Have you started a brand new company in which material handling equipment plays a key role? Perhaps you’ve expanded your current company’s capacity to handling materials and need to add to your material-handling equipment system? Maybe you have not upgraded your organization’s collection of material-handling equipment items for some time.
Whatever your reason, it’s always a good idea to buy your material-handling equipment items in bulk. Not only will you save on shipment costs, you will also get savings on a cost-per-unit basis as well.
Why Buy in Bulk? What Are the Benefits?
You might wonder why wholesale material-handling equipment suppliers are willing to reduce their costs when you buy in bulk. There’s one simple answer to this question – you save them money! There are a load of processes involved in the supply and shipment of items, and each process undertaken by a supply company to ship an individual item obviously costs them real money.
It’s therefore much easier for them to supply a range of similar items in one large order rather than supplying them item-by-item over a long period of time. They will save time, and will have resources available that they can use elsewhere. They should be willing to pass at least some of the savings they make onto you as the buyer.
It Builds Good Business Relationships
In addition, successful companies include those that look to establish mutually beneficial long-term relationships with their customers, instead of seeking to make money on a sale-by-sale basis. Companies like to engage with customers who will purchase from them time and time again, especially if such purchases are likely to be sizable. In order to gain your trust, they should offer you discounts for repeat and wholesale orders.
Having said all this, how do you know which material-handling equipment suppliers you should trust, and which one you should stay away from?
Here is our ultimate checklist for buying material-handling equipment in bulk.
Is the Supplier Interested in Your Cash More Than They’re Interested in You?
You may think of your favorite coffee shop as a sales outlet. You are going in to purchase a cup of coffee, after all, right? But there’s more to it than a simple sale – your coffee shop is a service provider.
You should look at the supplier of your material-handling equipment in the same light. Again – they are looking to sell to you, but they should also be looking at providing a service to you, and that service should go beyond simply selling you material-handling equipment in bulk.
Are They Genuinely Interested in Why You Have Contacted Them?
They should be interested in what you do, and what you will be using the material-handling equipment you purchase for. That way, they can be sure that they are providing the correct equipment, or the best-performing equipment for your needs. Don’t be put off if it seems they are trying to sell you equipment that is a little more expensive than the items you’ve decided to purchase. Just remember, they probably supply material-handling equipment to many companies, so it’s quite reasonable to assume they know what they are talking about.
If, however, you find that they are constantly trying to sell you items that are genuinely beyond your budget, then you may need to go elsewhere if you’re looking to make a purchase.
Can They Provide the Names of Other Companies They Sell to and Testimonials?
A successful company will have a list of companies they sell to. However, the biggest companies are not always the best, especially if you are a small local company or a brand new company. Big companies like to deal with companies that are just as big because they have confidence of that company’s survival, so they don’t often give the same level of service to smaller companies.
You can guide your way around this by asking for testimonials, or to be put in contact with a business that has dealt with the company you are hoping to supply from on a regular basis. If you can, ask to deal with a company that is of a similar size to your company, or has similar needs to yours. Don’t be afraid to ask lots of pertinent questions – unless the company you speak to are direct rivals, then they should only be too happy to help.
Do They Offer a Wide Range of Material-handling Equipment?
Your entire end-to-end material-handling system is likely to consist of many different items of equipment such as conveyors, fork-lifts, pallet trucks, storage systems, drum-handling equipment, etc., and you’ll save both time and money if you can supply as possible from a single source. Doing this will free you up to concentrate on different matters, and will mean that your whole operation will be up and running in the quickest timeframe possible.
Therefore, it’s advisable to work with a company that can supply as much of the material-handling equipment you are looking for in one large order, rather than on a piece-by-piece basis. The more items you can order in one order, the larger your bulk purchase will be, saving both you and the company you are supplying a great deal of cash.
Buying More Saves You More!
Buying in bulk can seem like quite a daunting prospect as you will be making a sizable purchase. However, if you adhere to the tips laid out above, you’ll give yourself the best chance of prospering, and of making a satisfactory purchase.
Here at Douglas Equipment, we can supply many different types of equipment from some of the biggest and best names in the business. Just call us today at 1-800-451-0030 or reach out to us on our contact form.
