
People with hardware products always ask me how to become Ace Hardware vendors. But for some reason people with gift items never do?!
I say this because most people think that Ace Hardware only sells hardware products but that’s not true at all! They actually have a variety of gift items in their store as well. Every time I go into an Ace Hardware I’m always amazed at all of the new gift products they have.
One great reason to consider selling to Ace Hardware is that they typically buy on a local level. This means that each store owner/ manager has the ability to buy for their particular store.
Why does that matter to you?
Well if you are nervous about selling to chain stores because you are not sure you can handle their purchasing volume, then selling your product on a local level can make all the difference! The buyers tend to buy smaller quantities so you don’t have to worry about volume, but you still get the ability to say that a big chain store bought your product! Woohoo!
I had one student go from one Ace Hardware store to another selling his products. Today he is in Wal-Mart and many other chain store retailers! He leveraged his success with Ace Hardware to get into other chain stores. Yay!
So if you have a product that you think would be perfect for chain stores, why not check out your local Ace Hardware? It could be a great way to get started!
To Your Success,
Karen Waksman, Retail MBA Brands
