Why has The Ruby Orchard stopped ordering from me??!
Dear Creative beings… a post just for you!
When I choose new products I am betting that my customers will simply love your creations, it is always a gamble and I cannot be certain that your products will sell at The Ruby Orchard, I can’t say for sure until they are actually on my shelves! So, you got your foot in my door, you did a great job submitting and convincing me your products were worth a shot, I placed an order, and you are a Ruby Orchard supplier!
Here is the bad news, I cannot guarantee that I’ll be placing order after order and will remain a stockist, If you’ve only had one order, then months of silence, you might be asking why?? It sucks, but it happens to every supplier on a regular basis – even the big ones. Here are a few reasons why sometimes I stop ordering and some tips on what to do…
// I really, really love your work, but my customers just don’t get it. It is sometimes such a pity, but all you can do is move on, find an area and customer base that does get it.
// I might be taking The Ruby Orchard in a new direction, trying a different style and vibe for the season. Do you have a new collection? A new item? A special offer or an idea for an in-store event? Let me know that you also have a new direction!
// I might have found a similar product range that is simply better value. It might be worth looking at your costings and base wholesale price again, if you can reduce your wholesale price without reducing your profit I might rethink the product range!
// Money might be tight so I might only be buying items that I know will sell quickly. Give me some time to get through the quiet months, then get in touch again.
// I didn’t hear from you, I forgot about you! If you haven’t checked in with us for a long time, there’s a good chance we found another supplier to replace you. We are not short of options! If you made it on my shelves once, you can probably do it again. You know I like you and that your work sold well, so get back in touch.
// Some of you super-duper creative suppliers are just a joy to work with. You respond quickly to queries, you delivery your products by hand, your catalogues and order forms are so easy to use, you keep me up to date with new products, you publicise my little shop on your social media spaces… I would like to say I don’t have favourites, but I do! Do these things and you too will be on my fave list!!
// I’ll be honest. Sometimes I just get bored. I get tired of putting the same stuff on my shelves. Our customers get tired of seeing it too. I get bombarded with emails and pitches for new items every single day, so add a fresh twist to your existing best-sellers to keep me interested!
Hope that helps! I couldn’t have The Ruby Orchard stocked without you, Thank you for supplying me and I’m sorry if I forgot about you!