PTED Blog

I’ve heard some recent concerns about W/Ds competing with the mobile jobbers by selling direct to end users online.

Is your business hurting from any activity like this?

Have you found this to be a regular thing, did you expect it would come, or are you surprised to hear your supplier might be competing directly with you while still selling to you?

Is this the future of tool selling? Are you planning any kind of web selling to add to your truck sales?

While I was at the AAPEX/SEMA/NACE/CARS shows this year (watch for your December issue of PD for some of the great tools there), I was asked why most tool and equipment jobbers don’t stop at PBE shops. In my limited knowledge, I couldn’t answer. But I promised to start asking and look for an answer.

What I’ve heard so far is that traditional PBE jobbers concentrate on paint, finishing chemicals and sandpaper, and T/E jobbers just don’t stop at PBE.

That appears to me that your average PBE tech is left without a weekly source for the power tools and hardlines he needs in his work. After all, it’s not just sanding and spraying.

So, if you stop at PBE shops every week, how many? If you don’t, why not? I would love to learn a bit more about this side, or potential side, to your business. If you’d like to remain anonymous and not post here, please click here to email me directly.

Thanks!

-Brendan