VIP bridges gap between vendors and indie retailers
VIP Club gives SMBs insight into the tech market and offers vendors access to those customers
Distributor VIP Computers is aiming to bridge the gap between independent retailers and vendors by revving up activities around its VIP Club.
The partner incentive programme, which aims to deliver benefits such as discount prices, training and market insights, is split into three tiers based on how much the indie spends. The entry level offers access to perks such as lower pricing and special offers, the mid level is for anyone spending £2,500-plus per month and opens up a one per cent rebate, while the premium level's members receive additional credit terms and other benefits.
Recent vendor signings to the VIP Club include ASUS, Gigabyte, NVIDIA and Razer, all of which VIP said were looking for new and cost-effective ways to increase and diversify their customer base.
According to VIP, indie retailers (of which it has 700 in its database) require a different set of benefits to businesses such as major online retailers.
Rich Marsden, director at VIP, commented on the company's approach to the club, which he says is picking up pace after being launched about a year ago, saying: "When we sat down to work out the cost for this, we said then that it was not about selling, or growing the business for us. Obviously those things happen if you are getting things right, but what VIP wants is to have something for an independent retailer that helps their business."
He added that it is important for VIP to know what the vendor wants to talk to the customer about, whether it's a new product, or market insights. With the VIP Club, that information can be passed on with all the relevant details to educate the retailer.
Marsden told CRN: "What the bigger companies don't realise is that the smaller ones don't always get the chance to go to trade shows, or to engage with partners. You can't just shut up shop for a day.
"So we offer a vehicle to connect the two companies. We make sure that the customer is an independent retailer and then use that vehicle to deliver certain things they need to be aware of. That is what we put together this programme for."
Marsden concluded: "Gone are the days when we were haggling over 15 or 20 pence on a hard drive. The pricing of technology is now something everyone is aware of. I see more importance in educating them about other parts of the market. We have learned a lot over the past 12 months and it's more than likely you will need to keep learning due to the rapid pace of our industry."