Gem establishes branch to target independents

Leisure distributor Gem is looking to bridge the gap of independents being overlooked with the launch of QuickTrade, a division dedicated to doing business with them.

The move follows an evaluation of the retailing market carried out by Gem that resulted in the isolation of potential problems in the process of establishing partnerships with independents. The division will focus on building Gem's list of independent retailers by easing obstacle areas such as trade references and credit balances.

Dave Johnson, commercial director at Gem, said: 'An independent's relationship with distribution plays a huge part in the success or otherwise of its business. We want to ensure that relationship gets off to a good start.'

Clive Bishop, general secretary of the National Association of Specialist Computer Retailers (NASCR), said: 'We welcome any move to focus on independent retailers and this is certainly an interesting concept.'

Anne Mountain, sales manager at Gem, added: 'The day-to-day running of a distributor is primarily designed to work with established partners, but new retailers have different needs. QuickTrade eases them into the system, rather than throwing them in at the deep end.'

Jeremy Davies, senior analyst at Context, stated: 'There is between 3,000 and 5,000 independents in the UK. It is a valuable, albeit, difficult sector to target.'