Information Sources and Purchase Influences For Wood Products Retailers: A Trade Show Attendee Perspective

Authors

  • Judd H. Michael

Keywords:

Homecenter, buyer behavior, promotions, sales force, relationship building

Abstract

Retail outlets are an important channel of distribution for wood products sold to professional builders and do-it-yourself consumers. Trade shows serve a prominent role in the wood products industry as a means for showcasing wood building products to such retail outlets. This research provides information about the use of trade shows by building material retailers that will allow wood marketers to better target marketing programs. A survey of all retailer attendees at a large building materials trade show was conducted to determine which information sources are most influential in retailers' purchase decision-making. The survey also investigated which at-show information sources are most influential for buyer-attendees. Results indicate that retailers' relationship with their wood products supplier has the greatest influence on overall purchase decisions. Price reductions on materials displayed at the show was the most influential show-related factor. Statistical analyses suggest that in-exhibit information sources are more heavily used by attendees with greater purchase influence. Additional analyses indicate that attendees with greater purchase influence tend to seek technically oriented information about products displayed.

References

Armstrong, S. J., and T. S. Overton. 1977. Estimating nonresponse bias in mail surveys. J. Market. Res. 14:396-402.nBellizzi, J. A., and D. J. Lipps. 1984. Managerial guidelines for trade show effectiveness. Ind. Market. Mgmt. 13:49-52.nBello, D. C. 1992. Industrial buyer behavior at trade shows: Implications for selling effectiveness. J. Bus. Res. 254:59-80.nBello, D. C. and H. C. Barksdale, Jr. 1986. Exporting at industrial trade shows. Ind. Market. Mgmt. 15:197-206.nBonoma, T. V. 1983. Get more out of your trade shows. Harvard Bus. Rev. 61:75-83.nCesa, E. T., and S. A. Sinclair. 1988. Hardwood specialty products: A billion dollar product line for home center retailers. Forest Prod. J. 38(6):6-12.nCohen, D. H., C. Xie, and J. Ruddick. 1992. Retailer perceptions of treated wood products in Vancouver, British Columbia. Forest Prod. J. 42(3):41-44.nFord, D. 1980. The development of buyer-seller relationships in industrial markets. European J. Marketing 14:339-354.nHaas, R. W. 1992. Business marketing management. Kent Publishing, Boston, MA. 899 pp.nHair, J. F., Jr., R. E. Anderson, R. L. Tatham, and W. C. Black. 1992. Multivariate data analysis: With readings, 3rd ed. Macmillan, New York, NY. 544 pp.nJackson, D. W., Jr., J. E. Keith, and R. K. Burdick. 1987. The relative importance of various promotional elements in different industrial purchase situations. J. Advertising 16(4):25-33.nMater, J. 1992. Marketing forest products. Miller Freeman, San Francisco, CA. 290 pp.nMeyer, C. J., S. A. Sinclair, and J. H. Michael. 1992. The professional residential repair and remodeling market: A review of available data. Forest Prod. J. 42(1):63-68.nMichael, J. H., and P. M. Smith. 1994. Furniture markets as promotional tools: Integrating objectives for furniture manufacturers. Forest Prod. J. 44, (11/12) (Nov/Dec):51-54.nMichael, J. H., and P. M. Smith. 1995. Information sources used by furniture retailers: Targeting promotions for furniture manufacturers. Forest Prod. J. 45(4):25-30.nMichael, J. H., and P. M. Smith. 1996. An analysis of home furnishings retailers' use of furniture markets. Wood Fiber Sci. 28(2):168-177.nMoriarity, R. T., and R. E. Spekman. 1984. An empirical investigation of the information sources used during the industrial buying process. J. Market. Res. 21:137-147.nMulhern, F. J., and J. H. Michael. 1995. The effect of retail promotions on homecenter shopping behavior. Forest Prod. J. 45(3):31-36.nO'Hara, B. S., and P. A. Herbig. 1993. Trade shows: What do the exhibitors think? J. Bus. Ind. Market. 8(4):18-25.nParasuraman, A. 1981. The relative importance of industrial promotion tools. Ind. Market. Mgmt. 10:277-281.nPurce, E. 1993. Remodelers bank on baby boomers to propel industry. National Home Center News 19(22):3.nRobinson, P. J., C. W. Faris, and Y. Wind. 1967. Industrial buying and creative marketing. Allyn and Bacon, Boston, MA.nRosson, P. J., and F. H. R. Seringhaus. 1991. International trade fairs and exporter performance: An empirical study. Dalhousie University Discussion Papers in International Business. No. 101, September.nSheth, J. N., and A. Sharma. 1997. Supplier relationships: Emerging issues and challenges. Ind. Market. Mgmt. 26:91-100.nSinclair, S. A. 1990. Paper manufacturers' relationship with paper wholesalers: A partnership? Forest Prod. J. 40(9):24-28.nSinclair, S. A. 1992. Forest products marketing. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. 403 pp.nSpekman, R. E., and W. J. Johnston. 1986. Relationship management: Managing the selling and the buying interface. J. Bus. Res. 14(Dec):519-531.nTrade Show Bureau. 1994. A guide to the U.S. exposition industry, vol. 2. Denver, CO.nVlosky, R. P., and P. M. Smith. 1993. Enhancing business relationships via electronic information technologies: Wood products (sellers) and homecenter (buyers). Forest Prod. J. 43(5):25-33.nVlosky, R. P., and E. J. Wilson. 1997. Partnering and traditional relationships in business marketing: An introduction to the special issue. J. Bus. Res. 39(1):1-4.nWest, C. D., and S. A. Sinclair. 1992. A measure of innovativeness for a sample of firms in the wood household furniture industry. Forest Science 38(3):509-524.nWebster, F. E., Jr., and Y. Wind. 1972. A general model for understanding organizational buying behavior. J. Marketing 36(April):12-19.n

Downloads

Published

2007-06-25

Issue

Number 1 / January 1999

Section

Research Contributions

License

The copyright of an article published in Wood and Fiber Science is transferred to the Society of Wood Science and Technology (for U. S. Government employees: to the extent transferable), effective if and when the article is accepted for publication. This transfer grants the Society of Wood Science and Technology permission to republish all or any part of the article in any form, e.g., reprints for sale, microfiche, proceedings, etc. However, the authors reserve the following as set forth in the Copyright Law:

1. All proprietary rights other than copyright, such as patent rights.

2. The right to grant or refuse permission to third parties to republish all or part of the article or translations thereof. In the case of whole articles, such third parties must obtain Society of Wood Science and Technology written permission as well. However, the Society may grant rights with respect to Journal issues as a whole.

3. The right to use all or part of this article in future works of their own, such as lectures, press releases, reviews, text books, or reprint books.