The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA)’s most recent ‘Meet the Buyer’ day, with Toolstation, took place this month and proved beneficial for the manufacturer and distributor companies who attended. With the Toolstation buying team, including managers and seven buyers, present at the event, which took place at the Webbington Hotel and Spa in Loxton, Somerset, BHETA organised twenty- minute appointments with a total of fifty-five potential suppliers pitching their ideas – including showcasing product features and benefits and presenting cost price proposals.

Over 100 new products were seen by the Toolstation buying team, for consideration by the company’s quality, administration and supply chain representatives. Additionally, to speed up the listing process, the company  partnered with Philex to act as distributors to get suitable products into Toolstation as quickly as possible.   

Matt Nourse, commercial director at Toolstation, commented: "Our latest ‘Meet the Buyer’ event was a valuable sourcing day to see fifty-five suppliers and over a hundred new products for the business to consider. Many of these will be listed in the very near future, initially on our website, with the more successful products being made available in our stores.

"We committed the whole buying team to the day which proved to be an efficient use of their time. The day was both well organised and structured and we will be making this event a regular feature in our buying calendar.’

Commenting on the day, Paul Grinsell, DIY sector director for BHETA said: "In the current economic climate, both buyers and sellers are under immense pressure and the demands on buyers’ time make meetings with new potential suppliers very difficult.

"In one day and in one place, Toolstation had fifty-five appointments with suppliers – something that, under normal circumstances, would take months to achieve. We are committed to providing our members with opportunities, such as our ‘Meet the Buyer’ events to help drive their business forward."