According to the US Census Bureau 11.7% of Americans moved between 2012 and 2013, with nearly two-thirds of those movers staying within the same county.
Something else to consider is that almost half of all moves take place in a single season — summer. That means now is the perfect time to prepare for families relocating, college students moving out of the dorms or young couples buying their first home. Whether your customers are doing all the heavy lifting by themselves, or hiring movers, the right accessories and tools will make their move less stressful.
Whether you are in the business of moving people or simply want to have the best accessories to make a move easier for your customers, here are a few accessories to stock. Moving straps can help reduce the workload and they offer an easier way to move furniture, mattresses, appliances and more. In fact, with the Forearm Forklift Straps, the item that is being carried will seem 66% lighter and they encourage proper lifting techniques for reduced back injuries. Moving pads help keep furniture protected from damage during a move and with the Monster Truck Doorjamb Protector your customers new home will be protected during move-in. Hand trucks and dollies will keep the moving process running smoothly and tie down straps are essential no matter who is doing the move.
Now that your customers have everything they need to move out of a home, what about the transition into their new home? Whether they are moving themselves, or hiring movers, a “moving survival bag” can be a helpful addition. With so many boxes packed together, having the necessary accessories all in one, easy to get to place can take the stress out of digging through boxes to find those things your customers cannot live without, during the day. You can build one of these bags for them yourself, offer a custom list or just be ready with some recommendations on what to include when you find customers picking items that indicate they’re preparing for a move. Be sure to stock a few of these things to get their survival bag started. Necessities like a cell phone charger or portable power pack, a change of clothes, diapers, first aid kit, bottled water, snacks and medicine can alleviate the stress of searching through packed belongings.
Another idea is building a “first night box” for your customers. They already have some essentials from the moving survival bag, but it doesn’t have everything they need for the first night in their home. Once they are at their new house, apartment or dorm and exhausted, no one wants to begin unpacking boxes immediately. They took the time to carefully pack up their dishes, tools and everything else, so they’ll also want to take their time to unpack and put away. Having a designated first night box with essentials can give your customers some much needed downtime and let them enjoy their new home. Below is a list of some essentials you can include in a first night box and also some additional items to suggest your customers include.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Once your customers are ready to begin unpacking and get settled in their new home, they will want to do some organizing. Storage bags can help free up space in those new closets and this storage cart is a great place for small items, or extra pantry space in a kitchen. Don’t forget about offering new power tools, especially to first-time homeowners. They will definitely need some new tools to complement their new digs.
You have set up your customers who are moving, now make sure you are also reaching out to those potential customers who have just moved. They don’t need moving accessories, but they will need everything else you specialize in. Make connections with your local neighborhood associations, welcome wagons and even your local realtors so you can be aware when new people move to your market area. You can then drop them a postcard welcoming them to the neighborhood. This is a great, super-affordable way for you to stand out and show them that they can count on you and your business to have what they need.
If moving supplies and accessories are not part of your current business, you should consider adding it to your product mix for the moving season. As you can see from the links in the article above, Petra has most everything you’ll need. With so many opportunities to cash in on movers this spring and summer your business can make some profits and gain new customers. Customers who’ll be more likely to remember your store when they need a security system installed, an appliance repaired, or even need to buy a basic over-the-air antenna when the cable company is late to install. Talk with your Petra sales rep today to see how you can stock a little or a lot of these moving and storage essentials today.