B-to-B Goes ‘Plug and Play’
Fulfillment Freedom
For all of its customers — catalog, retail, wholesale — a benefit to working with United Receptacle is that it drop ships products to a customer’s door. Friedman of RTF Group lauds this tactic, saying it alleviates him from having to house and manage inventory.
United has two warehouses in Pottsville, Pa., as well as a manufacturing facility that produces merchandise and ships direct. The only products that aren’t always drop shipped are smaller items (e.g., wastebaskets) that come in multipack cartons. These items may be purchased by a wholesale distributor and broken down into smaller units before being sold, but that’s not the case with typical United products like waste receptacles.
The Web’s Role in the Sales Cycle
In addition to creating sample catalog pages, United provides materials for merchants to use on their Web sites. Distributors, catalogers and end-user customers also can refer to the United Receptacle Web site, “if they want a good, quick, in-depth review of the breadth and depth of the United bundle,” Friedman explains.
Other catalogers’ Web sites are another place United’s creative team sometimes finds its work in use. Says McCord, “We provide images to companies to use on their Web sites.” Additionally, United provides its entire database of product specs in an Excel spreadsheet to any catalog customer who wants to post that level of detailed information. Or a cataloger can choose to use only the information that applies to its business.
Online shoppers find United Receptacle products on various Web sites. For example, MedicalResources.com offers United’s Medi-Can step can receptacles with biohazard decals. CSNsupply.com sells United products to schools, churches and the corporate market. And IndustrialHouse.com sells United’s items for use in modern home environments.
“You never know where our products might turn up — a school, a hospital, an office. They all have a need for waste receptacles,” says Lesh. “And we offer them the best.”
