Suppose you place an order with a large manufacturer who operates from Europe. It’s not uncommon that a minimum-order mandate may force you to order more product than you need, leading to a surplus of product — an excessive quantity that you might not be able to store or sell. Not only that, but it could take more than a month for your order to arrive from overseas. And if you realize you ordered the wrong items or the wrong quantity, get ready to wait another month.
This is where our master distribution model comes in. EPiQ Animal Health partners with manufacturers to exclusively distribute their animal health products. This allows us to manage logistics for both them and the veterinary distributors who buy and sell their products. Our model eliminates the pain points of ordering directly from a manufacturer. Here’s how ordering through a master distributor could help you.
1. Receive Orders Within One Week
When ordering directly from manufacturers, distributors can face lead times of up to 160 days, often requiring order placements in excess of the market’s needs and resulting in surplus inventory.
Our demand-planning initiatives help prevent surpluses and delayed fulfilment. Because we know how important it is for our distributor partners to be able to deliver what the veterinary market demands — and not get bogged down with product that can’t be moved — As a master distributor, EPiQ guarantees that your orders will arrive within only seven days.
2. Order Only What You Need
Manufacturers’ minimum-order quantities usually make small orders impossible, and even if you do find a way to order fewer units, with long lead times, you may run the risk of a shortage that takes months to correct. For your brand and your business, few things are worse than being unable to fill an order for a loyal longtime customer.
Since we hold our manufacturers’ product in our secure, quality-controlled warehouse and provide consolidated market forecasts that enable us and our partners to better manage inventory, we’re able to respond quickly to orders and dispatch smaller quantities as needed.
With our minimum-order quantity of just $2,000, we make it easy for veterinary distributors to place orders for smaller, timelier batches. When you can count on receiving the precise amounts of products that you need on a weekly basis, you can optimize your inventory levels to meet demand without carrying a surplus.
3. Get Industry-Leading Products Your Customers Want
We pride ourselves on working exclusively with manufacturers who deliver quality products and premium value to the animal health market. We believe in the product lines we represent and make it our mission to get them in the hands of veterinarians who need them.
Manufacturers who use push strategies to try and sell new products sometimes require distributors to order products they don’t even need (or didn’t ask for). That’s not how we do things. We pride ourselves on only supplying what our customers need and only selling you what will help you grow your business.
4. Collaborate With a Trusted Partner
Our mission is to invest in products that help professionals and pet owners deliver the best care for animals. Achieving this goal depends on strong distributor relationships. Our sales professionals provide expert market advice, total transparency, and access to data that helps distributors make informed purchasing decisions.
Mutual trust with our distributors helps us make the return process simple. When you call us and say you’re short on a product, we believe you. If you’re short, we’re going to fix it quickly and without long waits or a messy claims process. We have the same objectives, and we build a personal relationship with you on the ground, at your sales meetings, and in the marketplace so we can both achieve our goals.
Partner With Us Today
From faster deliveries and flexible order quantities to demand planning and industry-leading products, our partnership is built and customized to help you grow your business among the veterinary community.
Contact an EPiQ representative to learn how partnering with a master distributor could take your business and your market share to the next level.
