How retailers like to buy
Marketplaces, social channels – the landscape may have changed but for retailers it’s the traditional show format that remains the most important when it comes to sourcing brands and product.
This was the verdict in a Talking Tables survey of customers carried out this autumn.
Shows
Asked how do you most like to be sold to, 31per cent answered trade shows, this was closely followed by visiting brands’ trade websites at 30%, and Faire at 20%.
New brands
And when it comes to finding new brands, shows are way out front, with 57% of the retailers favouring them, compared to 23% for marketplaces, and 11% for brand trade websites. Social channels were relatively unimportant, registering just 7%.
Choosing a brand
Primary considerations when it comes to choosing a brand are design and realistic minimums and carriage paid – both at 29%. Exclusivity in area came in third on 19%, followed by value for money (11%) and sustainability (7%). Interestingly, no one called out promotions.
Faire
Promotions also didn’t figure highly for Faire either, with Market Week trailing in sixth place in terms of popularity. First was finding new brands, followed by payment terms, then free shipping, being a one-stop shop and then invoicing.
This Talking Tables survey was sent to our newsletter and customer base and received 79 replies.
Talking Tables will be exhibiting at the following UK shows in the New Year:
You can find us on Faire.
