Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Michael Parr, Cascade Wholesale Hardware, left, meets with Mark Marotto, Perfect Vision, at the 2013 GMC in Atlanta.
Distributors affiliated with PRO Group, Inc. and Val-Test met with manufacturers during the Group Merchandising Conference, held June 17-19 at the Embassy Suites Atlanta/Centennial Olympic Park to network and preview products.
Over the course of the two-day event, 962 private 30-minute buyer/vendor appointments were scheduled. Attendees included 150 distributor and manufacturer attendees.
PRO Group, Inc. CEO and owner Steve Synnott said one third of the manufacturer companies registered for the 2013 Group Merchandising Conference were attending for the first time, which shows they are enthusiastic about two-step distribution and indicates hope for strong sales. Many product categories are trending strong, depending on weather and other regional factors, with some product categories standing out, he said.
“We are seeing a lot of excitement in the pet and lighting categories, and our vendor partners are excited about being in front of distributor purchasing agents here in Atlanta,” he said.
