Benefits of Skipping the Middleman When Buying To Businesses
Some wholesalers have adopted a business model where they sell directly to the consumer, as opposed to selling their products to a middleman like a retailer in order to provide less expensive products. Most of them are doing this online where the overhead is lower and they can reach a greater customer base than a designated store. E-commerce has been a norm for most companies that sell products and services and as a consumer, you benefit greatly from buying directly from the wholesaler rather than going to a retail shop. Not only does buying directly from the source online save you the trip to the store but it offers other benefits that are appealing to a customer.
Benefits of skipping the middleman
Save money
When a customer decides to purchase directly from the source, they are saving money by avoiding the percentage tacked on by a middleman like a retailer. Products that are sold by retailers have added costs built into the price such as transportation costs, storage, rent, and employee salaries. When a consumer can buy directly from the wholesaler, it is less expensive to ship that product direct and that saving is then passed on to the purchaser.
Personal service
No one will know more about the product or service being purchased than the manufacturer of that product or service. If you are buying something with no middleman, like solid wood furniture, you can be confident that the associate you have questions for will have intimate knowledge of the products. Companies like IconByDesign offer high-end, solid american furniture that they build themselves, so a consumer can go right to the source with any questions or requests for advice. This is much more personal than a sales associate in a retail store who may have never seen furniture being built or know the care and craftsmanship involved in the manufacturing process.
Help the environment
Although it might not seem like you are being environmentally friendly directly, you are in fact reducing carbon emissions when you buy direct from the source. This business model reduces the number of trucks on the road moving the products to retail stores, and the number of employees who need to drive to a location rather than work remotely taking orders online. This type of model has been enthusiastically adopted by farmers who avoid food spoilage and truck emissions by selling directly to the consumer in places like farmers’ markets.
When you turn your mind towards your holiday shopping, think about the convenience of being able to purchase what you want online directly from the manufacturer in the comfort of your own home or being able to buy from the wholesaler’s warehouse for a discounted price. The product is the same, but the price is reduced because there is no middleman tacking on a percentage to make the sale profitable for them. As a consumer, you deserve to save as much money as you can on the products you buy, so why put that money into the middleman’s pocket?