HISTORY
For close to a decade, TriLink made attempts to get placement in Lowes. Each year TriLink went in with a pricing-first approach. We would take our competition’s SKU selection, showcase it in Kobalt (a Lowes-owned brand) mocked-up packaging, and push savings through lower price points; all to no success.

STRATEGY
In 2019, I proposed to our CEO a new approach. Our brand had been gaining industry notoriety. I developed the next evolution in the TriLink brand packaging that utilized a color-coded approach to assist the customer in locating the correct replacement chain, faster and more consistently. The strategy was to showcase the confidence in our brand, put forward a full selling solution, eliminating loss of sales and returns, and all in a slimmer packaging. Our new slimmer pack style also created added space to expand the customer offering and focus on professionals.

TRILINK BRAND EVOLUTION
The newly revised TriLink brand packaging brought a visibility to the brand physically, literally, and figuratively. The packaging utilized the chainsaw pitch, drive link count, and pitch specific color to create an alpha numeric icon for quick customer visual reference. Each chain came with a drive link icon reference sticker, looking to support returning customers for a quick shopping experience, and building the retail and consumer confidence. Additionally, in a category where brands are heavily reliant on black, red, blue, and yellow the contrast of the white packaging would draw attention to the set and aid in showcasing the pitch color reference.


MORE INNOVATION
We also introduced full color designed guide bars/blades for chainsaws bring a new modern look at older, traditionally black and gray product. And, new to the market was our Titanium Full Chisel chain. Targeting the professional consumer these chains cut 20% faster than the semi-chisel chains traditionally in the retail market. Looking to make them stand out at the store level, the packaging utilizes a copper metallic ink to represent and correspond with the color of the titanium coating.


SPACE PLANNING
The slimmer pack style of our chain loops and accessories allowed us to present a full program with 28 more SKUs than our competition, a 57% SKU offering increase. We developed customize planograms to incorporate our product and other brands product into the two 8ft bays, maximizing the space and ensuring customer shopability.

VISUAL MERCHANDISING
Adding to the silent sales man support, I worked closely with the Lowes visual merchandise team to develop in-store signage, within their parameters, explaining the color-coded system and the advantages to our Titanium chain.

PROGRAM SUCCESS
We were awarded a 100 store test so the senior merchant could compare year-over-year sales without a full program swap. And, despite the poor timing of it rolling out at the start of the Covid lockdowns the program quickly grew in sales, specifically with the Titanium SKUs raising to top performers.

Learn more about the TriLink retail package parts program.