Housewares Direct works just like this…

As a supplier:

1. We’ll get your company registered and collect all of your contact info so we know where to send an order once it comes in from the retailer. We will ask you to sign and return a copy of the Housewares Direct Supplier Agreement.
2. We will ask you to provide us with digital images in .jpg format 300 dpi as well as an excel version of your price list that contains item #, description, UPC, case pack, and cost.
3. We will then create a catalog for you (or multiple if you have more than one line of products) where you will input all of your products. We CANNOT stress enough the importance of showcasing your product with top notch images – if you don’t put in the effort to give us good information your product will simply not look good in the catalog. Packaging and image are extremely important when the retailer makes their buying decisions!
4. Once all your products are in the catalog, we will activate your catalog and make it visible to all the buyers that regularly browse our site.

As a retailer:

1. Once you have registered with all of your company information (so we can verify that you are actually a store), you are free to browse the Housewares Direct selection and add items to your shopping basket.
2. Keep in mind that all of your orders will not arrive at the same time like a distributor, but rather, are being drop shipped individually. In addition to the invoice that comes with each of the shipments, proof of payment will be found on your credit card statement. Terms are available with each supplier if arrangements have been made beforehand or you already have an existing relationship with the supplier.

The Order Process:

1. Once the order is placed by the retailer, it comes to Housewares Direct and each line item is forwarded to the respective supplier in the form of an email PO. In this example, let’s say that the order is comprised of 12 PO’s, each $100, for a total of $1,200.
2. The supplier receives the PO for $100, calculates the shipping, for example $20, and then hits the retailer’s credit card on the spot for $120. Therefore supplier is paid first and only has to ship and confirm the order is on its way. At the end of each month, suppliers pay their commission to Housewares Direct based on the total amount of the PO’s – not including the shipping.
3. Housewares Direct does not take any part in the financial transaction because we want the supplier and buyer to have direct contact so any customer service issues can be resolved quickly. We also realize that it is just too difficult to calculate proper shipping methods and rates.
4. Once the retailer receives their order, they confirm that everything has been received in good condition. Hopefully they have saved around 20 hours per month by consolidating their ordering & payment.