Scouting for alternative suppliers for a better price

[Alexandoy]

A retail business is always in search for better suppliers. My cousin worked as a supply officer in a big supermarket chain. Her job is to find the best prices for quality products which are local and imported. It is not easy to scout for better suppliers but she had her connections to help her. I was surprised to know that even a few cents difference in the price of an item would matter because they order in bulk.

For other businesses like restaurants and hardware stores the supplies can always vary in prices. Having at least 3 suppliers for a category of items will be a big help because the buyer (purchasing officer) can bargain with the suppliers. He would purchase from supplier with the lowest price. That threat to the supplier would cause the discount to be regular just to keep hold of the customer.

 

[Lens1000]

That's how businesses are . Sometimes, the price of a product could be use as a marketing strategy most especially in a highly competitive atmosphere. Even if the price difference is few cents as you have pointed, people will still order in bulk because you have actually attracted them with your price.

 

[Augusta]

This is why it is said that varieties is the spice of life. If you need to have alternatives then you need to engsge more than 3 suppliers so that you can always compare. Their prices and go for the one that the price is minimal enough. Even me as a buyer I shop around first and look for where I can get at a minimal price whatever I need to buy

 

[Mika]

I have never operated an offline business myself but I have experience with procuring products. The company I worked for used to assign me to produce stationery, computers, and other electronic devices. I always asked the suppliers to provide the quotation and choose the supplier that offered a better price.

 

[Alexandoy]

If you need to have alternatives then you need to engsge more than 3 suppliers so that you can always compare.

It is not easy to find alternative suppliers when the product is not common. We had to scour the city for a new supplier of computer supplies (that was the time before the internet came around). For food products there are many suppliers that you can find and you will not have a problem with the pricing.