Parker Hannifin Corporation’s ParkerStore Retail Network to Open 2000th Store Location, Continuing Global Growth
Chassieu, France, Location Joins Worldwide Network of Independently Owned Industrial Retail™ Operations
Warwick, UK, September 27, 2012, Parker Hannifin Corporation, the global leader in motion and control technologies, will open its 2000th ParkerStore in October this year. Nearly 20 years after its introduction, ParkerStore will celebrate a significant milestone in its global growth with the opening of the new store, situated near Lyon, France. The ParkerStore was introduced as an Industrial Retail™ concept that would serve as an environment for the immediate and direct sale of industrial products through an approved, service-based platform. Working with Parker’s global distribution partners, Parker designed the ParkerStore concept to reach the walk-in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) or “industrial retail” marketplace that had largely been ignored by competitors.
When the ParkerStore concept was developed, trade counters were the norm in the industrial space. Combining the trade counter and retail models, ParkerStores would allow customers to order custom, while-you-wait hydraulic hose assemblies while shopping for complementary products typically also required, such as couplings, filters, lubricants, oil, tooling and safety equipment.
The ParkerStore environment was a new concept designed to bring the warehouse out to the showroom. ParkerStore also provided immediate access to critical components, which would have a big impact on a business’ bottom line by helping to reduce the money and time lost due to equipment downtime.
“Parker’s industrial retail strategy has realised significant worldwide growth since the first ParkerStore opening in 1993 as the ParkerStore concept presents a complete business plan for distributors who are interested in operating a retail location,” said Brad Fischer, Director of Global Retail Operations. “With 2,000 ParkerStores today, our distributors support local customers and boost MRO sales by displaying their full Parker offering with a professional shopping experience.”
It took 15 years to get to 1,000 store locations, but with the model proving its value to the channel, growth accelerated to double that number in less than four years in the midst of an incredibly turbulent economy. And, while many of the early stores were physically connected to a distributor’s location, many of the new stores being opened are completely stand-alone.
The 2000th ParkerStore is located in Chassieu, France, a suburb of Lyon. It opens in October 2012, with approximately 1,600 square feet of retail space dedicated to Parker products, including hydraulic components and pumps, hydraulic filters, connectors, pneumatics, compressed air treatment and more. This is the 12th ParkerStore that Patrick Martin, CEO and owner of industrial supply company MABEO, has opened in the last 14 years.
About ParkerStore
Since the first store opened in 1993, our customers have come to rely on the service provided by their local ParkerStore for all of their immediate Parker product needs. The network has grown to include more than 2,000 locations around the world—a growth in both physical reach and depth of products, available services and delivery methods accessible to our customers.
ParkerStores can be found in over 80 countries around the globe, and we’re expanding every day. For more information on ParkerStore, please visit www.parkerstore.com. Or, find ParkerStores on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ParkerStores and on Twitter at twitter.com/ParkerStore.
About Parker Hannifin Corporation
With annual sales exceeding $13 billion in fiscal year 2012, Parker Hannifin is the world's leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs approximately 60,000 people in 48 countries around the world. Parker has increased its annual dividends paid to shareholders for 56 consecutive fiscal years, among the top five longest-running dividend-increase records in the S&P 500 index. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.parker.com, or its investor information web site at www.phstock.com.
Contact:
Suzanne Hochheimer
Phone: +41 21 821 8530
Suzanne.hochheimer@parker.com
Local Contact:
Adrian Foster, UK Marketing Manager
Parker Sales UK Warwick
Phone: +44 (0) 1926 317887
E-mail: afoster@parker.com