A little bit of a “mishmash” of things we’ve been thinking and seeing recently that we’d like your thoughts on marketing funds, Infor and GE Automation (and Industrial). Marketing Funds (Co-op and MDF) – distributors love them (and think they […]
What does Rexel’s U.K division, (also known as Newye & Eyre), Lutron, Rockwell Automation, Philips Lighting and probably a few other industry companies have in common? They are all preparing to market to a new generation of customers with enhanced […]
Lately we’ve been talking to a number of manufacturers about what they are seeing in the market and what their initially planning thoughts are for 2010.While most feel that the market has stabilized (and in some cases seeing a little […]
Years ago the electrical industy viewed Home Depot as a major threat. First it was a case of DIY customers and smaller contractors leaving electrical distributors for a more convenient retail experience and most recently it was Home Depot’s foray […]
We’re hearing from a number of sources that a number of the national chains, specifically Graybar, WESCO and Rexel (and possibly more) are selectively closing branches, primarily in what one manufacturer calls the “sand states” (Southwest / West Coast). This […]
A little bit of an “around the industry” to get the week started: IDEA is going through some personnel changes (and interestingly, just before its E-Biz Forum). After over 35 years in the industry, the last seven as IDEA’s Director […]
Grainger continues to invest in its website as it prepares to introduce its latest iteration.We recently received an email announcing that the new site will be “up and running” in the next few weeks. The site will feature: Improved searching […]
48 years ago, Pete Seeger wrote a song that is making a comeback in the electrical industry. While he called his song “Where Have All The Flowers Gone?”, in the electrical industry we might call this “Where Have All The […]
Consider these comments from senior managers. Do they sound familiar or are reminiscent of your market? “efforts to use limited discounts to lure customers to full-priced items don’t work” “aggressively marketed price reductions help keep sales momentum” “shoppers have been […]
