Square "D" Special Pricing?

[peter d]

Thanks for the info.....Generally Im the type of person that when you get in my pocket to deep, I wont be back. I shouldnt have to constantly negotiate if Im a loyal customer...That stuff wears me out....

Let me share some other other information. If you read between the lines you can figure out how your pricing will be affected as well.

At the branch I worked at, we had a few customers who bought fairly large volume for a small shop (3 guys) and they would NEVER return anything except for defective items. They got treated like gold.

On the other hand were customers who would return the smallest item on a regular basis and nit pick everything. When they walked in the door you could only hope you were already waiting on someone else or putting stock away in the back.

Pricing is generally dictated by volume, but you have to meet your suppliers half way too if you want to take advantage of all the breaks that are available.

 

[Mule]

Let me share some other other information. If you read between the lines you can figure out how your pricing will be affected as well.

At the branch I worked at, we had a few customers who bought fairly large volume for a small shop (3 guys) and they would NEVER return anything except for defective items. They got treated like gold.

On the other hand were customers who would return the smallest item on a regular basis and nit pick everything. When they walked in the door you could only hope you were already waiting on someone else or putting stock away in the back.

Pricing is generally dictated by volume, but you have to meet your suppliers half way too if you want to take advantage of all the breaks that are available.

Just to be clear, I have a great relationship with my supplier, they are good guys,and I am confident they like me... but if you dont say no once in a while, they will just keep jacking it up....I know when the are "punching in" lower numbers on each item, and when they are not, it takes more time on their part. My main gripe was sqd. I dont nit pick, and I rarely return items, my material estimates are usually short anyway...haha

 

[LarryFine]

Alot of these supply chains are HUGE Rexel, CED and the like, and you cant tell me they dont have simular buying power as the BB's

Just for grins, how many Home Depots are there in your neck of the woods, and how many Graybar's are there? How many Lowe's and how many Rexels?

 

[C3PO]

Just for grins, how many Home Depots are there in your neck of the woods, and how many Graybar's are there? How many Lowe's and how many Rexels?

I still would bet that Graybar sells way more Square D gear then Lowes or Home Depot.

 

[sparky 134]

I need 3 Square D 3pole 30amp QOB breakers for a project. My supply house quotes $150.00/each.

I then call the girl I order all of my gear thru at the same supply house. She sends a quote request to Sq D for the same breakers AND a small panelboard. The quote comes back at $338.00.

So I am getting a panelboard (something else to put on the shelf) and the 3 breakers and saving $112.00.

 

[peter d]

Just to be clear, I have a great relationship with my supplier, they are good guys,and I am confident they like me... but if you dont say no once in a while, they will just keep jacking it up....I know when the are "punching in" lower numbers on each item, and when they are not, it takes more time on their part. My main gripe was sqd. I dont nit pick, and I rarely return items, my material estimates are usually short anyway...haha

I didn't mean to imply that you did. I was just giving out some advice will put you and others at the top of the list for good pricing at your suppliers.

 

[C3PO]

I need 3 Square D 3pole 30amp QOB breakers for a project. My supply house quotes $150.00/each.

I then call the girl I order all of my gear thru at the same supply house. She sends a quote request to Sq D for the same breakers AND a small panelboard. The quote comes back at $338.00.

So I am getting a panelboard (something else to put on the shelf) and the 3 breakers and saving $112.00.

It gets even worse if you need a big ILINE breaker. I have lost count of how many panelboards I have thrown away just so I could get some breakers for less $$$$$$

 

[Mule]

I didn't mean to imply that you did. I was just giving out some advice will put you and others at the top of the list for good pricing at your suppliers.

No problem with your comments at all, and I thank everyone for the info, its been very helpfull.

In truth, we live in a supply and demand society. Its pretty silly for me to think that my loyality as a one man show contractor, to a single supplier or manufacturer would yield anything, without the volume to go with it.

I just need to quit shopping at one place, and shop like everyone else, its the American way.

So, My supplier says he thinks he is going to be able to get special pricing for me. We'll see....It just frustrates me, when they won't tell me WHAT the quotas are. That's pretty intimidating to me, and frankly makes me mad.

So unfortunately, in my market, I have to choose between CH and SqD, and I just think SQd is a superior product, or at least I think the breakers are, not so sure about the panels at times. I really dont think the end user really cares about it either way, because they dont know the difference. We have $200-300-400,000 homes going up all over town with aluminum buss Challenger boxs in them, and I dont think thats a very good value to the customer.

Well Obama is speaking on the tube, so Im trying to be interested....later

 

[iam14sure]

Special Pricing

Special Pricing

I am told I have a special pricing agreement with CH. Single pole BR breakers are $3.30 and double pole to 50 amp are $7.60. Are these good prices? Just wondering. I do know that whenever I bid a job and send it to suppliers for quotes CH is always the lowest.

 

[jdsmith]

I am told I have a special pricing agreement with CH. Single pole BR breakers are $3.30 and double pole to 50 amp are $7.60. Are these good prices? Just wondering. I do know that whenever I bid a job and send it to suppliers for quotes CH is always the lowest.

That's about the same as the QO special pricing I have gotten. I think on QO the QO220 and QO230 were about $7.60 but the 40 and 50 might have been higher, but still discounted.

 

[iwire]

I still would bet that Graybar sells way more Square D gear then Lowe's or Home Depot.

But HD could stop selling Sq D in a heartbeat while Graybar is always going to sell it.

HD and Lowe's follow the Walmart model, beat the suppliers into the ground.

 

[sparky 134]

Someone once told me this is how Walmart operates. Say you want to sell your widget in their stores for $1.00 and your sell price to Walmart is $.70. Next year Walmart will tell you they are going to buy your widget for $.60.

Now, if you've sold let's say 1 million widgets in their stores and you're business has grown to meet the demand, Walmart knows you are under some pressure to agree to the new price. Rather than scale back your business you may need to agree to the new pricing matrix.

Now, I don't know if this information is coming from an accurate source but I can see the business logic from Walmart's side.

 

[LarryFine]

Someone once told me this is how Walmart operates. Say you want to sell your widget in their stores for $1.00 and your sell price to Walmart is $.70. Next year Walmart will tell you they are going to buy your widget for $.60.

Now, if you've sold let's say 1 million widgets in their stores and you're business has grown to meet the demand, Walmart knows you are under some pressure to agree to the new price. Rather than scale back your business you may need to agree to the new pricing matrix.

Now, I don't know if this information is coming from an accurate source but I can see the business logic from Walmart's side.

Okay, so if sales are that great, counter with a $.65 price. If business is that great, neither one of you will want to give it up.

You could also approach K-mart about selling your widgets, so you're not dependent on a single retailer. Next, look into internet sales, so you're not dependent on any retailers at all.

 

[iwire]

You could also approach K-mart about selling your widgets, so you're not dependent on a single retailer.

Next, look into internet sales, so you're not dependent on any retailers at all.

Sometimes that is possible but in many cases Walmart's volume will win out.

If you have any doubts about how good they are at it take a look at this.

 

[jrannis]

Let me share some other other information. If you read between the lines you can figure out how your pricing will be affected as well.

At the branch I worked at, we had a few customers who bought fairly large volume for a small shop (3 guys) and they would NEVER return anything except for defective items. They got treated like gold.

On the other hand were customers who would return the smallest item on a regular basis and nit pick everything. When they walked in the door you could only hope you were already waiting on someone else or putting stock away in the back.

Pricing is generally dictated by volume, but you have to meet your suppliers half way too if you want to take advantage of all the breaks that are available.

I dont like it when people try to beat my price down. I rarely do that to my suppliers. We all should be making so much on materials that a couple of bucks here and there isnt going to make a difference.
If Im going to buy a specific item for $75 and sell it for $300 plus labor, do I really need to try to shake $5 out of my supplier?
I let them know what prices I see around town. If they can do something for me, I tell them that I apperciate it. If they cant do much maybe we can do something on the next one.
BIG BOX......... Emergency only!!

 

[norcal]

I dont like it when people try to beat my price down. I rarely do that to my suppliers. We all should be making so much on materials that a couple of bucks here and there isnt going to make a difference.
If Im going to buy a specific item for $75 and sell it for $300 plus labor, do I really need to try to shake $5 out of my supplier?
I let them know what prices I see around town. If they can do something for me, I tell them that I apperciate it. If they cant do much maybe we can do something on the next one.
BIG BOX......... Emergency only!!

How many here consider the Big Boxes your competition? Since they do "installs"....