The Key Differences Between Trade-Only and Retail Promotional Product Suppliers
When it comes to buying promotional products, who you choose to buy from – trade-only or retail – can make a huge difference to your business. The end product may be the same, but the offering and the audiences are very different.
Retail promotional suppliers target end clients directly. Trade-only suppliers, like PromoTrade, exist solely to support resellers. In this blog, we will break down the type of businesses each one targets, the level of service they both provide, the difference in product lead times, and communication as well as whether relationships are protected.
Who is Each Model Built For?
Retail suppliers market to your potential customers. They quote end users directly and often compete with you for the same work. While that may suit a one-off buyer, it can be damaging for a reseller trying to build long-term client relationships.
Trade-only suppliers work exclusively with you. They never approach your clients, never advertise end-user pricing and never bypass you. Your customer remains yours.
Service and Support
Retail suppliers tend to focus on volume and automation to meet higher consumer demands, meaning they tend to opt for cheaper solutions to keep costs down for larger quantities. Trade-only suppliers, however, tend to help you find the right product for purpose, advising on branding methods as well as supporting with more complex orders.
At PromoTrade, we understand that you’re managing a client relationship, not just placing a transaction.
Lead Times and Production
Many retail suppliers rely heavily on overseas production. This usually means longer lead times and limited flexibility.
Trade-only suppliers tend to shop around to find the right price and production to suit. And with PromoTrade’s UK-based production, we can even offer a faster, more reliable turnaround, without the added shipping time from overseas. This speed allows resellers to meet tighter deadlines and respond more confidently to urgent requests.
Protecting Your Relationships
Retail suppliers communicate directly with end clients, which can blur ownership, confuse messaging and undermine your role as the expert.
Trade-only suppliers stay firmly in the background. At PromoTrade, we protect your relationships, and empower you to lead while we deliver fulfilment.
Choose PromoTrade as Your Trade-only Promotional Product Supplier
For resellers, the choice is clear. Trade-only suppliers provide promotional products built around you, with protected relationships, trade pricing, and specialist support. And at PromoTrade, we even offer the speed of UK production.
If you’re looking for a trade-only promotional product supplier, call us on 01628 35 34 35 or email at sales@promotrade.co and we will be happy to help!