Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Retailers know what they want their relationships with sales reps to look like, and their participation in a North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) study offers insight into their preferences.
About 69 percent of home improvement retailers prefer sales reps to represent only two or three product lines, according to the study. Also, nearly 53 percent of independents feel that there are not enough manufacturers’ sales representatives calling on their businesses.
Nearly 38 percent of study participants say reps should visit their stores less often than once a month, and another 21 percent prefer visits once a month.
These findings come from a 2014 NRHA study and represent just some of the types of research the association will be sharing with the industry at its first State of Independents Conference. The event is scheduled for Dec. 10 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago.
The one-day conference will provide attendees with a broad picture of how independent home improvement retailers are faring in today’s market, what they see as their growth challenges in the future and how they view their relationships with their manufacturer and distributor partners. NRHA will present this information through proprietary research, panel discussions with leading independent home improvement retailers and networking opportunities.
For more information about the State of Independents Conference, or to register and take advantage of discounted early-bird registration rates, please go to www.hardwareretailing.com/soic. To learn more about the event or to inquire about any NRHA research, please contact DanT@nrha.org.
