Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Why Hardlines is setting up Lowe’s vendor meetings
And why we're charging for it…
Faithful reader, many of you are asking me why we’re involved in Lowe’s efforts to connect with the Canadian industry.
Sure, Hardlines is in the information business. But that information is part of our central mandate, which is “Connecting the home improvement industry.” We have had the pleasure and honour of hosting this industry’s top buyers and vendors for more than a decade.
Over the past couple of years, I have invited the top home improvement retailers in Canada to participate in their own “Open to Buy Day”. I look forward to having the pleasure of seeing these invitations turn into future connecting opportunities for vendors.
Meanwhile, Lowe’s wants to connect with the wider Canadian vendor community, so they approached Hardlines to coordinate an “Open to Buy Day”. We agreed to a fee that Hardlines could charge the vendors. That fee pays for Hardlines’ time and effort to organize the event, book the rooms, schedule and manage the meetings, and provide the coffee and lunch.
Lowe’s does not profit from this event. But with two Hardlines kids in university and another two in the picky teenage daughter stage, Hardlines looks forward to providing you adequate value to earn a profit for our efforts.
If you’re a vendor, I hope to see you at the Lowe’s “Open to Buy Day” on Nov. 21 in Toronto. If you’re a retailer, I hope we can help you connect with new vendors in the near future.
Cheers,
Michael McLarney, Editor & Publisher
Hardlines
Faithful reader, many of you are asking me why we’re involved in Lowe’s efforts to connect with the Canadian industry.
Sure, Hardlines is in the information business. But that information is part of our central mandate, which is “Connecting the home improvement industry.” We have had the pleasure and honour of hosting this industry’s top buyers and vendors for more than a decade.
Over the past couple of years, I have invited the top home improvement retailers in Canada to participate in their own “Open to Buy Day”. I look forward to having the pleasure of seeing these invitations turn into future connecting opportunities for vendors.
Meanwhile, Lowe’s wants to connect with the wider Canadian vendor community, so they approached Hardlines to coordinate an “Open to Buy Day”. We agreed to a fee that Hardlines could charge the vendors. That fee pays for Hardlines’ time and effort to organize the event, book the rooms, schedule and manage the meetings, and provide the coffee and lunch.
Lowe’s does not profit from this event. But with two Hardlines kids in university and another two in the picky teenage daughter stage, Hardlines looks forward to providing you adequate value to earn a profit for our efforts.
If you’re a vendor, I hope to see you at the Lowe’s “Open to Buy Day” on Nov. 21 in Toronto. If you’re a retailer, I hope we can help you connect with new vendors in the near future.
Cheers,
Michael McLarney, Editor & Publisher
Hardlines
9 Comments:
Mike I think you are starting a dangerous precedent here for the industry. If the vendors support this initiative they could end up paying to see all of their other customers as well don't you think?
Michael don't you understand? These vendors do not make any profits on anything that they sell.
The concept of you actually scheming to make a profit at their expense is bordering on insubordination. Why don't you save everyone plenty of grief and simply call the fee a "fuel surcharge"? Everyone will make noise for two weeks and then it will be a non-issue.
Cheers from Nova Scotia!
Peter Korecki
President & CEO
Pierceys Building Supplies
Mike McLarney;
Atlantic Paste & Glue of Brooklyn N.Y. have agreed to pay the amount and now are waiting for a time for said appointment. We deemed it a good investment.
Now a more selfish note do you plan to do the same with other vendors like Home Depot, Rona etc.?
Looking forward to at least a coffee and maybe a lunch on the 21st.
Best Regards
Graham
No matter how you rub it is a scam. Your credibility has dropped precipitously. Denis McCully
Good explanation Michael. I am sure that will help to clarify the situation.
Thanks for taking the time to address it as sometimes vendors (and sales agents) “concerns or issues” are just simply ignored.
good afternoon Mike, hope all is well in your world. Mike, I see no reason why you would not set up these meetings. They are going to get there anyway--why not with you. I am just a little befuddled why anyone would oppose.
best regards
Michael
You go for it. Who said business publishers should not be proactive? Not me. No matter what you do you will always have detractors. "In subordination"? Some of your correspondents need to get a life and understand that capitalism is not self selective.
Ross Middleton
Group EditorMarketplace Press Ltd
I don't understand what the fuss is all about.
How much would a meeting with the right person cost? I think it is a good investment for a company wanting to sit and discuss business rather than taking the long route of phone tagging and so on.
GM
This is just another example of Retailers pushing costs onto the vendors - while still maintaining their margins. I don't have a problem at all with Hardlines setting up and managing the meetings. That's great. However, Lowe's should be paying them for the service, not the vendors. They're just pushing the work and the cost onto others... and as someone said, setting a dangerous precedent. Wake up folks...
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