7 Reasons Why You Should Still Attend Trade Shows (And 4 Reasons B2B E-commerce is Here to Stay!)
In the old days (10 years ago and more), buyers for retail stores always “went to market” 2 or 3 times per year to do their purchasing. This was before buying on the internet became popular and accessible. No one thought about doing their ordering for the season online.
Fast forward to today, and it is, of course, a whole different ballgame. With the rise of B2C buying online becoming commonplace, B2B wholesale buying on the internet has become sophisticated and much easier for buyers and retail managers.
The main reasons for doing at least some of your wholesale shopping online include:
- Having the convenience of quickly comparing a vast array of products
- Shopping at your own convenience, in your own home, office or store
- Being able to budget an hour or two here and there to do your shopping – rather than needing a larger chunk of time away to attend a market
- Making convenient reorders with sales agencies and brands you already know and trust, for products you are confident will appeal to your consumers
On the other hand, there are some clear advantages of attending physical trade shows and markets:
- Nothing can compare to seeing, feeling, smelling, and tasting the products before ordering them. If you’re retailing physical products, seeing samples in real life is always much better than viewing an image of the products. In addition, you’ll be able to quickly surmise if your consumers will like them or not by examining them yourself!
- Take better advantage of your sales rep’s knowledge. You’ll learn so much from face-to-face contact with vendors and sales agencies about the products you’re selling, how to merchandise them, their competition, and the industry as a whole. So much easier than phone calls or emails!
- Trade shows have fun networking events where you can meet other retailers in your region or industry. These gatherings are a great way to learn from your peers. They often include complimentary hors-d'oeuvres and drinks too! At these events, it’s a bright idea to collect business cards for future collaborations with the attendees you’ll meet.
- Attend educational events at the show to learn about upcoming trends or specific how-to seminars such as merchandising displays or social media. Sure, you can find these events online, too…but it’s more fun and easier to ask the speaker questions when you’re there in person.
- Expect the unexpected and be inspired – you’ll find new brands you would never know about unless you attended the trade show. Undoubtedly some new products out of left field will catch your eye while you’re walking around the marketplace. These may become “the next big thing” for your stores!
- As you meet other attendees, vendors, or perhaps members of the press (they are there too!), you’ll have unforeseen chances to promote your business. So, bring along plenty of business cards and a one-page sell sheet about your operations to hand out.
- Easily compare competing brands to help you decide which one is best for your stores.Of course, you can do this online too. But there’s nothing like talking to the vendors and sales agencies in person to compare the finer points of each product line.
The savviest retail managers will use both virtual shopping resources and attend physical wholesale marketplaces, combining the two for the best shopping experience. For example, after attending a physical trade show to discover new products, find inspiration and gather information, you could go online back home a few months later and reorder best sellers through a brand’s B2B e-commerce site.
MarketTime offers leading sales agencies and brands the opportunity to reach their retail customers wherever and whenever those customers choose to shop. MarketTime is trusted by leading companies everywhere in the toy, gift, apparel, fashion, furniture, and many other industries. Whether powering efficient digital order writing in a showroom at market, enabling ecommerce through highly configurable B2B websites, or helping sales agencies manage commissions, MarketTime has the tools wholesale sellers need to power their sales. With MarketTime, sales agencies and brands can be in market all the time, ensuring their retail customer have a great buying experience. Be sure to learn more here!