I cringe when I hear customers talking about what about great deal they made on x project by buying materials directly from the manufacturer.
After 20 years in the industry, rarely do I ever see a deal where that customer actually saves money. Sometimes they lose on price, sometimes it’s service, and usually it’s both. In almost every case they are convinced they are getting the best deal.
There’s about a dozen other things that aren’t as easily quantified into dollars that eventually costs them money. The one constant is that it eventually negatively impacts their bottom line.
Issues with handling & storage, accounting, leadtime, quality control, warranty claims, and other complications add up to lost dollars.
Why?