Ecommerce and Multiple Distributors

Online sales can be problematic for companies who rely on a network of distributors. On one hand, business owners want to reach new customers, and an online store is a perfect opportunity. But on the other hand, opening an online store could anger their distributors, appearing to competing with them (or not just appearing, but actually competing). So nothing gets done. But this isn't a happy ending. Is there another way?

A new solution

Working on a recent project for a client company called Tail Tamer showed me another way. This retailer of pet supplies wanted to offer their products online, at a central location that they could control and promote, while maintaining their relationship with a network of resellers and distributors. An additional reason for the online store was that sometimes a distributor didn't have a product in stock that the store owner knew they could provide directly.

The answer was a service called Shopatron. This company handles fulfillment for just a situation like this. The online orders are processed on their site, credited to the Client's account, and then the order randomly assigned to one of their distributors. Should no one in the network be capable of fulfilling the order, then the order would be handled by the company owner directly.

What I offfer

I was able to build an ecommerce site with a custom design, and set of administrative tools for the client to manage their product catalog. Customers can browse products online, and add items to their shopping cart. When they are ready to checkout, the site redirects them to a secure checkout on the Shopatron account. Payment is taken and the order is complete. Behind the scenes, the order is passed along to a distributor for fulfillment.

Learn More

You can learn more about Shopatron on their site, and see if what they offer is right for you. And should you wish to explore their services along with owing your own custom ecommerce site, contact me.

• Web Tech