沒想到金融重鎮的倫敦, 去年經過馬肉危機後, 今年又來了一個 Tesco舞弊案, 這次的主角是績優生 Tesco。而且採用的是非常粗糙的假帳操作方式, 這個案子也突顯出 通路商對供應商的壓榨 (上架費/DM費/活動費…etc. 這些供應商給的金額全部加總, 剛好等於 Tesco 每季的利潤…哇! 通路也難為啊)
英國因為現代商業發展較一般國家提前200年, 所以 Retailer 經過這些年競爭後, 成了供應商口中的吸血鬼, 不管是 Tesco, Halfords, Homebase, Argos...等等大公司, 全都單方面要求供應商提供 2%~10%營收不等的rebate or funding program, 而且是強迫中獎的方式, 看到英國商人的狠勁了嗎? 這也是我當年我在海外從事銷售工作時, 最討厭遇到的二種人: 英國和韓國人。呵呵呵!
Telegraph 網站上的文章報導值得一讀 if you were one of Retailers. ^_^
In May, we revealed that
Halfords had sent a letter to suppliers asking them to pay up to 10pc of their annual sales with the retailer to help fund its £100m turnaround plan.
This effectively amounted to a rebate on already agreed contractual payments. Suppliers claim it came with a warning that if they did not agree, they risked being delisted.
Matt Davies, chief executive of Halfords, was unapologetic about the letter, claiming that the retailer was “making sure that everyone carries their weight”. He argued that because Halfords’ investments in improving its stores would boost sales for suppliers, they should contribute.
However, suppliers saw it rather differently, with some fearing the demands would push them into the red. In the end, because Halfords is the largest bicycle and car parts retailer in the UK, most small businesses decided they had to stump up the cash.
It is not beyond the realms of possibility that a similar request was made to Tesco suppliers – perhaps in return for prime shelf space – and the company then booked all the rebates as income before suppliers had even agreed to it.
Unfortunately, Halfords is by no means alone in making these kinds of demands.
John Lewis – yes, even John Lewis –
told suppliers last year they would be subject to a rebate of up to 5.25pc on annual sales. Again, it justified the letter by saying its sales were only rising due to spending on new stores, refurbishments and its growing ecommerce operations.
Last December, in perhaps the worst example,
Debenhams demanded a one-off fee from suppliers worth 2.5pc of its outstanding payments and said it would apply a 2.5pc discount to orders it had already agreed with suppliers.
Argos and Homebase, which are owned by Home Retail Group, joined in on the act in February by
applying a 2pc rebate to future orders.