The Most Important KPIs in Distribution and the Influence of AI
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are also used to manage companies in the retail and wholesale sectors.
AI in the form of predictive analytics can establish correlations between individual KPIs and thus provide recommendations for action.
Numerical parameters are necessary to understand the current situation of a business. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are indicators that can be used to measure and determine the performance or degree of fulfilment of pre-defined objectives within a company.
B2B Wholesale & Distribution in Germany: Insolvency.
In the ten years leading up to 2020, the German wholesale industry saw a decline of around 34,000 businesses, as reported by the Statistisches Bundesamt. So has the total number of companies in wholesale trade (excluding trade in motor vehicles) in Germany fallen continuously in recent years, most recently to around 135,000 in 2020. Farewell wholesaler?
This depressing trend has been exacerbated by a recent uptick in insolvencies among industrial wholesale and retail companies, with several prominent names filing for bankruptcy. One of the most striking examples of this phenomenon is the collapse of the Praktiker umbrella company in 2013. Another recent sample, Ludwig Leuchten GmbH.
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Data Mining ERP in B2B Wholesale & Distribution
B2B sales managers and managing directors of specialised wholesalers in Germany face many challenges in today's competitive business environment.
The rise of e-commerce has made it necessary for wholesale distributors to leverage data mining in ERP to stay ahead of the competition.
By analysing wholesale customer data and implementing artificial intelligence in their ERP, B2B wholesale distributors can gain valuable insights into customer behaviour, identify the most profitable products, and find the optimal final price for each customer. They can also retain customers before they lose them.
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The History and Downfall of a German Wholesale Company "Wollschläger" - Part 4
It continues with the last part of the story and the downfall of the wholesale company "Wollschläger". What can wholesale companies learn from this? Click here, if you have not read part 3 yet.
The history of Sanistål dates back to the mid-19th century when several Danish metal entrepreneurs joined forces through a series of mergers.
In 1853, A. Schjøth started his business in Vejle. Twelve years later, L.S. Lange started selling castings in Aalborg. He would later take over Schjøth’s business.
The History and Downfall of a German Wholesale Company "Wollschläger" - Part 2
It continues with part 2 of the story and the downfall of the wholesale company "Wollschläger". What can wholesale companies learn from this? If you have not read part 1 yet, click here.
If acquiring an entire company (Essener Arbeitsschutz GmbH in 2007) was not a complex project already, the introduction of SAP (ERP, EWM, PI and BI) followed in 2009. In the same year, Haberstock left Hamburg for the headquarters in Bochum to work in controlling and in the e-procurement business area, under the name of fuxx4trade.
The Wollschläger Group now had 12 branches throughout Germany and employed over 600 people, including 130 sales field experts.
Establishing Private Labels in the Wholesale sector: This is What Matters
The development of a private label can mean additional sales potential for wholesalers. But before this can happen, a few basic considerations are needed to ensure that the private label brand does not remain a slow seller.
When wholesalers decide to develop their own brand and include it in their product portfolio, they do so to differentiate themselves from the manufacturing industry. Their own brand or private label is then generally a product or a product range that the wholesaler offers under its own brand name and thus competes with branded products.
These private label products are usually cheaper than branded products because third-party products are more expensive to buy due to the manufacturers' additional sales and marketing costs.
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Interesting facts and statistics about B2B wholesale and manufacturing in Europe
Facts and statistics about B2B wholesale, distribution and manufacturing in Europe & Germany
Distribution in Europe is a significant job provider – 10 million employees. It works at the centre of the continent’s economy, covering almost all goods and services.
Most of the general public probably ignores the role of distribution on the European landscape, although it plays an essential role as the interface between importers, manufacturers, retailers and service providers.
Artificial intelligence in Retail - What can Wholesale Learn from Retail?
How is artificial intelligence (AI) being used in retail and what can wholesalers take away from it?
In this post, I will describe a real-world example of a case in the realm of artificial intelligence in B2C retail. You will learn about the opportunities and challenges that were encountered when using AI systems.
Of course, it is particularly interesting to see which factors can be transferred to B2B wholesale.
E-commerce trends: why German wholesalers are the next victim of e-commerce
B2B E-commerce in Germany keeps growing – good or bad news?
The Business-to-Business wholesale trade in Germany and the world has changed considerably over the last years and has proven to be exceptionally flexible. It is under a growing threat, nevertheless.
Several trends underpin its transformation. New forms of industrial distribution are emerging, and big manufacturers offering e-commerce are choking the middle-guy. Wholesalers are creating tangible value for their customers while providing new services, not only logistic ones.
How to Drastically Improve Margins in Industrial Distribution with a Predictive Sales Software
Predictive Sales Analytics helps increase customer lifetime value in B2B distribution.
New customer behaviour and innovative technologies are having an impact on wholesale and distribution businesses worldwide. Manufacturers looking for more efficiency and customers demanding omnichannel experiences at the lowest price push companies to their limits.
The addition of these disruptive forces, partially enabled by new technologies, means substantial margin pressures.