Highlights of an Online Store

Basically, the online store is like any other e-commerce website – only it features products with your company’s logo and message. The online store is usually stocked with pre-selected, inventoried products that have been chosen by the company ahead of time and are inventoried by The Ad Answer. This facilitates small (below the normal minimum order quantity for most suppliers) orders to be taken care of easily. For example, if HR needs a small quantity of briefcase bags for a special promotion, they can order 12, rather than the usual 72 or 144. 

The store also contains a number of products that have been chosen by the company in consultation with The Ad Answer. This virtual part of the store will contain products that are available in minimum quantities (usually between 72 and 144). They are not inventoried, but instead fulfilled as orders are placed by authorized buyers of the company. All of the products showcased in the store will bear the company’s authorized logo(s) and will be of high quality and readily available. 

Benefits of an Online Store

CONTROL – This is the biggest perk of them all. It’s really about control over everything: the ability to guarantee consistency of logo and brand representation while taking advantage of special discounted pricing. It’s also control over the purchasing process from order approval to credit limits, and so on. Since several departments are usually purchasing promotional products (sometimes even the same items), it will allow for better communication and significant financial economies. 

ANALYSIS – An online store system with reporting capability opens a window into the purchasing process and allows the company to see where the dollars are going. With everyone working hard to control costs these days, good report data is an enormous benefit.

PREDICTABILITY – It’s a waste of time and money for various employees in different departments to go out and get a bid every time they need a product. This is only compounded with having multiple offices around the country. A well-executed online store program gives the entire company the comfort of a stable, predictable relationship, where they can count on the same quality goods being available wherever and whenever needed.