Vendors

[sporty]

I wanted to start this topic, in a positive way and something to see what others feel.

I like many of the vendors and they offer good products.

But one thing that always is nerve racking for me. Is I find myself having to go to many websites to order what I want or what i'm looking for.

I wish more vendors sold a wider range of products. Why not cross sell ?

I would totally enjoy my shopping experience alot better, if I did not have to go to three or four online stores to get everything I need.

Vendors and online sellers, can you offer a wider range of products ? can something be worked out with different mfg of the goods, to better acomodate us customers ?

I mean I do not care if the price is a dollar or two more, if it saves me time and additional shipping charges. To have to go to three or four different vendors or online sellers to get what I all want.

examples-

I have to go to vendor (a) to get the lube I want.

I have to go to vendor (b) to get the axles I want.

I have to go to vendor (c) to get the wheels I want.

I have to go to vendor (d) for the wood I want.


I'm all over the place, costing me more money for the shipping.

Can you guys please try to offer a wider range of goods ?

Thanks

Sporty

[gpraceman]

Being a vendor myself and having been in manufacturing quality control in the past, I have a bit of insight to that subject.

There is a lot that goes into deciding what products to carry. How much of a profit margin will it earn me? Will it sell well? Can the manufacturer keep up with demand? Is it a quality product (product itself and the manufacturer's customer support)? How good is the manufacturer's quality control? Does it appeal to my "typical" customer? Am I going to get barraged by a ton of questions regarding this product (takes time away from other things)?

Also, a big issue is that inventory is $$$ just sitting on the shelf. Each year there is a lot of money forked out to stock up for peak season, which affects cash flow (especially for the smaller companies). Carrying multiple products that are very similar doesn't really make sense in that regard.

Back to the "typical" customer. The typical customer for many of these vendors is not the well informed person that frequents these derby forums. More than one choice can be confusing for these customers.

[gpraceman]

then on the other spectrum, many are on consignment. they do no have to pay up front. they pay when the product is sold or after so many days, if the product was not sold, they reuturn it.

I haven't heard of anyone in the derby world going on consignment. Many derby manufacturers are mom and pops that can't afford to make up product and having it sit on some vendor's shelf without getting paid up front for it. Even larger companies want to preserve cash flow and get paid up front. There is a lot of risk to doing consignment sales. That is entirely on the shoulders of the manufacturer.

[Stan Pope]

With the growth of "web merchants" (fewer "bricks and morter" overheads), the ease of shopping multiple vendors to fill my needs seems less of a bother than driving 50 miles east for one item and 100 miles west for another... or making prime-time phone calls or waiting for the "next available server" or sometimes getting lost in ambiguous answering machine loops.

Randy, thank you for your insights ... it makes me less critical of the suppliers.

[Kenny]

Where you sit is where you stand on this topic.

Each product life-cycle stakeholder see things very differently be they

Inventor: Wants to see their product succeed like it's their child. Emotional attachment. Compensation fuels more and new and improved.

Manufacturer (s): want to make it cheaply as possible, have no supply or QA problems, make a worthwhile margin, wants fewest and best distributors that don't bother the manufacturer with noise. Don't like competitors.

Distributor (s): wants it as long as it sells, has no problems, a high enough margin to justify inventory and shelf space, prefers exclusivity. They want no returns or hassles as stuff flies off the shelf with little sales effort. Don't like competitors.

Consumer: Want convenient access when they're ready to buy for a good perceived value. They want intuitive easy to use that meets with their subjective quality expectations. They want it to work as promised. Generally want competitors and pricing pressure.

Parasitic beneficiaries (media, etc): They just want to know and profit from the existence and use of the product. Only no no is disturbing the revenue source. Can't bite the hand that feeds them!

It's hard for your label not to influence your opinion about new products and exclusivity. It's human nature to sort out the "what's in it for me?" question which is influenced by a uniquely personal perception of value and how value is defined.

It's all a matter of striking a balance between all stakeholders in a for-profit enterprise in a capitalistic world combined with knowing where you are in a product's life-cycle and a markets competitive landscape.

[gpraceman]

Kenny,

Very good summary. There are definitely competing perspectives depending on where you are in that product supply chain.

[sporty]

Kenny,

That was just a fantastic real break down !

Thank you !

Sporty

[Jrob54]

I'm happy to just have choices and the ability to comparison shop. I know it's a hassle at times ordering from multiple places and it adds to the cost for shipping, but like Stan says, it's a lot better than having to drive there.