There is something I need to get off my chest. It has to do with the Wholesale companies. Yes you, wholesellers, pay attention!
The market has changed. Brick and mortar shops fade. The big ones fall hard and the small ones silently disappear. It is sad that strolling through your favorite shops is ending. What I noticed in Hoorn (small city in the Netherlands) is that the shops make way for restaurants and specialty shops. And tattoo parlors, but it's a harbor-city, that's not surprising. People buy online. Why go out in the rain for your most wanted goods if you can buy it all online? You scroll in the shop, no one there to bother you. If you want to think it over, you bookmark it and it's all a click away. You save gas and parking money, or a public transport ticket and maybe just pay shipping costs. Even for weddingdresses this is the case.
The new players of the game in retail. They have been there for a while and more are coming.
What I noticed is that terms of the wholesale companies are still those of the brick and mortar shops. I'm not going to mention specific wholesale companies, but some might recognize something. I'm going to sum op a few reasons why some wholesellers don't do business with companies like mine.
You must spend a minimum amount of xxxx euro
I get that. But asking an amount I don't see back within a month is just ridiculous. I know there is just as much work on filling half a box when you fill a whole box, but you're asking me to fill 3 boxes! I like your product and want to see if my costumer likes the product. If they do, then get me 5 boxes! I'm not going to spend all the money I have for the next 3 months on a guess. Help me out a bit here. Charge shipping, really not a problem.
You must have a brick and mortar shop
Well, if you're only selling to those shops, your numbers will go flatline at a point. I have a brick and mortar workshop, in which I receive costumers that made an appointment? Ohw, it doesn't count. But that bridal shop that only opens her doors for costumers with an appointment does count.
If you buy from us, you can only sell bridal
I can understand you don't want your brand to be seen with something that is not in your taste, but I think in this economy you have to be able to open up a bit more to the opportunities given. Your competition won't hesitate. But, all up to you!
We will need the official papers of that you are a company
That's very oldfashioned. It used to be that you had to ask for official paperwork to proof to a wholesale company you were allowed to buy tax free. These days there is the internet. You should try it. If you go to the company registry site (www.kvk.nl for the Netherlands) crosscheck my number and name, you have all my details in screen. But instead you want me to pay extra money for papers, because you seem to like paperwork. This is what stops a lot of 'new players' to deal with you and move on to the next one. I once asked why they didn't want to check online. It was to 'keep my details safer'. Yes, details that are public on the internet do get safer when printed on paper. I'm lost on this one.
We don't do business with shops that are in an xx-km radius of another dealer
Ok. That dealer seems to be an online shop. So am I. Ehm. I don't even know what to say. Internet is the same street now?
The last one I got, I'm not going to mention. It was a special kind of something. I'm not allowed to talk about it even. Still trying to process that one in my brain.
Now I have to mention that the most oldfashioned way of dealing comes from Dutch Wholesale, so Dutch shops are forced to look abroad (yay for Dutch economy dropping...).
And before any wholesale accountmanager reading this thinking 'she doesn't know how things go around here', I used to have your job. I learned that catching a big fish is one good meal. Once the fish decides to leave, you'll be starving. Little fish tend to stay around longer if you treat them well.
