This week, Parker Hannifin Corporation, a global leader in motion and control technologies, celebrates a milestone with the opening of its 2,000th ParkerStore near Lyon, France.

An industrial-retail hybrid, ParkerStores are a blend of trade counter and retail store. The stores feature Parker's hydraulic components and pumps, hydraulic filters, connectors, pneumatics and compressed air treatment products.

Parker Develops ParkerStore Concept to Cultivate Walk-in Sales

Working with Parker’s global distribution partners, Parker designed the ParkerStore concept to reach the walk-in maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) 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 allowed 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.

Launched in 1993, the first ParkerStore was located in Cleveland and they have since gone global, expanding to locations in more than 80 countries. Parker distributors are local independent businesses.

Parker has over 2,000 ParkerStores around the Globe

The company is on pace to open a new store daily through the rest of 2012, said Craig Coffey, marketing communications manager for Parker. While stores initially were housed within distributors' facilities, many of the new stores now are in stand-alone locations. More than 50% of Parker's distributors run ParkerStores.

“Parker's industrial retail strategy has realized 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.”

Over 160 ParkerStores in the U.S. and Canada are run by Tribute customers, including three of the latest additions to the ParkerStore count launched this fall: Controlled Motion Solutions (in Corona, CA), Lubrication Equipment (the new Phoenix ParkerStore in Mesa, AZ), and Southern Fluidpower (in Cookeville, TN). And two Tribute customers have gained additional ParkerStores this fall: B.W. Rogers (now a division of Kaman Fluid Power) expanded into the NY area and The Hope Group acquired its 7th ParkerStore in Weymouth, ME.

Tribute Partners with Parker Hannifin to Streamline Distributors' Supply Chain

Tribute partners with Parker Hannifin to integrate to Parker's Tracking System, streamline daily operations, and facilitate the supply chain for their distributors. To see the benefits that TrulinX software by Tribute offers to Parker distributors, click here or visit www.tribute.com. To locate the ParkerStore nearest you, utilize Parker's HoseFinder Mobile app.

Update: As of 2018, Tribute customers now have over 230 ParkerStore and Technology Centers across the U.S. and Canada and Parker Hannifin has over 3,000 ParkerStores worldwide.