Special Offers From Suppliers

[Darren B]

Im just wondering if anyone is seeing more or less specials from suppliers.

We are always being contacted about special offers, i dont mean the sort spend £500 and get a free drill type offers, i mean products we dont normally sell, we might sell a similar item but not the one being offered. Most of the time these are end of lines, over runs e.tc and we have been good and shifting these.

Now with the current climate we are getting more than normal, i guess companies trying to clear out and generate some cash. I just wondered if others are seeing a similar situation and wether they are taking up these offers. We have a few at present, some go on the web some are counter sales only due to quantity.

Our sales are down on last year but nothing major our biggest concern is suppliers going under, we had it last year and lost our manufacturer of some glazing bars, our die's but no other company could use them

[george]

The value, or rather non value, of the Euro to the Pound has made a lot of difference (re suppliers) as well.

[chris ashdown]

We get plenty of special offers but find they are end of line etc and if we bother to stock them at low prices we just get loads of complaints I"I need to exchange etc" and sixe not available, also you sell the cheap lines and customers buy instead of the more profitable long term lines, so either way we lose

[Darren B]

With the kite side of things, i have seen huge increases with costs, the exchange rate plus the general rise as amounted to as much as 50% in some cases.

But these are offers from UK sources, the problem is being 100% sure its worth taking it on

[jont]

We had a great one yesterday from a long standing supplier. Their premium product (£195.00 each) is in very limited supply but massive demand so on allocation... normally we have to buy 360 of their main product (£25.00) to get 6 of their premium product. Fair enough.

As they are unable to shift the premium stuff we now have to buy X amount of this to be able to get the cheaper items! ... on top of the Euro and the duty increases. Nice.

[bamboo]

I have spoken with my biggest supplier today regarding this very issue and they think that it isn't worth the effort in putting out 'specials' as most retailers will take the view that the 'specials' are special for the very same reasons highlighted here.

They are looking into European markets, especially France as then have a French speaker in the company and received good feedback at a recent French trade show.

I guess you have to look at each individual offer on it's merits & work out for yourself if the product(s) on offer will move quickly enough to ensure you profit from the deal.

[Darren B]

your right, each has to be evaluted, but its interesting to see what other sectors are doing with the current climate.

I had expected a few more over seas sales, well i have a few extras on espensive items, and these i have put down to the exchange rates but not 100's mores the pitty

[RuralWeb]

What I have seen is importers running out of stock and not planning to restock as the exchange rates are so poor especially with the USA

[Darren B]

What I have seen is importers running out of stock and not planning to restock as the exchange rates are so poor especially with the USA

Interesting you should say that, a conversation with one of my UK suppliers today basically said the same thing, prices have gone up but they are not expecting stock for some items until april/may, yet these are normally in by now

[RuralWeb]

We usually buy container loads from bigger consignments but they have been put back to July at the earliest and there are zero stock levels now.

My wife has just been checking exchange rates as she is off shopping to Canada and they are terrible - about 25% less than august last year when we were last there.

[Darren B]

My bro keeps celabrating, he gets paid in dollars these days, so he thinks its great its like a big payrise to him.

[RuralWeb]

It's almost a complete reversal of ten years ago when I lived in Canada. I was paid in British pounds and the exchange rate was about $2.45 so I was rolling in it while the locals found things expensive!

[pnagames]

most of the offers from our suppliers are mediocre.

however we get the occasional brilliant offer which we cannot get enough...

we prefer to get discounts on quantities from our suppliers than offers.

[acompton]

I rarely see offers in my sector. As most of my products are produced in limited print runs, there is little need for end-of-line sales.
A year ago, there was a 3-for-2 offer on a particular manufacturer's range (a High Street name) - this was offered because everyone had complained that the margins were too small for the little shops to make any money.

[bamboo]

This week I have received more 'I thought you might be interested in my companies products' type e-mails from importers/wholesalers/distributors/manufacturers that I didn't know existed in the space of a week than I ever have in 14 years of retailing.