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Orgill has outlined how it will utilize state-of-the-art technology to offer its customers a truly unique online buying experience this fall following the company’s decision to cancel its traditional Dealer Market in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
This week, Orgill announced further details about its e-Volution Fall Online Buying Event, which will make it possible for its entire retail customer base to take advantage of promotional buying opportunities, shop for seasonal merchandise and browse thousands of new products without ever having to leave their stores.
“We know there is no way for us to replicate the entire experience of attending our Dealer Market in person in any kind of virtual way,” says Boyden Moore, Orgill’s president and CEO. “In talking with many of our customers about this, we challenged our team to develop an online buying event that could efficiently deliver the buying opportunities for which our dealer markets are so well known. This new interactive platform in which our sales team and vendors can work with our customers is Orgill’s e-Volution, and will help us create an even better Dealer Market experience in the future.”
The e-Volution Fall Online Buying Event will take place during a two-week window, running from Aug. 24 through Sept 4. During this time, retailers will be able to access the event through Orgill.com (or Orgill.ca in Canada).
Through the e-Volution platform, retailers can easily browse through a variety of buying opportunities, including: warehouse item and pallet specials, Door Buster Booking, drop-ship event specials from Orgill vendors, and a Fall Spotlight area with a range of other buying and booking opportunities.
Additionally, retailers will also be able to visit vendor’s “online booths” and even set appointments with vendors to discuss their product lines, product trends and more, according to Jeff Curler, Orgill’s senior vice president of purchasing.
“This new technology is going to make it easy for our customers to tap into all the buying opportunities they have come to expect from our Dealer Markets but in a more deliberative fashion and while not having to travel or leave their businesses,” Curler says. “We are currently working with our vendor partners to help them get their individual areas prepared for the event and to ensure that our customers have a seamless experience using the e-Volution platform.”
While the Online Buying Event itself is live during a 2-week window, Orgill will use the broad reach of its field sales team to help ensure that retailers are prepared to get the most out of the event.
“During the two weeks prior to the actual Online Buying Event (Aug. 10-23), we have another 2-week window where our sales team will be helping retailers prepare for the e-Volution buying window,” Moore says. “This will be key to helping our customers have a successful experience with the e-Volution event, and with more than 400 sales representatives ready to help walk our customers through the experience, we feel we are up to the task.”
During this preparation period, Orgill’s sales representatives will be able to help customers identify buying specials, set appointments with vendors and prepare a plan in advance for when the buying window opens.
In many ways, the e-Volution Fall Online Buying Event is a testament to how Orgill is harnessing technology to provide solutions for its customers. Other examples of Orgill’s recent tech-focused solutions include the rollout of its BrandBase™ marketing program; an industry-leading integrated e-commerce and product data program; and more recently, its next-generation loyalty program FanBuilder™.
“Our mission is to help our customers be successful,” Moore says. “While this simple premise hasn’t changed, we realize that technology is a growing part of how we go about achieving this mission. I think when you look at the programs we are rolling out and the efforts we are undertaking to live up to our mission, you will see technology playing an increasingly important role.”
