quote: Apparently there are people importing and imprinting the glassware for less than most of us can purchase the glasses for wholesale. Has anyone else encountered this situation? How can we as suppliers and distributers deal with this type of competition?
Linda,
I would have to guess the that folks that are importing the glasses are importing them from China.....one can import things from China in less than container load and considerably cheaper than the same item can be had in America. I would venture to say that any of the sites you are looking at, do NOT offer "CUSTOM" engraving, but I could be wrong..I have not looked into it. But if they do, there would be a "lead" time I am sure....and they probably do not do the etching in house. It is darned near impossible to compete with that, and one would be wise in "my" opinion not to try. Yet we do.
So to answer your question as to "how" do we compete with that, I believe the ONLY weapon we have is SERVICE. We MUST provide THE best service possible...doing things our competition will not do, such as stay late to allow for a pick up, or to accept an order. Deliver, even if it is a bit inconvenient.....have a clean and varied showroom.... and NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK. Develop relationships. As Stephen Capper writes in one of the trade magazines, "People buy from People". You may not be the cheapest, but if you are the most personable, most professional, most prompt, most service oriented you WILL win.
Just my two cents. Want change?
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