FLOOR ED
The Supplier–Retailer Connection:
Partnerships for Success
R
etailing has changed considerably in the past decades. We have seen many new com-
petitors in the marketplace. Buzz words such as mass merchandisers, big box stores,
category killer stores and now online retailers are dominating the retail scene.
By Margo Locust,
Publisher and flooring
Customers continue flocking to these stores
because of the “perceived” lower prices, as
well as seemingly larger selection. With the
presence of these discounters, business will
surely be lost for retailers in the vicinity.
The larger the store, the larger the portion
lost. With the loss of retailers, residents lose.
What does this mean to you? It means sev-
eral things:
retailer
Margo Locust began her
career in flooring over
35 years ago. She is the
owner and publisher of
Fabulous Floors Magazine,
a consumer publication.
In 2015 she returned to
the retail environment by
opening a retail flooring
store in Andrews, North
Carolina. Locust Trading
Company, a Cherokee
Indian-owned business
has had great success in
the residential, commercial
and contract markets. In
late 2016 she took over
the publishing of Premier
Flooring Retailer Magazine
for the WFCA, giving the
magazine a fresh, new
retailer’s perspective.
• Retailers selling the same kinds
of items will experience a loss of
business.
• Many retailers believe that their
product mix is the most important
thing, and it is the crux of their
business. They hang on to dear life
what they have done before, and
will probably continue to do so no
matter the consequences. Sadly, for
this group, death is inevitable.
• Retailers that sell items that are
different from the mass merchan-
diser can experience an initial loss
of business when the big box store
opens, but should eventually regain
their original customers, as well as
develop new ones. As long as retail-
ers are able to position themselves
as having something unique or dif-
ferent, they should continue to be
profitable in business.
• Differentiation is key to success.
22 Premier Flooring Retailer | Q3 2017
Wholesaler Connection;
Redefining Value and Service
As a retailer myself, most of my manufac-
turers reps are very involved in helping me
get jobs. They have and are available to:
• Meet with me and my customers
to explain products, warranties
and installation procedures
• Help source alternate products that
meet specifications from architects
• Help negotiate credit terms for big
commercial jobs that don’t neces-
sarily pay in 30 days
• Be available for ribbon cuttings,
grand openings, and private
events/clinics.
Below are a few things to think about:
• Who YOU are in the marketplace
can be very helpful to your supplier
in terms of product mix, programs,
incentives, product differentiation
and education. Do you know who
you are in the marketplace?
• No longer should your suppliers
just be seen as providers of products
and pricing, but instead be market-
ing planners and budget consultants
whose success is determined by your
bottom line.