Suppliers think the best thing about working with independent retailers is the trust consumers have in their judgement and advice, according to a kbbreview industry survey.
The survey revealed that 81% of KBB suppliers agree with this statement, which represents a big increase from the 61% who said the same in the 2020 survey.
When asked to comment on what they specifically liked about retailers, one anonymous responder said, “They can make business decisions.” Another said that independent retailers have “no major brand preference.”
Suppliers were also asked how well they felt their company communicated with retailers over any supply issues. A huge 84% rated themselves either ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ but, when retailers were asked to rate their supplier’s communication, only a third agreed with that self-assessment. One supplier said: “We tried our best with what information we had, but sometimes it just wasn’t there for us to pass on.”
Every two years, kbbreview runs a survey for KBB retailers and manufacturers to gauge the state of the industry and identify its significant issues and concerns.