Article: Paint by the numbers: boost profits in this vital department by knowing trends and stressing sundry sales.(CATEGORY SPOTLIGHT)

[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

Step into the paint department at McaAuliffe's Ace Hardware in Marysville, Ohio, and you walk into a world of color.

With a table and chairs, additional lighting and loads of resources at the fingertips of customers and sales associates, the paint area feels more like a showroom than a hardware store.

SINCE IT IS THE STORE'S SECOND-BIGGEST SELLER after lawn and garden, co-owner Dan Fitzgerald renovated and expanded the paint department about a year ago to offer customers more color choices. He also brought in two color-matching computers and installed Benjamin Moore and Ace Color My Life displays covering more than 24 ...

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