Many electrical distributors promote that they are “full service” electrical distributors, inferring that they offer a range of electrical products. Many successful distributors have expanded the definition of “full service” to mean: they sell electrical products that are applicable for […]
Over the past couple of weeks Eaton has made a couple of moves that should be of interest to electrical distributors. One was M&A oriented, the other was a marketing strategy to support one of their customers / channels. Both […]
A few years ago we did some research about private labeling in the electrical industry, which still attracts callers. They mainly inquire about non-electrical distributor web sites that offer all sorts of product. Occasionally we get calls from contract manufacturers […]
Now that the first half of the year is complete, many management teams are reviewing their numbers and thinking “how does my performance compare?” and “what do I need to do to achieve my 2010 objectives?” Each quarter MDM and […]
Last Friday’s unemployment figures along with the number of people who went off unemployment benefits gives all of us an indication that we are in for a long recovery. Even retailers are having a hard time getting people to spend […]
Now that we’ve celebrated Independence Day and at the same time have seen the 2009 PAR report, we can safely conclude that Ben Franklin, one of our founding fathers, who is also known for his kite experiment, must have been […]
A topic that is near and dear to all distributors’ heart is their “unique” pricing to their customers, especially over the past 18 months. For some distributors it is the only way they know how to “market” their company. And […]
Distribution CapacityMany complain there is still too much distribution capacity in some markets, which means that businesses are continuing to use price as the determinate to get business. Some consider it taking market share. But is it really? Or are […]
As many know, lighting represents 25-30% of a distributor’s sales. Lighting is typically defined as lamps, ballast, and fixtures (and some people add in lighting controls). It is an important part of a distributor’s business albeit lighting projects are frequently low […]
The art of reaching new customers is a challenge for many distributors. Frequently I hear we know everyone in the market we’re doing business with everyone we want to we know who pays their bills they are not our type […]
