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The Retailer Need for Exclusivity Versus Supplier Need for Sales
For the last few weeks, I've been interviewing retailers for a couple of the articles I'm preparing for the May/June issue. In the course of the interviews, I've been asking what suppliers can do for retailers to help them successfully sell the particular product category we're discussing. Frequently, at least part of each retailer's response centers on the lack of product exclusivity and the difficulty of selling something that every other store in town is stocking. This is one of the industry's long-time conundrums. To be successful, independent retailers have to sell interesting, unique (at least to their area of operation) products that differentiate their stores' product mixes from their competition--other independents, department stores or big boxes. But, the suppliers' success rests on their sales reps being able to place the company's products in as many retail outlets as they can. What's the solution to this conflict? Has anyone found a middle ground?
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Lori Smith, , Editor-in-Chief
Lori Smith is the editor of Gifts and Tablewares, Canada's premiere gifts and tablewares magazine. Written for retailers of gifts, tablewares, housewares, stationery and home furnishing accessories, its objective is to help readers increase their sales and run their businesses more profitably by providing information on new products, merchandising, small business management, customer service, consumer behavior and industry news. The magazine is published six times a year by BIG Magazines, LP, a leading Canadian information company.
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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on April 13, 2009 4:01 PM.
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