After last month's Ace show and with the recent article in Chain Store Age about Ace's expansion, we thought an article on selling into this industry  would be well received. The hardware channel, and particularly a powerhouse like Ace Hardware, offers incredible opportunities for manufacturers. But to truly succeed, you have to navigate its unique landscape of local ownership, face-to-face shows, and the constant need for efficiency.

Maximizing Sales Between Tradeshows

Trade shows are the lifeblood of many B2B businesses, offering invaluable opportunities to connect with clients, showcase new products, and generate leads. But what happens when the trade show season winds down? The answer lies in leveraging a robust B2B e-commerce platform like MarketTime to maintain momentum and drive sales throughout the year.

MarketTime’s Ultimate Pre-Show Checklist for Wholesale Trade Shows

MarketTime has become a staple at the nation’s biggest wholesale trade shows. Our team loves attending these industry gatherings and showcasing order writing and our B2B e-commerce platform to prospective clients and leading brands. But our team also understands that prepping for a big show or wholesale market can be hectic.

Already established in your niche wholesale market? That's great! But let's be honest – competition is fierce, trends shift quickly, and simply surviving isn't enough. You want to thrive, dominate, and become the undisputed leader in your field.

If you're a B2B business owner, it's likely crossed your mind that you need a strong, well-designed eCommerce platform. B2B sellers are rapidly prioritizing online selling solutions and with good reason. With the potential profitability and massive reach of online selling, who wouldn't want a piece of the action?

Is your B2B sales success guaranteed when you list on a bustling online marketplace? Think again. While those platforms offer visibility, they are not tailored to the complex needs of the B2B world. To truly cultivate lasting business relationships, maximize lead quality, and streamline your sales processes, you need a dedicated B2B sales solution. This powerful approach unlocks advantages that generic marketplaces cannot compete with alone. As we explore various sales approaches, let's consider the potential benefits of using a dedicated B2B platform. Meanwhile, online marketplaces can be a convenient launchpad and a useful tool alongside a solution specifically designed for B2B sales.

In the wholesale eCommerce world, connecting with new customers and helping them place their first order with your brand or agency is a wonderful experience. However, reorders, not one-off purchases, have the biggest impact on year-end revenue. With that in mind, you need to make it easy for retail buyers to place reorders by investing in a B2B omnichannel commerce platform. 

MarketTime has hit the trifecta in building a B2B wholesale software that connects and nurtures the relationship between suppliers and retailers via salespeople. Other digital platforms have erased the middleman but what they have failed to recognize is just how valuable a sales representative relationship is to the brands looking to sell wholesale on their digital B2B eCommerce platform. 

Wholesale brands in the modern economy must pay attention to credit card payments if they want to survive. Since credit card fraud, identity theft, and compromised data are on the rise, protecting the integrity of credit card transactions is crucial. If this data is handled correctly, retail buyers will retain trust and loyalty to your company.