Buying Groups Rally In '04

By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 4/5/2004

New York — The industry's seven major retail buying organizations are facing pressures from big box chains and direct-sell PC suppliers head on with new programs, stronger vendor commitments and renewed marketing muscle.

And whether it's Brand Source/AVB's vendor-direct warehousing program; Nationwide's turnkey video fixturing; HTSA's national footprint plans; Best Brands Plus' branding effort; or the groups' financing, insurance, credit and extended warranty offers, independent dealers are clearly embracing the value-adds, as reflected in membership gains at MARTA, NATM and PRO Group.

The accompanying listing provides a snapshot view of the groups, their buying clout (based on 2003 sales) and key contact information.

A Who's Who Of Buying Groups

Brand Source/Associated Volume Buyers (AVB)

100 South Anaheim, Suite 250
Anaheim, Calif. 92805
Phone: (714) 502-9620
Fax: (714) 502-9627
Executive director: Bob Lawrence
Annual Volume: $4 billion
Number of members: 1,800

Home Entertainment Source (HES)

(A division of Brand Source)
100 South Anaheim, Suite 250
Anaheim, Calif. 92805
Phone: (714) 502-9620
Fax: (714) 502-9627
General manager: Jim Ristow
Annual Volume: $600 million
Number of members: 300

Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA)

501 E. Uwchlan Avenue
Chester Springs, Pa. 19425
Phone: (610) 363-9055
Fax: (610) 363-9065
Executive director: Richard Glikes
Annual volume: $450 million
Number of members: 48

MARTA Cooperative Of America

10165 North 92nd Street
Scottsdale, Ariz. 85258
Phone: (480) 443-0211
Fax: (480) 443-3354
Executive director: Warren Mann
Annual volume: $2.1 billion
Number of members: 106

Mega Group USA/Best Brands Plus

7511 Capital Drive
Germantown, Tenn. 38138
Phone: (901) 753-8243
Fax: (901) 755-3076
Executive director: Pat Reed
Annual volume: $2 billion
Number of members: 800

Nationwide Marketing Group

203 South Stratford Road, Suite B
Winston-Salem, N.C. 27103
Phone: (336) 722-4681
Fax: (336) 714-2671
President/director: Ed Kelly
Annual volume: $8 billion
Number of members: 2,400

NATM Buying Corporation

450 7th Avenue, Suite 1309
New York, N.Y. 10123
Phone: (212) 239-7222
Fax: (212) 714-0403
President/executive director: Bill Trawick
Annual volume: $3 billion
Number of members: 12

Progressive Retailers Association (PRO Group)

910 Skokie Blvd., Suite 115
Northbrook, Ill. 60062
Phone: (847) 509-4720
Fax: (847) 509-4724
Executive director/COO: Roger Heuberger
Annual volume: $1.6 billion
Number of members: 16