Marco Update!
I know there are others on the forum that were pretty excited to hear that Marco/Discount Trophy was going to be opening a warehouse in the Kansas City area. To date, I have heard plenty of stories about the inconsistent inventory levels.
I spoke with a national representative for Marco to determine whether their inventory issues were something that was standard practice. The response was as evasive as would be expected.
I spoke with Aaron, who manages the warehouse in Kansas. His answers seemed very honest and direct.
He indicated that he only got about half of the warehouse set up with shelving before the busy season kicked in. It was only he and a second employee who were handling the operation, which put a quick stop to the completion of their set-up. He said that things have slowed a little and he will be focusing on getting the balance of the shelving up, which will allow him to get his inventory levels up.
I asked him if he was required to stock all of the items in the catalog. He told be that was his goal. That tells me that it is optional.
The order I placed today was for six different items. To complete the order, the items would need to have been shipped from 3 different warehouses. I ended up ordering the items they had in Kansas, and canceling the balance. I now have to contact my customer to make alternative plans.
Unless Aaron is able to buck the trend of what I see in the other Marco/DTC warehouses, I don't see the company ever becoming more than a back-up source to companies like JDS or Plastic Plus. |
