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NMBS has always been committed to strengthening independent merchants, and to this day is constantly innovating and adding value to improve customer service and to increase members’ profitability.
NMBS was first founded in 1963 to help independent merchants get the best possible deals from suppliers through exclusive supplier offers and terms, via centralised purchasing, marketing and event activities. Since then, the organisation has expanded to over 1,250 members across the UK.
As part of the service it offers members, NMBS has a dedicated trading team that helps bridge the gap between merchant members and suppliers.
Here, Baljit Singh, head of trading at NMBS, explains the role of the trading team and how it helps merchant members and suppliers to build meaningful relationships.
The team serves as a bridge between suppliers and merchant members, aiding both in their growth and competitiveness within the demanding market landscape.
Our trading team consists of category managers who have specialised product knowledge across 24 categories in the merchanting sector, including categories such as bricks blocks and cement, landscaping, roofing and insulation to power tools, heating and bathrooms. Each category manager has eight different specialist categories allowing them to closely manage each category, develop expert knowledge, and build the strongest relationships possible with suppliers.
Supporting independent merchants
Our role and support can vary for each merchant member, depending on their requirements. We help with tasks ranging from product and category advice and supplier selection support to escalating bottlenecks with suppliers and market performance data. Ultimately, we do whatever we can to support our merchant members with their business growth and help them achieve operational efficiency. This includes helping members access market leading suppliers to ensure they obtain favourable rebate terms on a wide array of construction products.
We also organise promotional offers, like Exhibition Spot Buy offers and secure exhibition rebate for our members during the NMBS Exhibition. In 2023, these activities resulted in a total of £85.3m being paid out to members in rebates secured by the trading team.
Our industry contacts and knowledge enable us to pinpoint new product niches and innovations, keeping our members well-informed and ahead of their customers’ needs. Highlighting any gaps in the product range and future opportunities, helps merchants exploit new industry innovations and remain at the cutting edge of the industry.
Helping suppliers
Our role goes beyond just helping members to make financial savings and continue to offer competitive product ranges. It also covers the onboarding and nurturing of new and existing supplier relationships. By working with suppliers from the first day, we build the long-lasting and valuable relationships that our members and suppliers expect from NMBS.
The onboarding process for new suppliers is detailed and we take the time to work with each supplier to give them the best chance of success and business growth through their partnership with NMBS.
From day one, each supplier has a dedicated key account manager who is an expert in their industry and understands the specific challenges they are facing. This helps us to share key category insights with each supplier that helps guide their future business strategies and objectives.
Our team help suppliers of building products and services access independent merchants that might not be accessible in other ways. NMBS members account for 4,749 branches across the UK, covering the full range of independent builders, plumbing and heating, hardware, tool and timber merchants.
We can also provide insight into member spending, analyse buying trends and give an indication of the market size for each category. This data and expert understanding of the independent merchant industry allows us to give guidance about how to grow turnover with this group of businesses and appeal to their specific needs.
Through our different events, like the NMBS Exhibition and the Conference, suppliers can build personal relationships with our merchant members. These events also provide suppliers with an opportunity to join in the marketing opportunities and promote their brand further.
Our trading team helps reduce the amount of admin suppliers are required to carry out. We can support suppliers with category management, so merchants can find their products better and reduce the number of enquiries about product data and specifications. By working with us, suppliers also reduce the number of invoices from the different merchant businesses to just one electronic one. This streamlines accounting and removes the manual processing of invoices and credits – providing better oversight of each month’s sales and saving significant time.
By acting as the connection between suppliers and merchants, our team is at the forefront of introducing new products from suppliers to merchants and their customers. Without continual industry development and education around these new products, the construction industry could fall behind as digital, retrofit and sustainable products are only increasing in popularity.
Find out more about the trading team and how to get in touch with us on the NMBS website https://www.nmbs.co.uk/meet-the-team