Results of a survey conducted by Whereoware.com indicate that retailers identify the Internet as an increasingly important tool for communication and order writing.
Key findings include:

• 70 percent of all retailers surveyed have e-mail
• 61 percent of these retailers use e-mail to communicate with suppliers and sales representatives
• 39 percent of all retailers have ordered products from a supplier Web site
• 15 percent of all retailers have ordered products from a business-to-business Web site
• 12 percent of all retailers are registered with a business-to-business Web site

Whereoware.com, a company offering technology-based tools for retailers, suppliers and representatives in the gift, home and lighting markets, collected questionnaires from more than 1,100 retailers attending the 2001 Dallas International Gift & Home Accessories Market, California Gift Show, San Francisco International Gift Fair, New York International Gift Fair, Seattle Gift Show, Washington Gift Show and Boston Gift Show. The respondents represented buyers from specialty and department stores, gift shops, jewelry stores, mail-order catalogs, museums and galleries, stationery stores, craft retailers, garden centers and book stores; interior designers; importers; and distributors of home products.

According to company CEO Ben Johns, most retailers participating in the survey indicated that traditional methods for sourcing and ordering products (trade show attendance, telephone and fax orders, sales representatives in-store visits) are still utilized. However, a core group — including retailers in remote locations, new companies and internationally based stores — use the Internet as a primary source of ordering.

For more information, visit Whereoware.com, or call (703) 821-7448