Getting Contracts As A Retailer

[KentuckyDave]

Does anyone know what you have to do to go about getting a contract with Shimano or Lews to carry their products in your retail store? I have a buddy getting ready to start his own outdoors store and was wondering how to go about doing all of these sorts of things.

 

Thanks in advance

[Scott F]

Generally, unless you are buying in big quantities, you don't buy directly from the manufacturer, you go through a distributor. A distributor will give you a catalog, and you order from that. 

[KentuckyDave]

How do you go about getting a distributor catalog?

[Scott F]

Google "fishing tackle distributors". There's a bunch of them.

[Marty]

I hate to be negative, but I wonder if your friend needs to do more homework before making the huge investment of time and money usually required to start a business.

[KentuckyDave]

It is not operational...in its infant stages because of things like this...he has not spent any money whatsoever as of yet...more so waiting to see what items will cost so he can get an idea of what kind of margin he can expect over time

[tbone1993]

Extremely small margins basically. If he doesn't know the answer to simple questions like this he really needs to re think getting into the business.

[SirSnookalot]

I have friend down here who became a Rapala rep, have no idea of how.  He basically buys for his own use and a few friends, recently I bought some Xrap 12's and paid $6.00 a piece and $2.00 shipping.  Lures usually sell for 12-$14, and I doubt my friend Ray buys them as cheap as Bass Pro, sounds like a pretty fair mark up.

[tbone1993]

I have friend down here who became a Rapala rep, have no idea of how.  He basically buys for his own use and a few friends, recently I bought some Xrap 12's and paid $6.00 a piece and $2.00 shipping.  Lures usually sell for 12-$14, and I doubt my friend Ray buys them as cheap as Bass Pro, sounds like a pretty fair mark up.. .. 

. . . and now ray lost his job lol 

[SirSnookalot]

. . . and now ray lost his job lol 

 

 

 

Ray doesn't have job, he's retired, just fishes off his 34' center console Yellowfin.

[Sam]

One of the best ways to start your own business is to work in the industry or a company that does what you want to do.

 

So if you want to start a tackle shop work at a tackle shop.

 

By doing this you will see how the business operates; get ideas how to make it more productive; meet the reps and get their names and phone numbers; and then start your business using the foundation you learned working for someone else.

 

A past neighbor did this when he wanted to start a nursery business and he has been very successful. His wife remembers sitting in their old beat up car by the nursery the guy worked so she could write down the names of the delivery trucks.

 

I worked for a consulting firm for eight years before starting my own company.

 

By working for a succssful business you will have OTJ trainint that you can parlay into your own company.

 

Fair? Nope. Done? Yes, all the time.