Running a successful retail business in Australia hinges on making informed decisions based on reliable supplier information. Here is a recent case when a supplier provided incorrect, possibly misleading information to one of our customers.
A garden supply retailer received promotional materials from a supplier urging them to stock up for "National Garden Week" with a note that it was fast approaching in early June. They were drawn to the note as they remembered last year, they did well with National Garden Week. However, they decided to check what sold well in early June while making an order. Upon checking, they discovered nothing unusual in their POS System reports. That was strange, as they remembered doing well at National Garden Week. So they decided to check online. They soon discovered National Gardening Week is in the third week of October, not June. Further investigation found that the supplier had inadvertently used American dates for the holiday.
They were lucky; this wrong communication could have led to premature stock purchases if they had ordered. Besides the financial problems, they could easily have suffered humiliation by displaying the incorrect date, which could have eroded customer trust and damaged their reputation.
This example is far from unique. Many supplier communications do not account for local market conditions or seasonal variations.
The lesson is clear: unchecked supplier information can lead to mistakes.
Trust but verify.
