The Import Flooring Group Inc. (IFG), a newly formed alliance of flooring retailers is set to hold its National Kick-Off and Convention at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Oct. 25-28. According to its founder and executive vp Fred Meredith, IFG's is positioning itself as a resource that enables retailers to enjoy the benefits of dealing directly with manufacturers, while avoiding a heavy investment in product from one source. Members use their collective buying power to secure products from around the globe.
"We started by making 14 proposals to 14 retailers and all of them were eager to sign up," said Meredith. He said the goal is to sign up from 300-400 flooring retailers that each generate annual volume of $10 million or more and have the warehouse and shipping facilities needed to handle inventory from IFG. In addition to securing products from 24 factories in 16 countries, IFG has created a line that consists of the most popular entries from each of its sources. The Bella Quiana Collection enables to retailers to quickly obtain high demand items while they await a larger shipment from overseas.
"This is a revolution in the import business," says Meredith. "We are seeing the big boxes like Lowes and Home Depot buy direct. Many retailers would like to do the same thing but they lack the resources. We help them achieve significant saving without the risk involved."
For more information about participation in the Import Flooring Group event, call 949-460-7933.
