April 4, 2011

WHAT IS A DISTRIBUTOR?
A distributor acts as the middle man between the retailer and the supplier – distributors are essentially the local point of contact for an international brand.
Distributors offer a full service to retailers from buying, right through to delivery and transporting of goods to the PR, POS and marketing of the the brand.  Distributors enable retailers to buy/order collections on their behalf, at the same time as the international office is selling the collection.

WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF WORKING WITH A DISTRIBUTOR?  Essentially the distributor will do a lot of the hard work for the retailer!
This includes everything from fashion forecasting, analyzing new trends, visiting seasonal trade shows, international fairs and fashion weeks. Distributors make a commitment to the supplier to represent the brand in the market and thus make it accessible to purchase from a local base.

The distributor works closely with the retailer to create the best potential for the brands performance, this includes flexible delivery times of stock, support through advertising and point of sale material, a customer service department.  A huge advantage of a distributor is the investment in press and marketing. NMI has a public relations department with strong relationships across print and commercial media, securing brands consistent exposure in glossy magazines, national newspapers and supplements, celebrity endorsements and co-branding opportunities to create maximum awareness in the market.