Cutting out the middle man

[justlead1]

It is intresting reading others views. Large material suppliers have skilled people to negotiate there buying. Small plumbing firms are to busy to earn via good deals. Mangers of merchants in general are only given information on a need to know basis, so there offer of a deal is only based on there knowledge.
Manufacturers are also owed large amounts of money by merchants, who dictate the rates once a manufacturer has geared up to supply there demands. With the introduction of on-line buying we will see manufactures selling direct, however it a massive gamble on there part, as the big merchants will threten with canceled contracts to bring them back in line. It just a question of time.
However once on line everybody knows best price so percentage profits are out the window. Selling you skills and knowledge is all that is left.

 

[oz-plumber]

The x managers will have technically 'stolen' 100's upon 100's of customer details.

They would also know how much each customer was paying for their equipment and the mark-ups of each customer.

They would most probably been on performance based salaries with bonuses for exceeding monthly sales / turnover.
So they have a foot in the door as to what to charge each customer individually for items sold to them.

The 'behind the scenes' deals that go on include reimbursements from maufacturers'
depending on the amount of stock sold of their product.

It's a whole other world that goes on behind the scenes of running a Plumbing Supplies business.

That's why I said - buy in bulk at the end of the month and get quotes from 2,3,4 or 5 merchants.
Someone may need desperately to make their month quota or their next level of bonuses.

 

[justlead1]

There are people in construction turning over a few million a year, who pay the monthly bills to merchants using American express card which give double air miles. Not a great deal of discount, but nice to book first class flights a few time a year.