the state of wholesale merchandise businesses today...the state of wholesale merchandise businesses...
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1The State of Wholesale Merchandise Businesses Today
THE STATE O F
Wholesale Merchandise
Businesses TodayHow to Develop and Scale A More Profitable Wholesale Merchandise Business In Today’s Digital Retail Landscape.
Written & Presented By ASD Market Week
2The State of Wholesale Merchandise Businesses Today
Whether you sell fashion, gift, or general merchandise, cracking the code of what people
want to buy can be confounding in today’s robust and exhaustive e-commerce
marketplace. As a wholesaler, you are probably asking:
“How do I adapt to a marketplace that shifts constantly between in-store, in-person, and online?”
What’s more, larger retail brands are developing their own product supply chains overseas to
bypass independent distributors altogether. So how do wholesale merchandisers survive and
thrive?
To help you answer these questions, we conducted a three-month-long survey to determine the
biggest challenges facing wholesale merchandise business owners today, and organized our
findings into six easy-to-read chapters – each providing up-to-the-minute market trends as well
as advice from top retailers and distributors.
Despite a booming e-commerce ecosystem, 91% of total retail sales are still generated in brick-
and-mortar stores.1 Additionally, the demise of malls and major department stores has resulted
in an emerging population of small independent retailers and their business is yours for the
taking. As always, our goal is to give our customers the education and the business confidence
they need to be successful.
From conquering social media to mastering trade show marketing, it is our hope that this series
will get you off to a great and very profitable start.
Camille CandellaVice President, MarketingEmerald Expositions & ASD Market Week
1. On Solid Ground: Brick-and-Mortar Is the Foundation of Omnichannel Retailing. ATKearney Study, June 2014.
3The State of Wholesale Merchandise Businesses Today
Create and improve relationships with
the increasing number of independent
brick-and-mortar retail stores.
Get the 411 on how to become an
expert in product trendspotting.
Gain insight into the minds of
retailers across the country so you can
best address their wholesale needs.
Streamline your B2B online presence
to generate inbound leads and sales.
Learn about the most in-demand
manufacturing methods for a
smaller scale, quick-turnaround market.
Make the most of trade shows by
drawing more buyers to your booth and
maximizing your investment.
Six Immediate Reasons to Read This Series
4The State of Wholesale Merchandise Businesses Today
ASD Market Week’s 2019 Exhibitor Research Survey:
The Biggest Challenges for Wholesalers Today
Fashion / Accessories
Vendors23.1%
General Merchandise
23.1%
Gift & Home Accents12%
Jewelry12%
Souvenir / Novelties
/ Toys10.2%
To understand the biggest challenges for wholesalers, distributors, and importers who use trade
shows as their primary channel for sales and building accounts, we conducted a comprehensive
study in 2017.
We surveyed hundreds of ASD Market Week’s customers and interviewed dozens of wholesale
merchandise vendors and retailers to get to the heart of how wholesalers can stay profitable in
the face of an ever-changing business landscape.
The survey group included respondents that fell into the following categories:
5The State of Wholesale Merchandise Businesses Today
Building better marketing strategies
Finding and developing high-margin product
Online competitors
Exposure
Acquiring new business relationships
Tariffs
ASD Market Week’s 2019 Exhibitor Research Survey:
The Biggest Challenges for Wholesalers Today
Respondents were asked what their largest challenges were in growing their
wholesale businesses – here’s what they said:
This series is designed to help you address all of these challenges. Let’s get started!
48.1%
29.3%
20.3%
19.5%
19%
11%
6The State of Wholesale Merchandise Businesses Today
About ASD Market WeekASD Market Week is the largest wholesale market of its kind with 45,000+ attendees. A hard-working, order-writing trade event like no other. From mass merchants to boutique owners, from car washes to specialty chains, from salons to hardware stores to fashion retailers and everything in between, buyers come to ASD to buy. These buyers represent an unparalleled opportunity for you – to open new markets, grow your customer base and write new business.
ASDMARKETWEEKMarch 22-25, 2020August 2-5, 2020Las Vegas Convention Center
Ready to start your most profitable relationships? ASD Market Week provides the venue and all of the tools and education owners of wholesale merchandise businesses need for successful face-to-face meetings.
Develop relationships with brick-and-mortar and online sellers from around the world. Get in touch.
Inquire here to exhibit, network and learn how to grow your wholesale business:
I’m interested »
Have questions? Want to learn more? Contact us!
( +1.800.421.4511
6The New Rules of Building Strong Relationships & Partnerships