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A Tale of Two Cities
The fall tradeshow season approaches, and it is time to choose. Do you really know what your choices are?
It isn’t just about where to go for wholesale buying at an event. It is really about the future of grassroots community retailing (Richmond) versus Dover big chain dominance over the industry (Baltimore).
Dover started AETA along with Dover’s biggest vendors. Dover led the split in tradeshows to start the event in Orlando and then in Baltimore, despite a majority of the board voting to stay in Richmond. That board resigned when they realized that an open democratic process was not a possibility in the Dover dominated AETA. The Baltimore event is a result of Dover telling its vendors that they would see Dover buyers if they split from Richmond and participated in the AETA Baltimore event.
Retailers wanted the large manufacturers to lead their industry towards a unified tradeshow, without realizing that the large manufacturers themselves would be led by the size of their accounts with Dover. The larger a manufacturer’s account with Dover, the more the manufacturer had to be influenced by what Dover wanted, and the less they could do without considering Dover’s reaction. Now retailers find that Dover vendors are doing what Dover wants them to do, and Dover controls the Baltimore show. Where does this leave grassroots community retailers who are looking for honest leadership in their behalf?
No one in the town hall meetings hosted by AETA, with Dover sitting on the AETA board, wanted to leave Richmond. No one who raised their hand to suggest an industry vote was even allowed to speak. AETA never asked industry what industry wanted, they only said “decisions have already been made”, without majority input. Dover is behind the Baltimore show, and Dover vendors are lining up as requested. AETA will never be a voice for the grassroots community retailer, and manufacturers under Dover’s influence will not be leaders in favor of grassroots retailers.
So, if you go to Baltimore you support Dover’s increased influence over the industry and over the industry’s manufacturers. If you go to Baltimore you diminish the future for grassroots community retailers in a Dover dominated industry.
What is the alternative? Who will lead if the manufacturers can’t resist Dover without losing Dover’s business?
The grassroots community retailers can lead themselves, if they take action. They don’t have to look outside their own body for leadership, they have to unite and act collectively as one body. Retailers hold the real power in the industry. If they buy collectively, their influence becomes far greater than Dover’s.
Richmond supports collective buying advantages for grassroots community retailers. Richmond supports IEBA, which already provides cost saving discounts for group health insurance, shipping, and credit card processing. IEBA is exploring a group buying initiative for equestrian products as a private-labeling cooperative. What is AETA doing for anyone, other than splitting tradeshows and harming manufacturers and retailers in the process?
Grassroots community retailers want a single tradeshow strong enough to support non-profit services benefitting them year round. They expected manufacturers to do this for them. Time has proven that manufacturers are subject to different influences, leaving retailers to take their own initiative. The key to a tradeshow strong enough to provide year round benefits for all stores and buyers is the participation of all stores and buyers. If all stores and their buyers do not go to a show, it will never be strong enough to benefit them.
The Dover sponsored Baltimore show will not survive if grassroots retailers don’t go to it. Dover’s influence won’t spread further to control the industry and its tradeshow. Ultimately, grassroots retailer stores and buyers hold the power of their individual choice.
Similarly, the Richmond show will not survive if grassroots retailers don’t go to it. Grassroots community retailers won’t have a dependable financial engine to support year round services that benefit them. Ultimately, grassroots retailer stores and buyers hold the power of their individual choice.
Of course, all stores and buyers could sit it out on the sidelines doing nothing, waiting for someone else to provide leadership. Stores could sit back and blame the manufacturers, or they could blame Dover for the existence of split shows. However, if you do nothing then you get nothing in return, you could lose a great deal, and you can only blame yourself.
Its time to choose, its time for retailers to take on the responsibility of individual choice and accountability. Grassroots community retailers need to act in their own behalf: waiting for anyone else to do so will deliver another disappointment and limit their future.
So the question is this: You have the power, What will you choose? Baltimore, and more Dover influence over your future; or Richmond, and grassroots retailer leadership from community stores?
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