Home Improvement Executive Category Report on Mailboxes

A few days ago, we showed you the ad we prepared for Home Improvement Executive Magazine. Well, it was published in Home Improvement Executive Volume 22 No. 11, and displayed adjacent to a special Category Report on Mailboxes.

Prior to the January 21 publication, an editor reached out to us to find out what is so special about Mail Boss locking mailboxes. We told them, and parts of that dialogue were incorporated into the report. We’re not super fond of other locking mailboxes *that shall not be named, a la Voldemort* so we will include the Category Report … in part… below.

The full report is available to view as a .pdf here.

New Mailboxes Address Identity Theft

Mail theft can often be the first step in an identity theft. Many new mailboxes are designed to prevent that initial loss of information.

Epoch Design, LLC’s line of Mail Boss locking, high-security mailboxes are designed to protect sensitive personal and financial information that comes in the mail, says president David Bolles.

“The Mail Boss line provides consumers with a truly secure and affordable solution to mail and identity theft prevention,” Bolles says. “Mail Boss mailboxes feature heavy-duty construction, innovative locking mechanisms, and patented security features that allow consumers to have peace of mind.”

….. voldemort, voldemort, voldemort….

Design Responsive to Modern Demands

As the focus of what consumers are searching for in mailboxes progresses, product development must keep pace.

….. voldemort, voldemort, voldemort….

The market for curbside mailboxes is increasing as the U.S. Postal Service eliminates walk-up mail delivery and begins mandating conversion to curbside mailboxes, Bolles says. “In addition to the closure of 3,700 post offices nationwide, this change is forcing consumers to install curbside mailboxes. These consumers are more likely than average to be concerned with mail security, increasing demand for locking mailboxes.”

Shifting Consumer Behavior to Impact Boxes

Evolving consumer trends will create future openings for sales gains, manufacturers say.

…voldemort, voldemort, voldemort…

Identity theft continues to be the fastest growing crime in the nation, and stolen mail is a leading cause of identity theft, Bolles says. “The opportunities moving forward continue to be increasing consumer awareness of mail theft as a cause of identity fraud, and key prevention strategies, namely the use of high-security locking mailboxes.

“As more consumers switch to locking mailboxes, thieves are increasingly prying open or fishing from low or faux-security locking mailboxes,” Bolles adds. “Moving forward, differentiation of the Mail Boss locking mailbox line on security will be increasingly relevant.”

Promotions Communicate Aesthetic, Security Benefits

Getting consumers to view mailboxes as an aesthetic enhancement to homes creates trade-up opportunities.

…voldemort, voldemort, voldemort…

Epoch Design, LLC has received two Golden Hammer Awards at The National Hardware show for merchandising, including POP displays, packaging, and endcap banners, says David Bolles, president. “These exceptional POP merchandising materials are available free of charge for all retailers. Epoch Design also provides endcap posters, customer flyers, and LCD video players for all retailers.”

The Mail Boss loop videos are embedded on the players allowing for a quick plug-and-play setup, Bolles adds. “These retail loops are informative regarding product features and mail identity theft trends.”

Print, radio, and television advertising continues to play an important role in branding for Epoch, Bolles says. “Promoting mail theft awareness to retailers via recent local mail-theft articles has also been helping retailers increase mail-identity theft awareness among customers and drive Mail Boss sales.”

What do you think of the feature story? I didn’t think it was much of an editorial… more like a bunch of quotes piled together. But, we are hopeful that in combination with the full page ad adjacent to the story, we will attract some new retail partners!

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