Page 102 - Lighting Magazine June 2018

Retail Strategy
wanted to be an entrepreneur, and ecommerce seemed like a natural evolution.
“We are constantly updating and evolving our solution as we be er understand what our clients need to do to grow their businesses,” Rychak states. “We continue to add features that are im- portant to our clients because we want to help them take their businesses to the next level.”
These services have been extremely e ective, as evidenced by mySamm’s high client reten- tion rate. Manufacturers want all of their supply chain partners to make a pro t, and most don’t want to do business with a retailer that is causing problems and disrupting the channel. Likewise, brick-and-mortar showrooms appreciate when a manufacturer takes this issue seriously and en- forces it.
“Di erent manufacturers have di erent con- sequences when they discover an account in violation of MAP pricing,” explains Rychak, who is a rm believer in the ROBO concept (Research
Online, Buy O ine). He says that roughly 80 percent of people coming into a brick-and-mortar showroom have already done online research about the type of product they’re looking for, and he believes that number will continue to rise. However, he adds that most customers still would rather touch and see a product they see value in – such as a lighting xture – rather than order it online.
“It’s time that showrooms get into the game on this issue,” Rychak remarks. “For them to succeed in the years ahead, they’ve got to embrace ecom- merce and keep up with the technology. I think everyone understands that the internet isn’t going away, but where many have di culty is in deter- mining the changes that they need to make to their business and how to implement them.
“There is still plenty of opportunity for brick- and-mortar businesses ahead. Most manufacturers realize that the o ine world is just as important as the online world. This is still a people business.” 
“It’s time that showrooms get into the game on this issue. For them to succeed in the years ahead, they’ve got to embrace ecommerce and keep up with the technology.”
— Justin Rychak, mySamm
100 enLIGHTenment Magazine | June 2018
www.enlightenmentmag.com