Category: Uncategorized

Costco Vendor Contact

By vendorco

Getting in contact with the right people at Costco is a very important step in the product placement process. It may be difficult to properly locate the correct avenues and the correct Costco vendor contacts. All too often sales representatives are disappointed to find that they are completely lost within the Costco buying stream and unaware of who to talk to for various business interests. Making sure that you have the right connections is crucial for successful communication within Costco. So how can you locate the correct Costco vendor contact? Luckily, VendorCo is here to help connect our clients to the right people.

Rather than having to guess at who to talk to, communicating with VendorCo first will benefit you in many ways, including locating the correct Costco vendor contact and knowing what to say when talking to Costco’s key decision makers. Make sure you are prepared before approaching Costco, by speaking to one of VendorCo’s Costco experts. Contact us today to find out more about how VendorCo can help you sell to Costco (949) 326-8909 or [email protected].

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

By vendorco

Happy Administrative Professionals day!

Today is intended to honor the heroes behind the scenes of small and large businesses. We understand how important administrative professionals are to the functionality of a business. In fact, most businesses could not function without their administrative professionals!

At VendorCo, we see that it is often administrative personnel researching information about retail, sales growth, and more, connecting businesses to VendorCo and thus building successful relationships with Costco Wholesale. We see firsthand how valuable you are to your businesses!

For all of our visitors, clients, partners, retail buyers and more, we hope that you receive the recognition that you deserve today.

To learn about the history of Administrative Professionals Day, visit  http://bit.ly/r5L1Ki

Administrative Professionals Day is a registered trademark with the International Association of Administrative Professionals.

Doing Business with Costco

By vendorco

Doing Business with Costco has the potential to help your business grow in many ways. Costco serves millions of members throughout the United States from a high end demographic. These members continually renew their memberships from year-to-year (with a renewal rate of over 85%!), and their shopping habits are generally resilient to the changing economy. For these, and many more reasons, doing business with Costco can be extremely beneficial and lucrative.

However, you cannot simply walk into Costco and ask to sell your product. You have to know who to talk to, how to talk to them, and you must have a valuable product that is in high demand. Equally as important, you must understand the Costco business model and follow appropriate guidelines. But this is not always so easy to do. Information about doing business with Costco is not readily available for research as many important pieces are considered to be trade secrets. Information that IS available may not always be completely reliable or accurate.

So how do you do business with Costco? There are several ways to deal with Costco. You may plan on spending hours upon hours researching information that may not be available regarding Costco’s procedures, and hoping that your product is Costco material, OR you can seek help through a Costco professional. This is where VendorCo comes in. Having VendorCo on your side gives you a better chance at Costco placement. If your product is not appropriate for Costco, then we can steer you in the right direction rather than letting you waste your precious time.

Give one of our representatives a call today and get start your business relationship with Costco.

Contact VendorCo: [email protected] or (949) 326-8909.

Costco New Vendors

By vendorco

Costco Wholesale is a $75 Billion dollar success story! Their huge success in retail is a reflection of the brands their vendors offer.  No matter if you are one of Costco’s New Vendors or an existing well established vendor, the same holds true: brand, value and volume contribute to the quality Costco Members have grown to expect.

Becoming a New Costco Vendor offers a huge boost to sales and helps drive brand recognition to over 55 Million Costco Members.  Whether Costco shoppers are looking to buy a ½ sheet cake for $17.99, a gazebo for $1,999, or stock up for their business or personal needs, they are confident that Costco products are high quality and reasonably priced, every day.

Which New Costco Vendor will the seasoned Costco buyers purchase from next?  Could it be you? Call VendorCo to find out at (949) 326-8909. We look forward to hearing from you!

Costco’s Pricing Structure

By vendorco

Costco is a business that has strategically created its own market for bulk buy at a great price. When you think “Costco” what comes to mind? Most people think of great value. Costco focuses on providing members with the best bang for their buck, and does so by working with businesses that supply reliable and well priced products.

Founding a business that supplies its consumers with the best possible price point is part of what makes Costco so successful. Even without advertising, Costco has managed to reach the top of the US sales charts. From eCommerce to warehouse sales and more, Costco has becomes a retail superpower with a sterling reputation.

Talk to us at VendorCo today to discuss how you can grow your business through working with one of the fastest growing and already successful businesses on the planet!

[email protected] | (949) 326-8909 or visit out Contact web page

Costco Strategic Plan

By vendorco

Doing business with Costco requires a Costco strategic plan. This is a plan laid out specifically for your Costco Wholesale program, and includes planning for all pieces necessary for success. This includes, but is not limited to, accounting for the following:

  • Appropriate buyer identification
  • Costco friendly presentation creation
  • Appropriate pricing, including allowances
  • Sample requests
  • Testing requirements
  • Audits
  • Packaging (different if in-store, .com, road show, etc.)
  • Shipping requirements
  • Potential customer service issues
  • Returns and damages
  • Exit strategies

Each individual point does not stand on its own. For example, identifying the appropriate buyer requires researching which department your item would most appropriately fit (with Costco, this may differ from your other retailers), which method of communication is most appropriate (telephone, e-mail, mail, etc.), and which avenue of Costco you are pursuing (Costco.com, Costco In-Store, Costco Travel, etc.) As you can see, doing business with Costco can be extremely complex!

Costco is extremely unique in regards to their buying processes. Preparing for a Costco program is generally very different from other retail strategies. So how can you best prepare for doing business with Costco? VendorCo is the answer! We make it easy to develop your Costco strategic plan, providing you with our advice and guidance every step of the way. The proof is in our successful history of placing products, just click here to see a sample of our success stories: LINK.

You could be next! All you need to do is contact VendorCo, and get help with your Costco strategic plan. E-mail us at [email protected] today!

How do I sell to Costco?

By vendorco

Selling products to Costco is a dream of many (if not most) manufacturers and service providers. With the potential to place your products in hundreds of stores nationwide, with millions of members to view on monthly basis, who wouldn’t want to partner with this retail/wholesale giant?

However, only a select number of manufacturers and service providers actually succeed at selling products to Costco. This is partially due to Costco’s limited SKU count of approximately 4,000 items per store (compared to WalMart and Target with upwards of 100,000 SKU’s!). But for most vendors, this is because the processes and procedures required to navigate Costco Wholesale can be vastly distinct from other retail avenues. Most executives and administrative personnel, even those who are avid Costco shoppers, are unaware of the unique buying strategies utilized by Costco’s corporate contacts. Obtaining this information can prove to be exceptionally difficult, if not impossible, and the sales techniques you are accustomed to using may actually serve to undercut your potential relationship.

So how do you sell to Costco? How do you sell to Costco.com?

This month, we will provide you with essential information to best prepare for your Costco program, including information pertaining to how VendorCo can help you. VendorCo is a full service manufacturer representative company specializing exclusively in Costco Wholesale programs. With over a decade of Costco specific experience, our Senior Account Managers can be an invaluable asset to your Costco program. You can read just a sample of our success stories, and imagine the success your product or service can have with a global retailer like Costco.

Ready to get started now? Contact VendorCo to speak with a Costco expert at [email protected]

New Warehouse Openings in 2013

By vendorco

In 2013, Costco is scheduled to open at least 28 warehouses, the largest growth since 2007! See below for a list of Costco Warehouses coming soon:

New Locations:

HIROSHIMA, JAPAN
March 20, 2013
KITAKYUSHU, JAPAN
March 21, 2013
WHEATON, MD
April 10, 2013
CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO
April 11, 2013
SOUTHAMPTON, UK
May 2, 2013
ALEXANDRIA, VA
May 2013
FARNBOROUGH, HAMPSHIRE, UK
June 2013
CHUBU AIRPORT, JAPAN
Summer 2013
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
Spring 2013
SUGAR LAND, TEXAS
Spring 2013
NEW ORLEANS, LA
Summer 2013
RINGWOOD, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
Summer 2013
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY
Mid to Late 2013
FORT WAYNE, INDIANA
Mid to Late 2013
LUBBOCK, TEXAS
Mid to Late 2013
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA
Mid to Late 2013
BELLEVUE, WISCONSIN
Fall 2013
GUELPH, ONTARIO, CANADA
Fall 2013
YORKTOWN, NY
Fall 2013
UKIAH, CA
Late 2013
SIOUX FALLS, SD
2013
LAWRENCE, NEW JERSEY
2013
ST. ALBERT, ALBERTA, CANADA
2013
CEDAR PARK, TEXAS
mid-2013/Early 2014
NAPA, CALIFORNIA
Late 2013
WICHITA, KANSAS
Late 2013
LOWER MACUNGIE, PENNSYLVANIA
Late 2013
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK
Late 2013/Early 2014
BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON
Late 2013/Early 2014
LYNNWOOD, WASHINGTON
2014
BATON ROUGE, LA
Summer 2014
Dates and locations are subject to change.
Visit www.costco.com

ref: http://addictedtocostco.com/costco-locations/

Rejected Programs: lack of POTENTIAL

By vendorco

Becoming a Costco vendor certainly has its benefits, one of which is the potential for a long term relationship with Costco, the number one warehouse chain in the United States. In fact, Costco appreciates and places a higher value on manufacturers and service providers that offer the potential for multiple placements down the road. So, if your company currently offers only one product, then your chances of becoming a Costco vendor are significantly more difficult than a competitor offering multiple products. Sure, you can make the argument that you will continue to transition the same product in and out of Costco for a long period of time, but the scope of your relationship remains limited.

If you are a company with only one product or if you have been turned down because your potential relationship is perceived as limited or temporary, there may still be an opportunity to gain a relationship with Costco. VendorCo is constantly researching unique ways to assist hopeful Costco vendors, and we have developed a unique program specific to smaller companies, or companies with a limited scope. If your company falls in this category, contact us today for more information on how we can help you.

Rejected Programs: flawed PRESENTATION

By vendorco

The importance of your product presentation cannot be stressed enough. If your presentation is flawed, you risk missing out on an exceptionally lucrative relationship. It is important to note, that when we refer to flawed presentation, we do not mean simple errors that could be noticed by any writer, marketing expert, financial representative, etc. When we refer to flawed presentation, we are referring to presentations that do not provide adequate information that is specific to a Costco program.

Did you know that some Costco departments have a checklist for the information that they require to be included? Missing information may result in your presentation being overlooked entirely. Costco buyers view countless presentations on a daily basis, and they simply do not have the time to hand-hold every offer and provide you with a detailed list of what they need. It is the vendor’s responsibility to ensure that all necessary information is provided.

However, there is a balance between providing enough information, and providing too much.  Too much erroneous information and fluffy dialogue can distract from the points that Costco finds exceptionally valuable. As previously noted, Costco buyers are busy! They certainly will not be interested in a 50 page presentation that requires a large chunk of their time to analyze, especially when the information they require should easily fit on just a few, simple pages. It is important to include all important details, while still respecting the buyer’s busy schedule. The easier you make their job…well, I’m sure you can imagine the benefits that will provide you.

VendorCo has perfected the presentation process based on years of experience working with Costco buyers. We are aware of the information the buyers are looking for, in the format they prefer, through the avenue they appreciate. As a VendorCo client, we can even create the presentation for you, providing you access to our trade secrets that can only be acquired through years of experience. If you are interested in taking advantage of VendorCo’s knowledge of the Costco processes, contact us today!

We Are Proud To Have Worked With

Amazon Book: 15 Elements of Successful Product Placement

Click Here

Contact Us

Phone : 949-326-8909
Email : [email protected]