November 10, 2011

The State of Distributor Catalog Marketing

Leave a Comment / Sales & Marketing, Subscriber Only / Jim Tenzillo

A joint MDM-Real Results Marketing survey revealed that more than 65 percent of distributors still view catalogs as an effective marketing channel. But there are some that view print as dead or dying. The authors of this article examine the use of catalogs by distributors across sectors and what’s driving attitudes about print marketing in an increasingly digital age.

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Is print dead? Do distributors need to stop producing paper catalogs? Not so according to research conducted by Real Results Marketing with Modern Distribution Management. The results of a recent survey showed that over 65 percent of distributors (see Figure 1) who produce a catalog for their customers find that the catalogs are an effective channel.

Distributor measurements of catalog effectiveness primarily include return on marketing investment, customer retention and lifetime value, and secondarily include share of wallet and internal rate of return, according to the survey. Nearly 80 percent of distributors reported ...

Not a subscriber? This report is now available in the MDM Store as a downloadable pdf. The report includes The State of Distributor Catalog Marketing, The State of E-Commerce in Distribution, and E-Commerce and Catalogs: Fast Friends. Learn more or download now.

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Mid-Market Distribution M&A Picks Up in Latest Quarter

Leave a Comment / Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Companies, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

The distribution landscape continues to change, as large companies look to acquire mid-size companies to expand market presence or product offerings more rapidly than they have in the past.

“Those large companies have historically gone after the smaller players to grow incrementally,” says David Gordon, president of Channel Marketing Group. Gordon was featured in the October MDM Executive Briefing (available at mdm.com/executivebriefing). “Now they’re acquiring larger companies, from about $75 million to $400 million and taking big chunks out of the market.”

Three recent acquisitions have supported Gordon’s assertion: …

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Industrial Inflation Index: September 2011

Leave a Comment / Economic Trends, Research & Analytics, Top Distributor Sectors, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

Modern Distribution Management's Industrial Inflation Index measures a cross-section of industrial supplies.

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MDM News Digest 4121

Leave a Comment / Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

News briefs from Oct. 26 - Nov. 10, 2011.

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Download This Issue in pdf: Nov. 10, 2011

Leave a Comment / Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

This is the pdf of this issue of Modern Distribution Management. Apply the full $34.95 pay-per-view cost of this issue toward an annual subscription, which includes two issues a month plus access to more than eight years of online archives and market data. Call 1-888-742-5060 or email info@mdm.com to subscribe. Subscribers log-in to download this issue.

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Tip: In Lean Initiatives, Start by Defining the Problem

Leave a Comment / Free, MDM Blog, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

Too often, people forget to clearly identify the real problem before beginning to plan solutions.

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MDM Interview, Part 1: Grainger’s Take on the Market

Leave a Comment / Companies, Top Distributor Sectors, Facilities Maintenance (MRO), Subscriber Only / Lindsay Konzak

Chicago-based W.W. Grainger reported sales in the third quarter were up 11 percent, and sales in the U.S. up 7 percent, an ongoing positive trend for the distributor of MRO products. MDM Editor Lindsay Konzak spoke with Grainger Senior Vice President and U.S. President Mike Pulick about how the distributor views current market conditions, where it sees strength, product line and sales force expansion, and the impact of the recession on the role of the distributor.

MDM: How is the year going for Grainger?

Mike Pulick: Grainger’s having a great year. Overall in the U.S., our sales are up 8 percent year-to-date, and I really attribute that to the investments that we made during the downturn. These were investments that we made by adding more sellers. We’ve been rapidly expanding our product line and more importantly, I think, we have really protected our service to ...

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MDM Pricing Trends Report: Third Quarter 2011

Leave a Comment / Research & Analytics, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

This report was formerly called the Inflation by Commodity Group Report.

These product groups provide a snapshot of inflation trends based on the Producer Price Index from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Third quarter 2010 pricing levels are compared with third quarter 2011, and second quarter 2011 with third quarter 2011. This report is researched and produced by MDM editors.

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