small-LBS-friendly suppliers suggestions neeeded
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small-LBS-friendly suppliers suggestions neeeded
The shop I help run has been with SBS(now Accel group), and they just instituted a $100 min order rule. We can't afford to do that, especially when we can ONLY order what's needed due to finances. Owner is going to talk to other shops in the region to see if they would be willing to let us tag onto their orders, but I'm wondering what suppliers your shops use and what their min orders are. Suggestions/recommendations?
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So it sound like the shop hasn't been selling $200 of P&A, that you get from SBS, frequently enough to fit with the shop's ordering cycle. Most suppliers have some sort of min order amount. Sometimes this min shifts during the season (less in Winter) sometimes this min is flexible. Most of this depends on the volume the shop does overall and how their relationship (volume, past dues) is with the supplier. But at some point this is the cost of business.
I can't help you with NW based suppliers but in the NE and SE I've found that J&B Imports and Hawley to be small shop friendly in the past. Andy.
I can't help you with NW based suppliers but in the NE and SE I've found that J&B Imports and Hawley to be small shop friendly in the past. Andy.
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I have always been fond of J&B, BTI, Hawley and QBP.
I do not remember about the rest but QBP does not have any minimums and you can get nearly everything from there. Between J&B and QBP you should have access to nearly every request a customer comes up with. I would say if you are doing that small of volume pick just one or two distributors and try to create the best possible relationship with them.
One thing that was really nice with J&B was we were close enough to one of their distribution centers that they would deliver orders placed by Monday on Tuesday AM for free, they had a guy actually drive down to Colorado Springs from Denver with all the orders for every local shop so we got free next day shipping as long as the order was in by Monday afternoon. They did have minimums but it was semi flexible and pretty reasonable from what I remember.
I am not sure if I would have been willing to let another shop throw stuff onto my orders, competition aside, getting everything together for orders was already a bit of a headache but if it is another really small shop working a completely different niche they might go for it
I do not remember about the rest but QBP does not have any minimums and you can get nearly everything from there. Between J&B and QBP you should have access to nearly every request a customer comes up with. I would say if you are doing that small of volume pick just one or two distributors and try to create the best possible relationship with them.
One thing that was really nice with J&B was we were close enough to one of their distribution centers that they would deliver orders placed by Monday on Tuesday AM for free, they had a guy actually drive down to Colorado Springs from Denver with all the orders for every local shop so we got free next day shipping as long as the order was in by Monday afternoon. They did have minimums but it was semi flexible and pretty reasonable from what I remember.
I am not sure if I would have been willing to let another shop throw stuff onto my orders, competition aside, getting everything together for orders was already a bit of a headache but if it is another really small shop working a completely different niche they might go for it
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I am not sure if I would have been willing to let another shop throw stuff onto my orders, competition aside, getting everything together for orders was already a bit of a headache but if it is another really small shop working a completely different niche they might go for it
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I've used United Bicycle Supply quite a bit. Still do for some stuff, particularly Sturmey Archer. No minimums.
:: United Bicycle Supply :: Wholesale bicycle tool and parts company
:: United Bicycle Supply :: Wholesale bicycle tool and parts company
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Even as a Canadian customer, QBP and BTI guys are nice to work with. There is a distributor here in Canada that asked me for a $10,000 initial order for me to have their account setup. I laughed.
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