vendors and service providers.

 

“With the rapid pace of change in the home improvement industry right now, we want to do everything we can to provide our customers with the products, services and support they need to be successful,” says Boyden Moore, Orgill’s president and CEO. “Hosting our 2025 Dealer Market concurrently with our online buying event helps remove any friction for our customers in accessing the tools they need to build their businesses and remain competitive within their trading areas.”

 

 

Moore also issued a special welcome to the record number of new and prospective customers and a number of new vendors visiting the market for the first time.

 

“We are excited to welcome a record number of first-time attendees at this Market, including new customers and prospects, which we think indicates that the way Orgill goes to market and puts the customer first is truly resonating throughout the channel,” Moore says. “We have so many new visitors with us exploring everything Orgill has to offer. It’s such a great opportunity for them to talk to our existing and long-time customers to learn more about why so many retailers choose Orgill. The value that a partnership with Orgill can offer retailers was evident to attendees as soon as they stepped onto the Market floor and were welcomed by more than 1,200 exhibitors, including representatives from the industry’s leading brands and most well-recognized names.”

 

“Whether it is our long-term vendors who have supported our customers for years or newer relationships, our merchandising team is constantly working to create strong vendor partnerships that allow our customers to meet the unique needs within their trading areas,” says Clay Jackson, Orgill executive vice president and chief operating officer.

 

Retailers can leverage show specials in the seasonal doorbuster promotional areas, pallet buy areas and the Flash Market deals.

 

 

 

“Promotional buying is a huge value of the show,” says Darrell Baker, vice president of marketing and merchandising for The Aubuchon Company. “The tens of thousands of core items available at discounts with dating always make the time investment worthwhile. Then you have the Door Buster booking, which just tees up the promotional year. After that, the coupons, planogram discounts and new item showcase discounts are always valuable. And those are just the warehouse programs. Vendors always bring their A-game to the Orgill Dealer Market as well. It all adds up to significant savings.”

 

Along with the opportunity to interact with vendors, see the latest in products and assortments and take advantage of special buying opportunities, attendees can also gather ideas from two fully merchandised concept stores, take part in dozens of educational sessions and learn about the retail services available through Orgill and its partners.

 

“We’ve got a detailed list of vendors we will meet with at the show. The Dealer Market is a great opportunity to see new products and take advantage of the many deals available,” says Matt Nichols, vice president of branch operations at Koopman Lumber. “The concept stores are our first stop Thursday morning, and we’ve budgeted two hours with our sales representative to walk them and hopefully take back some fresh ideas.”

 

A Showcase of Opportunities

 

Orgill organized several of its most popular product and assortment presentations into special Showcase areas that allow attendees to see a curated selection of merchandise and programs all in one place.

 

“We understand there’s a lot to take in at our Dealer Market, so we’ve put in a lot of effort to streamline the show floor for a more efficient experience,” says David Mobley, Orgill’s executive vice president of sales. “Our Showcase areas bring together some of the most popular product assortments and programs in one dedicated space. This allows customers to visit a single area and view all the related products and programs in one convenient location.”

 

At the 2025 show, these Showcase areas include:

 

Smart Start is a 10,000-plus-square-foot area highlighting curated selections of Ogrill’s Smart Start merchandising assortments. The program offers assortments within specific categories, allowing retailers to easily convert old assortments.

There is also a centrally located checkout and information area within the Smart Start Showcase
for attendees to have easy access to Orgill team members who can walk them through any
questions or help them place their Smart Start orders.

 

Rental Showcase is a 750-square-foot area showing how retailers of all types can implement a meaningful rental assortment within their stores. The Rental Showcase features a variety of actual rental items displayed as they would be found in-store and highlights additional products and merchandising solutions.
Like all of the Showcase areas, the Rental Showcase also has Orgill personnel on hand to assist
attendees with any questions.

 

Impulse is a 4,800-square-foot Impulse Showcase on the show floor. Within the Impulse Showcase, attendees can browse hundreds of examples of impulse product assortments and also get a firsthand look at the latest in queuing systems that are designed to boost product awareness and sales.
Within the Impulse Showcase, attendees can browse from hundreds of examples of impulse product assortments and also get a firsthand look at the latest in queuing systems that are designed to boost product awareness and sales.

Assortments featured in this area reflect a range of product mixes and are designed to offer easy
seasonal transitions so retailers can ensure their impulse selections are always updated.

 

Exclusively Orgill is a 36,000-square-foot Exclusively Orgill Showcase that highlights a dynamic range of private-label and captive brand merchandise that can help retailers round out their assortments and better position their offerings.
In addition to being able to see comprehensive offerings within these categories, the Exclusively
Orgill Showcase also features promotional endcaps and callouts to Exclusively Orgill Door Buster
promotions.

 

A Real World Experience through two fully merchandised concept stores complete with product assortments to show how they would look in a real store. “While viewing products or assortments in a booth is valuable, it’s crucial to see how these assortments and ideas would actually look in a real store environment,” Mobley says. “Our model stores give guests the opportunity to visualize a planogram or product assortment in a true retail setting. They also allow us to highlight everything we offer, from programs to services, giving customers a sense of what it might look and feel like in their own stores.”

 

At each Market, Orgill selects different concept stores to show the breadth of products and programs they can offer. This year, Orgill chose to highlight two different formats:

 

• Frattallone’s Hardware & Garden

This 15,000-square-foot traditional hardware store concept is based on the actual Minnesota-based Frattallone’s Hardware & Garden chain. Visitors to the concept store will be able to see how Frattalone’s Hardware & Garden spotlights high-traffic areas like its paint department alongside seasonal flex areas for outdoor living, outdoor power equipment and more.
The store also features a fully functional Epicor POS system that is integrated with Orgill’s FanBuilder customer loyalty program to offer hands-on demonstrations of the program’s functionality.

Other highlights include displays featuring Orgill’s Brand Building promotional endcaps and signage along with other impulse displays and merchandising suggestions.

 

• Pinehaven Lumber

This 3,600-square-foot contractor/pro store illustrates all of the opportunities Orgill can offer lumber dealers who are looking to better meet the demands of their pro customers.

The layout provides examples of assortments that cater to smaller salesfloors in order to meet the specific needs of a more pro-focused customer base while also showcasing the latest in retail design. The goal of this set up is to help dealers improve sightlines that offer better customer awareness and improve service, reduce the potential for shrink and cut down on customer time spent at the store for more time-pressed clientele. Some assortments also combine categories to streamline the essentials needed to avoid duplication throughout the store.

“The concept stores are the best place to see all manufacturers in one place,” Baker says. “You get to see products and merchandising as they would show up in your store. There are also great merchandising concepts to explore. I always carve out time to dwell in the concept stores.”

 

A Well-Rounded Offering

 

Within the Orgill Services Area, attendees can meet with representatives from Orgill’s team, as well as some of the industry’s leading service providers. From e-commerce to banking, succession planning and research, the Orgill Services area offers a variety of business solutions.

 

“Products and sourcing are key components of the Dealer Market, but we also want to give our customers the chance to explore all the ways they can enhance their businesses and show them how we can assist throughout that journey,” Mobley says. “Whether it’s support with a loyalty program, credit card processing, signage or marketing, we’re here to help and can provide the resources they need.”

 

Within the Orgill Services Area, attendees can meet and ideate with representatives from Orgill’s team as well as some of the industry’s leading service providers.

 

“The Market is a great opportunity to get face time with vendors and discuss new programs and initiatives. I especially like that the Orgill Dealer Market features solutions and technology vendors like Epicor and Badger Technologies, which gives me a chance to meet with them directly,” says Adam Gunnett, director of IT and business intelligence for Busy Beaver Building Centers. “It’s also a fantastic opportunity to connect with other independent retailers, learn about what they’re doing in their stores, and share insights.”

 

Throughout the three-day show, attendees will be able to attend dozens of different educational workshops and clinics conducted by industry-leading experts on topics ranging from ways to improve your pricing to how to better manage employees or build your brand.

 

 

“Our customers attend the Orgill Dealer Market for ideas and inspiration,” Mobley says. “Whether it’s discovering new products, exploring the concept stores or attending one of our seminars, our goal is to ignite creativity. We want them to leave with the inspiration and the practical tools they need to turn those ideas into action when they return to their businesses.”

 

Before the start of the market, hundreds of attendees were able to attend workshops and clinics offered through Orgill’s annual Technology Symposium. This year’s Technology Symposium was attended by several hundred retailers who got to hear from industry experts about what technology is cooking in the Orgill retail “lab” CNRG, digital marketing strategies and how to effectively leverage customer loyalty programs beyond retail customers, for Pros and beyond.

 

“It is amazing to see how this symposium has grown over the past eight years since we first started it,” says Grant Morrow, Orgill’s director of e-commerce. “What started out as a forum for a small group of retailers who were early adopters with e-commerce has grown into an event that focuses on sharing ideas and best practices for a range of retail technologies.”