The Sell-In Quagmire - the problems with sell-in communications - Brief Article

Home Channel News, July 3, 2000

Some say the sell-in communication process resembles a bowl full of spaghetti

It's never been easy to get in front of busy retailers. And consolidation hasn't made it any easier. In the words of one executive, the lines of communication in selling-in new products resemble "a bowl full of spaghetti -- all twisted and tangled." Hoping to untangle the sales logistics process, NHCN gathered leading home improvement industry suppliers together in Chicago to talk about the key issues that make sales logistics so time-consuming and costly today.

Among the topics discussed were:

* the need to get new products into the supply pipeline more quickly;

* the lost time in communications between retailer and vendor;

* the special difficulties of category management;

* the product-line review process;

* the purchasing differences between big box and regional dealers; and

* the potential effect of the Internet on retailer-vendor relations.

The roundtable, which was held in May, was sponsored by OpenShelf.com, a new business-to-business Internet company based in San Francisco. Don Longo, editor of NHCN, moderated the discussion. The participants were:

* Kathy Syms, marketing manager, fluorescent lighting division for Philips Lighting;

* Scott DeShetler, retail business manager, insulation group for Johns Manville;

* Elizabeth Benham, vp-sales marketing for Suntuf;

* John Shields, North American sales manager, Consumer Products for MSA Safety Works;

* John Quinn, marketing manager, MSA Safety Works;

* Bill Newman, vp-sales, Arrow Fastener;

* Jean Butler, vp-marketing, Yorktowne Cabinets;

* John Primavera, vp-marketing, Red Devil; and

* Mike Ryan, vp-sales and marketing, Builders Edge.

Also on hand were the roundtable sponsors, OpenShelf.com, represented by Andrew D. Ive, CEO, president and co-founder; Daniel J. Moore, co-founder; and Peter J. Greenland, vp-sales and vendor relations.