Why is it so rare for suppliers to keep an up-to-date product list? It should not be so difficult to show customers what products you offer and their prices. We all know that giving long product lists to customers (that more often than not, are put away and forgotten!) is not the answer.
Wholesale online ordering platforms make it easy to keep your product list updated giving your business a competitive edge. With an updated product list you can increase basket size and improve customer satisfaction which will facilitate business growth.
If you’re a wholesaler and still using outdated product lists, it’s time to make the switch.
Below are three key reasons why.
1. Outdated product lists are unhelpful for new customers
How do you share your product list with potential new customers? In an ideal world, there would be something simple, accurate, and well presented that you could share with chefs or a procurement team on request.
In our experience, suppliers share their product list with new customers by:
- Hard copy – this often has no pricing.
- Using a master copy – This sits in the office. Adding new items or crossing off invalid items is done manually by pen. Suppliers sometimes take a photo of this and share it with new customers.
- Sending a long excel file
- They don’t share a product list at all
None of these options presents your business in the best light. If you use a wholesale ordering platform like Fresho, sharing a product list is simple.
Fresho sets up a unique portal for each particular customer containing specific products created on an individual customer level. Fresho understands your platform should be tailored to the way you want your business to be presented.
You can maintain this level of consistency with up-to-date prices. Whether you are seafood, meat, or fruit and vegetable wholesaler, prices are easily updated on the platform. This can be done on a specific product level, or by making bulk changes and importing them back into the platform.
2. Customers want to see live products, prices, seasonality and specials information
As well as the point above, there are further benefits to having up-to-date product information. This is easy to do in an online ordering system, like providing additional product information.
Let’s drill into this a bit more.
Wholesalers often run specials and promotions for a limited time and they want their customers to know about them.
With Fresho, you are able to add a ‘Special’ or ‘Limited’ label onto each product to highlight a special price or a limited quantity stock. Once these labels are selected, your customers will see these products first when they place their order.
Instead of reducing customer interaction, online ordering can inform venues about what you offer and in turn, strengthen customer relationships. It allows you to move stock quicker with specials and avoids customer disappointment if they miss out on ‘limited’ products.
3. No product lists mean you miss out on increased basket size
Many of the customers Fresho works with – particularly within fruit & vegetables – stock hundreds, if not thousands of different products.
As a result, it’s nearly impossible for venues to remember what each supplier stocks.
With many orders still placed by phone call or whatsapp, there is little chance to discover new products.
Through a wholesale ordering system like Fresho, you are able to show off your full product list every time a venue places an order. Through a smart search filter, venues can see the whole range of products you offer.
If you don’t exhibit your items, the customer will never know what your business offers. With a product list, customers are exposed to new products and influenced to try new things which ultimately leads to an increase basked size. Typically, Fresho customers experience an uplift in basket size between 20-30%.
Want to set up an online product list?
Getting started with Fresho is a simple process. Once new customers join, Fresho works with you to upload your full product list into the platform. Fresho also looks at your order history and sets up ‘pantry lists’ – the favourite products from each customer – so it’s easy for venues to get started too.
