Beta launches its OP offer
After much speculation and rumour, UK distributor Beta has this week rolled out its entry into the Office Products market, with a product portfolio of around 200 generic, 'core' Office Products lines, along with 150 branded products.
Suppliers include Fellowes, AF, Nescafe and Stabilo. All the products will be stocked lines and available for delivery next day, either to the dealer's premises or as a plain label shipment direct to the end user.
Managing Director Steve Soper says: "Over the last couple of years we have doubled the number of dealers trading with us each month but there has always been a barrier to some dealers buying from us. If they wanted an HP toner cartridge and a box of envelopes delivering directly to an end user we couldn't do that for them. Now we can."
He says simplicity is the key word. "Our pricing is very straightforward - there are no targets or rebates, the Office Products range is nett priced, in common with the rest of our product range. The prices are competitive as is the low fixed rate for plain label shipments to end users."
Beta can also support the Office Products dealer in other ways. Around 50% of Beta's business is now transacted electronically and so EDI trading and integration with dealers back office systems is available. In addition, Beta is now providing early morning deliveries in a number of areas.
Soper was also keen to emphasise Beta's trade only status. "There has been a lot of talk in the industry recently about routes to market. Our philosophy is absolutely clear in that we only sell to the trade. That message clearly has some resonance with the dealers as 70% of our deliveries are direct to end users, which is double what it was this time last year."
