4 Benefits of Having a Purchasing Agent Agreement With an International Freight Forwarder
If your company buys merchandise online from overseas vendors, or sells to international customers, then you may find the services of purchasing agents in the U.S.A very useful. Think about all the aspects you have to weigh every time you make a purchase. You have to sieve through thousands of offers to get the best deal and arrange for safe delivery. Wouldn’t it be great to have a purchasing agent who can handle the ordering, receiving, storage, and shipping of your goods? The good thing is that all you need is a purchasing agent agreement with a freight shipping company. Here are the benefits of having a purchasing agent agreement with an international freight forwarder.
1. Forwarding Agents Manage Vendor Relationships
If you are a cosmetic retailer, and you order your goods from different international vendors how do you handle communication effectively with the different vendors and still deal with all your local customers? It is really a difficult balancing act. That is where a purchasing and forwarding agent comes in handy. Purchasing agents will scout for the best deals, negotiate and compare prices from different vendors, and facilitate your goods’ shipping. By keeping in touch with many vendors, your purchasing agent will ensure that you always enjoy great discounts. Your purchasing agent agreement should allow your agent to handle all the correspondence between you and your international vendors.
2. Purchasing Agents Will Expedite Product Delivery
International purchasing agents have well-established delivery logistics. International freight shipping companies can facilitate door to door shipping. If you have dealt with international online vendors before, you know that the real challenge is product delivery. This is because the majority of online vendors are not big companies that have well-established logistics. But they offer great prices and, more importantly, quality products. If you can fill the delivery gap, then you will be in for some good business.
This is what international freight forwarders will do for your company. Your purchasing agent will leverage their logistic networks and deliver your goods on time. This can be through ocean or air transport. It gets better because purchasing agents can consolidate cargo from different clients to reduce shipping costs. Therefore, you don’t have to pay through your nose for expedited delivery.
3. Agents Can Leverage Their Vendor-Relationship to Solve Supply Shortages
When you have inventory crises, your forwarding agent can step in. Well-connected purchasing agents can be able to turn around your supply shortages by leveraging their connections. Since they already have an established relationship with several sellers, forwarding agents can get fast supplies and help you avert an inventory deficit. Sometimes, due to market dynamics, certain products may run out of supply. Your swiftness and ability to turn around a supply shortage is what will keep you in business for long. Luckily, having a purchasing agent agreement with a top international freight forwarder will give you enough wiggle room to solve an inventory crisis.
4. Updated Shipping Knowledge
Since international shipping involves many countries, a change in shipping laws in one country may affect your supply. It may not be easy to keep track of the changing shipping laws, yet they can adversely affect your business. Your purchasing agent will get this pressure off your shoulders and let you focus on managing and building your business. Freight forwarders are updated on any changes that may affect the shipping process. This helps them plan accordingly to avoid shipping delays and other inconveniences, given that the air cargo industry accounts for about 30% of the global shipment value.
When your business relies on selling and buying merchandise overseas, a purchasing agent agreement with an international freight shipping company will ease your operations. Your purchasing and forwarding agent will deal with all the nitty-gritty of online buying and international shipping. This will allow you to focus on other aspects of your business. Even more important, you will not experience surprise supply challenges, as your purchasing agent will have your back.
