What kind of business relationships are possible with distributors, wholesale stores and or retail stores as far as getting material at a discount? a local major distributor told me i would need a storefront in order to purchase from them. I can understand that they are protecting their retail relationships. however, outside of a true distributor, if I am a flooring contractor and able to bringing customers/business to them then should I not expect some kind of discount? I have been to a few stores around town that were called “something something distributors” but sold material to the general public, i have talked with them about referrals and left them business cards and they never mention any kind of commercial account or discounts… I probably should have asked them right then but I was thinking at the time it would just be great to get them to refer me to their customers.

Many distributors will only sell you certain prefinished lines if you have a store they do it to protect the market. Every distributor is different, most if they sell to the general public will put bigger margins on those sales. If you are a flooring contractor you should be getting a better deal. It doesnt allways work that way, one wholesaler here in town will sell mom and pop at the same price as their everyday guys. Dont think if I was buying I would be giving them much of my buisness but whatever.

It was not always like that. The carpet stores, that had that stance with their carpet distributors, so an installer couldn't come in and cut them out of the middle. Now that carpet stores are selling wood, they have put the screws to the wood distributors, with their buying power. I could buy wood directly from a distributor, just 3 years ago, but not anymore, without a brick & mortar store front.


That is OK. I now buy off the internet, like Ken's place hereand get the same price or lower, then I was getting from the distributor.

The distributors I have accts. with do sell me unfinished wood flooring and the various flooring sundry products for less than they sell them to the general public. They have "tiered" pricing, meaning their biggest accts. get the greatest discounts and the general public get the least discount, if any. I think I fit somewhere in between. If I don't like the price I'm quoted, I'll sometimes ask for a better price and sometimes, they'll give me a lower price. On factory finished floors, yep, my distributors will not even sell it to me because I do not have a "showroom". I understand they're protecting the businesses that bought the displays and samples. I belong to a local flooring club that is supposed to give me a discount but oftentimes, their price is higher than the prices I can get here. But they carry more different product lines and sometimes, my customers want something I cannot get online. In states that have high sales taxes, like here, buying online for certain types of flooring makes a lot of sense. For a larger order, the shipping can be less than the local sales tax. And should be a consideration when buying higher ticket items.

Knowing the right people, and forging new relationships is key.

Thanks for the good information. Now I don't feel like i am the only one out there who can't buy prefinished wood from distributors.