NEMRA’s POS reporting initiative received significant distribution support last month when IMARK Group’s board of directors endorsed support for the standards, hence taking a leadership position in the importance of manufacturer reps. The Board motion encourages IMARK members to review […]
Upon reflection, the recent 2018 NAED National Meeting seemed to have three themes … disruption, digitalization and a sense that the association is moving from seeking to be inclusive and attracting new members to one focused on supporting “dues paying” […]
In honor of LightFair being next week, thought it good timing for a little “Reading Roundup” with a focus on lighting … tidbits we’ve heard and seen that relate to lighting: PoE, power over ethernet, was a topic at the […]
POS, defined as point of sale, is a decades old issue for the electrical industry. There are many reasons why customer-specific sales information isn’t shared between distributors and their manufacturers. While the information is withheld in many cases, a consequence […]
Over the past couple of years two major market forces have been roiling the industry. These changes create opportunity for some, channel challenges for others. The areas are price and LEDs. For years the price elasticity for electrical construction material […]
Quality product data is the difference between an “adequate” website and one with “quality” data that is valued by customers. And “valued” is determined by increased traffic, increased sales, a better search experience and being easier to be found via […]
Acuity’s recent quarter highlights a 6% (gross) sales increase but, in reading the analyst call transcript and reviewing the results, or what may be called “peeling back the onion”, there appear to be a number of questions. Analyst Call / […]
Customer satisfaction is a key element of a growth strategy as it helps support the retention of the business. And while everyone says they deliver quality customer service, measuring service performs and continuously seeking ways to improve can separate companies. […]
Promotions are a significant element of a distributor’s marketing plan, especially if the audience is contractors. A “do this, get that” mentality. Something to create increased awareness (or perhaps used to provide sales a crutch in talking to customers). In […]
According to a recent study conducted by Channel Marketing Group titled “State of eCommerce, Electrical Contractor & End-User Insights”, electrical buyers are accelerating their usage of online tools for product research, downloading of spec sheets, seeking pricing and checking inventory. […]
