Glenn Wilde, Senior Sales Executive of ABS Holdings, at eroFame 2016

“We have seen how the industry has changed over the years and have adapted accordingly.”

Putting it in nautical terms, the current situation in the adult industry could be described as choppy waters. Consequently, it can be very tricky to steer your ship or company into safe waters, especially if you are hit by waves that you couldn’t predict, for instance staff changes. ABS Holdings have successfully braved every storm while staying their course, and they have learned important lessons to prepare them for the future, as Glenn Wilde, Senior Sales Executive at the British wholesaling company, explains in our interview.


 

2016 was a year of many changes for ABS Holdings. For instance, there were some changes regarding personnel. Can you update our readers on the latest developments?
Glenn Wilde: Well, a change is as good as a rest they say and we did indeed have a major change within ABS Holdings. We have now recalibrated the workings of ABS to encompass this change and, it would appear that things are rolling along just fine and dandy.

A change of personnel can be a breath of fresh air for a business, or it can lead to unforeseen turbulences. Which was it for you?
A welcome breath of fresh air blew through ABS Holdings and we have harnessed it to full effect. There was no ill wind from our part, and we wish only the best for the dear departed. A great legacy was left but also a clean slate, one that we have rapidly put to great use.

Apart from the changes regarding your staff, you have probably been working on your product range. What has changed here throughout the past months?
We have just released our brand new Autumn/Winter Supplement. This contains over three hundred SKUs. Within the three hundred are brand new items of course, from all the greatest suppliers in the industry but also there are products that we are re-introducing. These products were previously available from us but were subsequently discontinued. They are now back in full effect.

ABS offers a healthy mix of 3rd party brands and house brands. How important is this combination in today’s market?
More than ever we need to offer as many different things to our customers. By things I mean; variety of product – From the high end, luxury versions to the more economically priced SKUs. Also, services – Our drop shipping service has just got bigger and better. We have now secured excellent rates and quality customer service so we can now proudly announce that ABS Holdings can drop ship to Europe!! No drop shipping fee, just trade price, plus shipping cost – Contact us for more details. And for those more Tec Savvy Dropshippers we will be able to allow the access to our B2B portal via our API from the end of November.

Our healthy mix of 3rd party brands/house brands shows our customers that we have great relationships with all the major players in the industry but also that we are developing our own identity as supplier of quality products under our own auspices.

What criteria do you apply when selecting 3rd party brands for your product range? What requirements do you have for your own house brands?
Regarding the breath of fresh air we spoke about earlier, our customer’s feedback plays a much bigger part in the selection of new products. We often get asked for various ranges or individual items but also get questioned as to why certain items have been discontinued. I can safely say we have listened to every piece of feed-back (good and bad) and this has led to the great selection of products in our new Autumn/Winter Supplement.

Apart from your product range, what strengths does ABS have compared your competitors?
We have been doing this a very long time indeed – we know, or at least are very good at guessing, what will be a hit and what won’t when it comes to certain ranges and brands. We recently stopped dealing with a company whose offerings we thought had had their day BUT instead now work with two new companies who offer a fresh new take on traditional products. Like a hydra, chop off one head and two new ones grow.

Our stock holdings have also been a key strength with our warehouse bulging with stock in preparation for the busy Christmas period. We also value customer service very highly. We ensure that every order is carefully monitored from processing to delivery and that the Sales Team is on hand at all times to answer any questions regarding products, pricing or general information. With the introduction of new a new warehouse management system we have managed to simply our process to speed up our pick times by over 50%, meaning our customers can have their goods on the shelves & ready to sell.

How does ABS combat the collapse of the traditional supply chain (manufacturer-wholesaler-retailer)?
I think that by keeping a rich and varied stock holding from many highly reputable suppliers, whilst keeping our pricing very competitive and ensuring that delivery promises are maintained and upheld ABS is combating the “collapse” of the chain. Plenty of our customers value the convenience of buying everything all under one roof and dealing with just one point of contact. We have always been very fluid when it comes our customers and we know that, due to our huge customer base, that are hard work gets rewarded with more and more orders.

Do you think the aforementioned changes prepared you for being able to navigate ABS Holdings through some turbulent times?
ABS Holdings has weathered many a storm and we always learn and adapt from any set back we experience – The only bad experience is one you don’t learn from. We have seen how the industry has changed over the years and have adapted accordingly.