Forte, one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of RTA furniture, was founded in Poland 30 years ago – and, thanks to a new delivery partnership, the supplier is now able to take its offer closer to more UK retailers than ever. Furniture News asked Forte’s national sales manager for the UK, Victoria Ross, to outline the new opportunities …
Buy big, or buy carefully? Despite the economies of scale, many retailers are unwilling (or unable) to justify the outlay and commitment that come with making bulk purchases in this trading environment.
With rising fuel and transport costs (and a desire to stablilise prices) prompting Forte to introduce a £10,000 MOV for customers buying directly from its factory, the supplier looked for ways to streamline its offer for stockists wishing to make smaller purchases – turning to established wholesaler (and long-term Forte customer) Daily Deals for a solution.
“Following extensive discussions, it was agreed that Daily Deals were the ideal partner to help us bring our offer closer to more retailers who may not want to buy in volume directly from Poland,” says Victoria. “Daily Deals will hold plenty of stock of our most popular lines, and will be able to supply customers without strict MOVs – giving retailers a larger (and more flexible) selection of furniture to offer their customers.”
Forte has agreed a transparent pricing policy with Daily Deals – goods will cost a flat +20% more than they would if purchased direct, and retailers will make their own transport arrangements with the wholesaler. Stockists will be given access to a tailored trade-only portal, where they will be able to see all available products in stock for rapid delivery. The product range can then be extended, adds Victoria, because Daily Deals is open to wholesaling any Forte product or programme a retailer wants.
Daily Deals operates through an extensive courier/delivery network, and is able to deliver directly to stores or to the end-consumer – from volume wholesale to drop-ship supply, solutions are available to suit most customer requirements. “Ultimately, their flexibility in the way they deliver was what made the partnership so attractive for us and our customers,” explains Victoria.
Daily Deals’ Andrew Parker adds: “We’ve been working with Forte for some time, and are excited to be able to offer more of their extensive product range to UK retailers.”
Customers are advised to contact Andrew or Gary at Daily Deals for further information on the various supply routes available to independent retailers, by contacting [email protected]. Alternatively, they can email Victoria, at [email protected].
Pictured: Bohol
