Here are five things to look for in your supplier to ensure you get the highest quality and best pricing for your fixtures

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1 white paper series Today, retailers are looking for value and quality when buying their fixtures. The job of a smart retailer is to make an informed choice about their fixture supplier to ensure the best quality at the best price. Store fixtures should help retailers drive sales without breaking their budget. One of the best way to find quality, affordable fixtures is by choosing a supplier who works with overseas manufacturers and has an extensive knowledge of the global marketplace. Every retail fixture buyer must trust their store fixture supplier to help them meet their goals which can often present a difficult choice for the buyer. How do they know what qualities to look for in a supplier? While price can be a major factor in determining where one buys their imported fixtures, there are many more important factors that should influence the final choice. The buyer should look for a supplier who can provide fixtures with ease of assembly, short lead times, expert project management, affordable freight costs and most importantly, quality of product. Here are five things to look for in your supplier to ensure you get the highest quality and best pricing for your fixtures As a buyer, you want the best quality for the best price. A reliable fixture supplier will work with you to help drive down manufacturing costs. This all starts with the initial design of the product. How big is it? How much does it weigh? Can smart and efficient packaging be used to cut down on shipping expenses? One of the benefits of working with an experienced supplier is they can work from the start to reduce the cost by choosing the most effective materials and design, thereby giving you the best price and quality possible. page 1

2 Importing Made Easy There are multiple benefits to using a supplier with experience in the overseas marketplace. Using one with employees based overseas can increase the amount of options for the buyer. They are significantly more in-tune with the buying environment compared to suppliers with no on-shore employees. It facilitates negotiation for best prices. They can also find the best partners as they have the availability to meet the owners in person, visit the factory, understand the professional customs of the overseas businesses, and check the product's quality before it ships. Because multiple factors like packaging and design determine an imported fixtures freight costs, it is important consider these when choosing a supplier. A supplier typically ships finished products to their domestic warehouse first, then delivers to the buyer's store locations. Because freight costs can contribute 530% of the fixture's total cost, the supplier should use smart packaging to reduce cost, allowing more product to be packed in a container, optimizing space. Also, you should ensure that the supplier's manufacturing facility is actually producing the entire product and not farming out different components of the project. Sending product to multiple factories could increase the lead time and cost. page 2 To make sure that you are receiving the best quality product, there needs to be a stringent and documented inspection process in place at each project stage. First, the prototype must be designed and approved before production begins. Testing must be performed at random intervals during manufacture to identify any defects early. Then when production is complete, a final inspection should ensure all specifications are met. The supplier needs to have a rigorous process for testing quality, finish and packing before the finished fixture leaves its fabrication facility.

3 Importing Made Easy page 3 The lead time for overseas manufacturing process is generally 810 weeks, but can be shortened to a mere 6-weeks with the right planning and preparation. This all depends on the type of product and which sourcing partner has the right skillset and capabilities to deliver the best results. Once the product has been shipped, it generally takes about 3 weeks to reach its stateside destination. When the final product arrives at the supplier's facility, it undergoes another rigorous inspection to make sure there are no missing parts or defects. Having multi-sourcing capabilities gives the buyer the opportunity to create something unique and affordable while on-budget. Each factory differs in specializations and capabilities. For example, if you want to utilize wood materials to create your display, one factory may deliver much better results than another. When choosing the best fixture supplier, it is important to choose one with multi-sourcing capabilities. It is critical for the supplier to have multiple partners and have a deep knowledge of the market so they can match the requirements of each fixture order with the most capable manufacturing facility.

4 Importing Made Easy page 4 These days, the question isn't whether or not to import; it is how to choose the best supplier to meet your needs. Suppliers need to have the capabilities to deal with large orders and keep track of materials. It is imperative that they have superior project management skills to deal with the large amount of fixtures that may pass through their facilities. Having this management capability will maintain efficiency and secure all product. Because each supplier may have many different clients, they must have a quality, state-of-the-art inventory control system to keep track of the different products and program requirements. There are systems that can be utilized to keep track of the date and time the product entered or left the warehouse, when it was inspected, who inspected it and which buyer the product belongs to. Each step of the product's journey can be monitored and traced through an inventory control system, which simplifies the process and keeps the buyer at ease knowing their product will be delivered on time. A final important factor to consider is the cost and location of shipping the product to its final destination. Fixtures are shipped from overseas to the supplier's domestic warehouse. From there, they ship either to the individual store locations or to the retailers distribution center. If the suppliers location is on the West Coast, but you are on the East Coast, shipping costs will be higher. Instead, consider choosing a supplier more centrally located, such as the Midwest. Also worth exploring is if your supplier has the capability to ship direct to your stores from overseas. This could eliminate the double handling and shipping from the warehouse. A reliable and trust-worthy fixture supplier will offer opportunities for value engineering and ensure a thorough quality assurance and inspection process. They should have a wide overseas network and knowledge of the marketplace. They must offer state-of-theart inventory management capabilities. Finally, a central. locale to the buyers ultimate destination is desired. As we have discussed, many factors go into the production and shipping of store fixtures. As a buyer, you need to know the most important ones to consider in order to make well informed choices. You need a partner who listens to you and works alongside you through every step of the process, ensuring the best product possible. Choosing the right fixture supplier will deliver the best ROI, and ultimately help you drive store sales.

5 Providing comprehensive custom solutions. From concept development to store delivery we work collaboratively with our clients to customize solutions for each program requirement. We manage our resources around the globe to create the ideal combination of quality and economy