Tools of the Trade

Garry Chinn, president and founder of woodworking and hand tools catalog Garrett Wade, is no stranger to success. Profitable only six months after its inception in 1975, his business rode a wave of renewed interest in woodworking, thriving even in the midst of a recession. While it’s tempting to say success came easily, transitioning from a profitable startup to a thriving catalog was no small feat.

Kicking off our reinvented “Profile of Success,” Chinn shares with Matt Griffin, associate editor, his biggest challenges through the years and what he thinks makes Garrett Wade special.

Catalog Success: What has been your greatest career challenge?
Chinn: Managing the strategy for the company during the ‘80s and early ‘90s. We added a lot of product, and we took on the responsibility for exclusive lines of equipment, especially machinery. When we did that, we were doing more than we could handle properly. We’re tool guys, so we loved every tool. We had this huge annual catalog of 200-plus pages, and it was sucking up all of our marketing budget just to produce it. Stylistically we never altered our position, but all of this product outstripped our ability to manage the business. When the dollar crashed in the early ‘90s, we just couldn’t sell machinery anymore, because our customers couldn’t pay what it would cost to keep it profitable.

CS: How did you deal with that?
Chinn: We had to let go of being all things to all people in this woodworking niche. We didn’t have the capacity to do it anymore, and there were too many other players. We wanted to bring something of value to the market. If you don’t do that, it’s not going to work. We scaled back our offer to those things that were unique.

We also realized that our annual big book wasn’t what the market needed anymore. Customers needed to be reminded we were there more frequently than we were mailing. We eventually settled on a bimonthly cycle.

CS: What sets Garrett Wade apart from other catalogers?
Chinn: We’re still well known and appreciated for having a distinctive style graphically. Faithfulness to that, although it’s not as lush as it once was, still drives us. We romance our product, make it look good. If we think it’s a good tool, it should look good in the catalog. It should look as good in the catalog as it feels in your hand. Lots of others have grabbed on to that idea, but I still think we do it better.

On the product side, what we offer is more important. We’re not all things to all people; we service a niche. The business had been too big and complex, and that’s what got us into trouble before. We have a fanatical attention to unique products. It inspires us, and we hope it inspires other people.

CS: If a new cataloger asked about the keys to success in cataloging, what would you say?
Chinn: Nearly everybody provides good customer service these days, so if you don’t, you’re finished before you’ve started.

Second, careful product selection is critical. If you have a niche, focus on it. Establish your identity through product, even if it means remaining small for a while.

I’m a strong believer in distinctive graphics. These days too much looks the same. Pacing is important, in both graphics and copy. I believe in personal copy, as well as technical facts. Tell a story with copy; support it with graphics.