In today’s hypercompetitive foodservice sector, businesses look for ways to automate certain tasks. One example of such automation is to use subscriptions or repeat orders. This allows businesses in the restaurant industry to receive regular deliveries of certain products or wholesale restaurant supplies. Wholesalers can also benefit greatly from repeat orders and subscriptions. This gives them predictability and allows them to forecast demand more efficiently. In this post, we’ll share more about the ways vendors can encourage repeat orders and subscriptions. Make sure to also read our posts on how to grow a foodservice distribution business and the benefits of using BlueCart’s Endless Aisle for restaurants.
Key takeaway: Offering subscriptions is one of the ways vendors can increase their wholesale sales. Even though subscriptions and repeat orders offer certain automation of the wholesale ordering process, they need to be tailored to the company’s needs and be customizable.
What Are Wholesale Subscriptions
There are different types of wholesale subscription models. Some suppliers offer subscription packages only with staple goods like flour, butter, cooking oil, and other ingredients used by restaurant businesses. Others might choose to offer seasonal subscriptions. That means food service businesses get regular deliveries of seasonal goods. Tailoring subscriptions based on customer needs is a sure way for vendors to increase repeat orders.
Wholesale subscription is a proactive model that gives more control to distributors. It’s based on trust and proper vendor relationship management. Subscriptions are suitable for businesses that have a fairly constant demand. Otherwise, they can lead to additional costs due to waste.
What Are Wholesale Repeat Orders
Wholesale repeat orders are very similar to subscriptions, and the two terms are often used interchangeably. The main difference is that repeat orders give buyers more flexibility. Subscription plans are often determined by suppliers, while businesses that purchase in bulk might decide what products to include in their repeat orders.
The main benefit of repeat wholesale orders is that the ordering process is easier and semi-automated. A company might create different types of orders to repeat. For example, a business in the hospitality industry might have repeat orders of meat, seafood, and produce twice a week. Products with longer shelf life, such as beverages, flour, or different types of grains, might be delivered twice a month.
Thanks to wholesale ordering platforms like BlueCart’s Endless Aisle, businesses can track their order history and repeat previous orders. That is an alternative to wholesale subscriptions that gives buyers more flexibility and control, as they can add more items, remove or add certain products, or change quantities.
Predictive Ordering VS Wholesale Subscriptions
Nowadays, AI-powered solutions are among the biggest trends in various niche markets. An example of such a tool in the wholesale sector is BlueCart’s predictive ordering. It’s an alternative to wholesale subscriptions that allows companies to order based on their current needs. Predictive ordering is considered to be a more flexible option compared to repeat orders as it takes into account current stock levels. In order to benefit from the full capabilities of predictive ordering, businesses need to set their minimum inventory levels (also known as par levels). Once there’s enough historical data, predictive ordering can accurately recommend what quantities should be ordered. The main disadvantage of predictive ordering is that it’s dependent on data. Thus, predictive ordering features might not be optimal for food inventory management at first, but they will increase their efficiency once more and more data is gathered.
Using wholesale subscriptions might be more suitable in certain cases. For example, businesses that buy wholesale products constantly might opt for subscription or repeat orders instead of predictive ordering. Subscriptions are often used by smaller businesses that purchase only a few products or by companies that have long-term partnerships with their vendors.
Increase Wholesale Orders with BlueCart’s Endless Aisle
If you’re looking for a tool to increase your wholesale sales, BlueCart’s Endless Aisle is a must-have addition to your wholesale marketing strategy. Our platform allows distributors to easily create eCommerce catalogs and upload them to the endless aisle or send them to customers. With multiple marketing tools, competition comparison features, and other functionalities tailored to the needs of foodservice suppliers, BlueCart is among the best solutions for wholesalers.
Another advantage of BlueCart compared to other wholesale ordering platforms is the fact that our software also has various tools for wholesale buyers. In addition to standard functionalities like tracking order history and analyzing wholesale orders, BlueCart can be a valuable restaurant technology tool. It has features to calculate the profitability of single dishes or beverages and a restaurant’s profit margin as a whole. Furthermore, BlueCart’s tools for inventory management make it easy for restaurant managers to reduce food waste and make the wholesale ordering process even easier.
Frequently Asked Questions Related to Increasing Repeat Orders Through Subscriptions
Entrepreneurs and business owners can find resources on various topics on BlueCart’s website. From ideas on how to use restaurant data analytics to information on how to deal with supply chain disruptions. Below, we’ve answered a few common questions regarding B2B sales and wholesale repeat orders.
How to Make a Wholesale Catalog Stand Out?
In order to increase their B2B sales, distributors need to make their catalogs stand out. That’s especially true when it comes to digital wholesale marketplaces. The best way to make a wholesale catalog stand out is to properly group products in different categories. This makes it easy for wholesale buyers to browse and pick different items. Offering discounts and flexible delivery conditions is another way to become more competitive. Making your catalog stand out can also be achieved by using high-quality images and professional product descriptions. BlueCart’s Endless Aisle for wholesalers has multiple tools in that regard.
What Are Popular B2B Marketing Techniques?
Besides repeat orders, subscriptions, and using predictive ordering, there are other B2B marketing techniques that wholesalers can use. Some of them are suitable for suppliers in the food and beverage industry, while others are applicable in other sectors.
- Visiting trade shows and industry-specific expos;
- Cold calling and outreaching to customers directly;
- Offering high-value service through free deliveries, flexible terms, and other conditions;
- Partnering with other suppliers through consignment or white-labeling products;
- Signing up for different wholesale marketplaces and wholesale supplier directories;
- Offering additional conveniences like vendor-managed inventory, seamless invoicing and payment process (can be done through BlueCart Pay), or features for analytics.
How to Manage Wholesale Orders?
Using specialized wholesale ordering software is the most common way to manage bulk orders. In the past, distributors usually managed wholesale orders through printed sheets. Nowadays, that practice is still used by some small and local suppliers. However, wholesalers who wish to scale and grow their business need to invest in efficient order management solutions. Platforms like BlueCart can make wholesale order management much easier and seamless. Furthermore, they can also increase the wholesale sales and revenue of your business.
BlueCart: From Predictive Ordering to Repeat Orders and Subscriptions
Our solution has various tools for both distributors and their customers. BlueCart allows wholesale buyers to create repeat orders and subscriptions for products in different categories. Furthermore, the predictive ordering features of BlueCart’s Endless Aisle make it even easier for foodservice businesses to manage inventory. If you wish to find suppliers and use BlueCart as a buyer, simply sign up today. Suppliers can schedule a free demo and witness BlueCart’s different tools for wholesalers.