News from Initiate Commerce, Inc.

For more information contact: Richard Jones, 518-429-2830

Online Wholesale Trade Show Levels Playing Field for Local Retailers

ALBANY, NY (09/25/2007; 1457)(readMedia)-- Software startup Initiate Commerce, Inc. announced today the grand opening of its online wholesale trade show – ProductBlazer. Retail buyers and merchandisers can now find new products in an online exhibition of more than 41,000 wholesale suppliers, spanning dozens of categories. Use of ProductBlazer is absolutely free for retailers, who can search, browse, and organize their sourcing activities on the site.

Over half of all US retail sales are rung up by local, independent retailers. Despite the success of big-box retailers, small retailers thrive by delivering the right products to niche markets. But they must find those products first. ProductBlazer remedies a long-standing disadvantage faced by small retailers when competing with large retailers – sourcing.

“Large retailers like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Sears have entire departments of people who do nothing but find suppliers and source new products,” says Richard Jones, CEO of Initiate Commerce. “Wholesale suppliers come to them, lining up to get a chance to pitch their products and do business. As a local store you have to go hunting for new suppliers yourself, and you do it in between ordering, receiving, floor selling, and home life.”

For local retailers, searching for wholesale suppliers means two things: trade shows and the internet. Trade shows are effective but can be expensive, requiring travel, lodging, and time away from the store. In fact, many small retailers cannot attend more than two or three trade shows per year. The rest of the time they’re searching the web.

“It can be difficult for a retailer to find the wholesale supplier of a particular product on Google or Yahoo,” says Jason Fox, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Initiate Commerce, Inc. “What you find are mainly other retailers, along with reviews and price comparisons. Searching on ProductBlazer returns only wholesale suppliers and their products.”

Most of the wholesale suppliers found on ProductBlazer are themselves small, independent companies. Like local retailers, they are run by entrepreneurs who are passionate about their products. The creators of ProductBlazer recognized the value of bringing the two together. Small retailers find new products, and suppliers find new markets.

“ProductBlazer allows small, local retailers to play to their strengths,” says Erik Morton, COO of Initiate Commerce. “They know their customers intimately, and know they want interesting and innovative products that you won’t find at Target. ProductBlazer helps local retailers strengthen that person-to-person appeal.”

ProductBlazer is an online wholesale trade show operated by Initiate Commerce, Inc. Admission is free for retailers, and basic listings for wholesale suppliers are also free. ProductBlazer can be visited at: http://productblazer.com.