Wholesale as a Success Factor: Modern Customer Relationship Management
Wholesale distribution plays a critical role in the modern economy, linking manufacturers and retailers.
Successfully capturing markets and retaining customers is, therefore, central to the growth and stability of a wholesale business. Although the market is highly competitive, there are innovative strategies that companies can use to capture markets and retain customers for the long term.
This article focuses on the key factors that have become essential to success in wholesale distribution, such as well-managed customer relationship management, its importance and what it entails.
It answers why modern customer relationship management is necessary, what systems and alternatives midsize wholesalers need, and why implementing an entirely new CRM system can disadvantage midsize wholesalers.
In addition to the well-known pricing strategies, you will also learn about the role of predictive analytics in pricing, especially for mid-sized wholesalers, why these companies can also reduce their churn rate through predictive analytics, and why AI is necessary.
Intelligent, Predictive Pricing: the Key to B2B Wholesale Success
Digitalisation is a blessing and a curse, an opportunity, and a threat. Nearly 900 German wholesale companies took part in a recent study by Roland Berger and the German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services Association (BGA). Almost all of them, 94%, believe that digitalisation is driving change in their sector. Two-thirds are aware of the challenges it poses.
In particular, the companies surveyed see themselves threatened by digital platforms when it comes to pricing (62%).
Artificial Intelligence in German B2B Companies - What do the Figures tell us?
Especially since the launch of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) in Germany has experienced another substantial boost. But what do the numbers say?
In this article, we look at the current usage of AI in German B2B companies, with a particular focus on B2B wholesale. We also look at what companies already using AI are reporting: What are their experiences?
Finally, we look at surveys that explore the assessment of the future importance of AI for B2B companies.
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Return on sales in B2B Wholesale – What is it and how to increase it?
"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare. It is because we do not dare that they are difficult." Lucius Annaeus Seneca, c.4 BC-c.65 AD.
Some of Germany's biggest B2B wholesalers have doubled their Return on Sales (ROS) after Corona, while others are struggling. Take, for example, the Würth Group, one of the biggest. Its Electrical Wholesale unit was particularly successful in 2022, reporting a growth of 25.0 per cent.
Is it hard to increase ROS? If Würth could, why not you? In B2B wholesale distribution, sales managers and executives must increase their return on sales (ROS) to remain competitive and profitable.
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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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How can AI help with labour shortage in B2B wholesale and manufacturing?
The importance of predictive sales software to address the skills shortage in Germany's specialist wholesale sector.
The shortage of skilled workers in Germany has reached alarming proportions and is particularly affecting the specialist wholesale trade. Sales managers and directors of specialist wholesalers in Germany are under great pressure as they face an acute shortage of skilled workers.
The Top 3 Predictive Sales Analytics Software for B2B Wholesalers in Germany
The rise of e-commerce has put much pressure on B2B wholesalers in Germany to optimize their sales strategies. With around 5,000 to 10,000 customers with 20,000 to 100,000 articles, it is challenging for wholesalers to predict customer behaviour, find the optimal price for each customer and profit from cross-selling chances.
That is why, for example, leading companies such as High Precision Components Witten GmbH, KIS Antriebstechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Armbruster Engineering GmbH & Co. KG and X-Bond GmbH & Co. KG have created a research consortium together with the Chair of Industrial Sales and Service Engineering (ISSE) and the Sales Management Department (SMD) at RUB.
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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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Artificial Intelligence in Wholesale
AI in Wholesale Distribution is a great opportunity and a challenge at the same time. In this article, learn about concrete use cases of AI in wholesale and their benefits.
Wholesale companies are an indispensable part of the economy. They represent an essential link between the economic levels of industry, trade, and retail. A quote from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung describes the situation of wholesale companies very well:
"The former pure delivery wholesale, which brought the goods of the industry to the retail trade, has become a modern service provider facing additional challenges. The modern wholesaler takes over warehousing, does shelf maintenance, acts as a lender and advises its retail customers on assortment issues."
The Top Challenges Facing the Wholesale Trade in Germany
What are the challenges faced by wholesalers in Germany from the point of view of their salespeople?
The wholesale trade in Germany is a vital sector of the economy, generating billions of euros in revenue per year. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of companies in wholesale trade (excluding trade in motor vehicles) in Germany has fallen continuously in recent times, most recently to around 135,000 in 2020. Turnover in wholesale trade also dropped this year to approximately 1.24 trillion euros.
SMEs represent around 99 % of all companies in wholesale in Germany. Among them, speciality wholesaling, also called specialist wholesaling, focuses on a specific product group and does not offer a wide range of products, as with assortment wholesaling.
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