Sep 26 2007
Known in the industry as DIFM (Do It For Me), mass retailers and direct marketers are now adding DIFM options to their existing DIY (Do It Yourself)-only offerings. This strategy is generating significant incremental top and bottom line revenue for the retailers. The DIFM option achieves bigger sales and profits by providing the retailer access to an entirely new and otherwise unattainable consumer base.
It was previously believed that an organization desiring DIFM capabilities needed retail locations across the country to manage local independent contractors, but we have shown that organizations can possess DIFM programs from a single centralized location
Experts agree that the sociological trend of Boomers creeping past 50 would seem to explain why Home Depot and its rival Lowe's, once leading advocates of the DIY model, have redefined their business strategy by shifting to a DIFM model. As CNN Money notes: “…instead of climbing a ladder to install a new ceiling fan, homeowners would rather pay someone else to do it.” DIFM caters to this exploding consumer group.
Orange, CA–based Newell Logistics specializes in creating DIFM corporate programs and is only one of a few organizations that have repeatedly created successful national DIFM programs for the Internet/catalog and mass retail channels.
“Organizations currently selling DIY home products will experience unparalleled sales increases after they’ve acquired national DIFM capabilities,” explains Newell Founder/CEO Todd Banhidy. “DIFM allows the retailer to tap into an entirely new base of consumers with relatively little changes to their existing marketing/advertising efforts or expenditures.”
One of Newell’s recent clients, leading direct marketer Smith+Noble®, performed an extensive analysis of the DIFM program created for them by Newell. It clearly demonstrated that the launch of the DIFM program immediately increased sales to such a degree that the company President said DIFM was the most powerful marketing tool seen in the company’s 15-year history.
“Organizations not only recognize that DIFM has a major impact on generating incremental sales,” explains Banhidy, “but they also understand that it provides numerous competitive advantages, such as the ability to expand existing product lines, enter into new markets, decrease product returns, increase customer satisfaction levels, and support online sales nationally.
Banhidy has successfully created and/or optimized DIFM programs for such companies as Smith+Noble (subsidiary of InterActive Corp, sister company to HSN, RealEstate.com®, Expedia.com®, Ballard Designs®, ServiceMagic), JCPenney, Montgomery Ward, Sears and The Great Indoors®, Home Depot® and Expo, HomeBase and House2Home, NienMade and Norman Shutters, Vista Paint, and 3 Day Blinds®.
“It was previously believed that an organization desiring DIFM capabilities needed retail locations across the country to manage local independent contractors, but we have shown that organizations can possess DIFM programs from a single centralized location,” explains Banhidy. “We have successfully provided DIFM capabilities to the internet/catalog channel as well as to off-shore importers of home goods.”