Getting It Right - Business to Business Sales

Getting it right: A case study in business to business sales

• If you were to stumble across the World Art and Crafts website you would initially be forgiven for assuming you had found an online shop selling a truly stunning array of ethnic handicrafts from around the world. You’d be right, up to a point, but in fact this website (www.worldartandcrafts.com) is in fact a wholesale outfit which sells to trade customers only.
• For the most part, buying from a wholesaler is very much a pale shadow of the domestic shopping experience. Their premises lack many of the finer comforts we expect from our daily retail outlets (small things like carpet, natural light possibly even heating!). Not so this online wholesaler. The website cuts no corners, presentationally speaking, and indeed is one of the more visually striking sites we’ve been involved in at Connexions Web Solutions.
• The site follows many of the conventions of an e-commerce site but only trade users who are registered can actually place items into the “basket” and proceed to checkout in the usual manner. Products are clearly categorised down the right hand margin, with photographs of examples. Clicking on a category brings up a detailed list of products, illustrated with high quality photographs and product information. The buyer can be clear exactly what they are ordering and the products on offer are stunning and beguiling, representing the best in artistic style and craftsmanship from around the world.
• The World Art and Crafts website goes beyond merely supplying products, however. The company offers a variety of schemes aimed at getting new businesses off the ground with initial stock packages. These range from smaller scale working from home party plans or craft fair packages to a more impressive franchise, style package to support a newly opened shop. The information is clearly presented, free of small print and hidden catches, with photograph illustrations of examples of the stock on display. In all, an impressive example of straightforward, ethical business practice.
• This ethical approach is central to the company ethos with all stock offered being purchased according to Fair Trade standards so that the benefits of the company’s activities are felt by the artists and craftsmen who make the products as well as traders here in the UK. Overall, World Art and Crafts present a corporate image and standard of service more commonly associated with a small, highly focussed service provider whose survival depends on delivering above expectation at every time. We all know this type of business always delivers superb value.
• It’s refreshing to see the same standards applied to an online wholesaler and I image World Art and Crafts’ customers feel much the same way!
• Incidentally, though this is a “trade only” website it’s worth a browse regardless since you can explore the entire range of products without registering your details. Follow the link to
• www.worldartandcrafts.com