I was in the grocery store the other day picking up a few things and noticed that some of my wife’s selections were no longer being stocked. Instead, I noticed a significant increase in the visibility, and presumably SKUs, of […]
On Monday we presented at NEMA’s Small Manufacturer Forum, which was NEMA’s inaugural endeavor in serving this audience’s interest in small manufacturer networking. The event, according to all, was a resounding success.The quality of the speakers and the information communicated […]
The current economic environment is creating challenges for many distributors. The burst in commodity prices has significantly impacted distributor gross margins as they have rushed to move higher cost inventory. The financial effects of selling something for less than you […]
With many companies currently developing their 2009 plans, its important to remember that there are many opportunities to take share, drive revenue and improve profitability in this marketplace.In fact, history shows that companies that take a prudent, aggressive, stance in […]
Last week we touched on some of the challenges that the free-fall decline of copper can have on distributors. And the issue can be just as challenging for wire manufacturers, especially since they probably had to lock in raw material […]
With a drop of over 35%, copper is having a profound impact on distributors, especially with end of year coming up, and the future doesn’t look too good either. In less than a month copper has fallen from $3.32 on […]
The interest in green / energy efficiency continues and what started as a trend appears to be turning into a full-fledged opportunity for those who are willing to commit resources to pursue this market. Over the past week or so […]
Recently we’ve spoken to a number of distributors about the operational aspect of their business. A recurring trend is the interest in improving cashflow. While a group of distributors have focused on better managing their inventory investments, many are looking […]
I was speaking with a distributor last week regarding the opportunity to speak to their salespeople, and probably suppliers, at their upcoming Field Marketing Summit. Their desired topic is “How marketing can help / The role of marketing“. Our conversation […]
Interesting article in this month’s TED magazine entitled “The Myths of Buying Foreign Off-Brands” (article is not online). Interesting for a couple of reasons: The article is in TED, an association publication that includes manufacturers as affiliate members. This is […]
