McKenna Attending Consumer Electronics Show 2012

For those who have attended the Consumer Electronics Show (commonly known as CES) in the past, you already know that it is a massive spectacle where your wildest electronic dreams come to life. Whether you are a supplier of electronics to mass retailers, a producer or distributor of electronics or just a fan of gaming and entertainment in general, it is definitely the place to be.

 

As a major distributor of electronics for numerous large companies from Canada and the United States, McKenna attends this show every year. While I'll be the first to admit that it's fun going to Vegas and seeing all of the new products that all of the electronics companies have come up with, the main reason I attend this show is because I know there are a lot of companies down there that we can help out..... let me explain.

 

When it comes to selling electronics in Canada, there are numerous players that you can deal with such as Future Shoppe, Best Buy, The Source, Wal-Mart, Zellers, Canadian Tire and numerous other independent and big box retailers. There is no shortage of buyers up here.

 

The major challenge is how to get your product to these retailers in a timely manner, accurately and at a reasonable price.

 

The biggest issue that we run across is that most U.S. companies bring their product into the U.S. first and then ship it up to Canada. The problem with following this logistics plan are numerous:

 

i) In the U.S. you generally pay higher duties on electronics going into the country than we do here in Canada

 

ii) Quite often you'll incur additional duty costs to ship into Canada from the U.S. as well so you're essentially paying duties twice

 

iii) There are higher transportation costs associated with shipping into a U.S. Port and moving the product into your warehouse and then shipping into Canada versus shipping into a Canadian Port and having us take your product in and then ship it out

 

iv) Time is always a concern for Consumer Electroncs companies as well. It's much more difficult to hit the deadline to get the product into a mass retailer when it's in the U.S. and needs to cross the border still then when it's close to the mass retailer and ready to ship out as soon as it arrives

 

v) Last but not least, there is the "I have my product in Canada" factor. In my experience, I have seen multiple companies gain new listings in other retailers as soon as they tell buyers that they store there product in Canada. Buyers like to know that you're commited to our marketplace and are willing to invest in your infrastructure up here. They know that they'll get better service and there will be less chance for delays.

 

As a result of these advantages of having your product in Canada, many of the consumer electronic companies we deal with have a competitive advantage over their rivals. My goal is to talk with other companies at the CES show and help them see the light.... this way we all win!