1The New Rules of Building Strong Relationships & Partnerships

THE NEW RULES O F

Building Strong Relationships &

PartnershipsHow to Develop and Scale A More Profitable Wholesale Merchandise Business In Today’s Digital Retail Landscape.

Written & Presented By ASD Market Week

2The New Rules of Building Strong Relationships & Partnerships

With an increasing number of stores, strong relationships are more crucial than ever.

1. How Mobile Has Redefined the Consumer Decision Journey for Shopper. Think with Google, July 2016

The depth of your B2B relationships is vital to success

– especially between merchandise wholesalers and

retailers; strong personal and information-sharing

relationships between the two “sides” is now more

important than ever.

Foot traffic in retail stores has declined by 57% in the past five years but the value of every visit has nearly tripled.1

With foot traffic down and customer value up, retailers

are now compelled to look at each of their customers

differently – which also prompts wholesalers at

potential accounts differently. “Retailers are your

business partners to deliver your product to the world,”

says N. Coblence, an accessories and e-commerce

wholesaler, “they’re not just accounts.”

2The New Rules of Building Strong Relationships & Partnerships

3The New Rules of Building Strong Relationships & Partnerships

Trust and Responsiveness Are Critical

Despite the profusion of direct sales online, connecting to retailers on a human

level is essential to creating and sustaining successful business relationships. In

fact, store owners are demanding it. Barbara Vininsky, owner of the Jack and Jill

boutique in Montreal, says a proper B2B foundation must be relationship-driven:

“For me to open an account, the sales rep has to be attentive, friendly, responsive, creative, and trustworthy. We have to have a good rapport and act as partners if we’re going to do business.”

This B2B relationship is more personal than ever, and because of this, you have to

customize and personalize your services for your current and potential customers.

4The New Rules of Building Strong Relationships & Partnerships

Personalize Your Service: Listen and Listen MoreFilling in the gaps left unattended by the e-commerce giants and large retailers demands the

kind of personalization and customer focus that independent retailers are already providing to

their own shoppers.

When it comes to customers, Michael Lauber, President of Fiesta Toy, affirms, “We talk to our

retailers to see what they need to be successful and we try and meet those needs. We develop

toys with the margins that the retailer needs in mind.”

Charles Lee, CEO of Contempo USA, is even more effusive about how to create lasting

business relationships:

“Listen, listen, and listen more. Retailers have become increasingly more regional and specific to a particular customer base. As a result, they know what’s best for their customers and their markets. When we worked in a large volume, mass-market environment, we often led the customer to what was the next trend. Now, increasingly, we need to listen to the needs of our retailers and end consumers to produce products that cater to their market.”

By personalizing your service, you’ll also be treating the retailer the way he or she treats his

customers: with attention and great care.

PRO TIP: By listening to your retailers’ customers, you can set goals to anticipate the needs of those customers as fast – or faster than – your retail accounts can.

4The New Rules of Building Strong Relationships & Partnerships

5The New Rules of Building Strong Relationships & Partnerships

The Importance of Trade Shows and In-Person NetworkingOne of the most efficient ways to create and nurture these

profitable relationships at scale is to participate in trade

shows and networking events. These events are specifically

designed to foster face-to-face meetings with retailers.

Jennifer Holmes, co-owner of Jean-Marie’s, Tip Toes, and

Home & Company stores in Holland, Michigan, considers

trade shows to be an essential fast track to meeting vendors

and sharing information:

Not only have we found vendors [at trade shows] that are on top of the trends, but we have also developed great working relationships with them. Having these connections has helped immensely in providing knowledge and exceptional product with great profit margin throughout the course of our year.on top of the trends, but we have also developed great working relationships with them. Having these connections has helped immensely in providing knowledge and exceptional product with great profit margin throughout the course of our year.

6The New Rules of Building Strong Relationships & Partnerships

About ASD Market WeekASD Market Week is the largest wholesale market of its kind with 45,000+ attendees. A hard-working, order-writing trade event like no other. From mass merchants to boutique owners, from car washes to specialty chains, from salons to hardware stores to fashion retailers and everything in between, buyers come to ASD to buy. These buyers represent an unparalleled opportunity for you – to open new markets, grow your customer base and write new business.

ASDMARKETWEEKMarch 22-25, 2020August 2-5, 2020Las Vegas Convention Center

Ready to start your most profitable relationships? ASD Market Week provides the venue and all of the tools and education owners of wholesale merchandise businesses need for successful face-to-face meetings.

Develop relationships with brick-and-mortar and online sellers from around the world. Get in touch.

Inquire here to exhibit, network and learn how to grow your wholesale business:

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Have questions? Want to learn more? Contact us!

( +1.800.421.4511

* hello@asdonline.com

6The New Rules of Building Strong Relationships & Partnerships