D&H Distributing reports it has experienced double-digit growth in sales in 2020, with increases ranging between 15% and 25% every month since April. The companty cites its curbside pick-up and ecommerce as significant contributors to the gains.
Since the onset of COVID-19’s stay-at-home restrictions in April, retail sales at D&H have grown steadily, led by an impressive growth of 87% in the PC gaming category through the first half of D&H’s fiscal year to-date (which began May 1). This is due in part to the launch of new gaming consoles from Microsoft this year and additional strong showings from manufacturers like NVIDIA, MSI, and HTC.
Key growth categories supported the work-from-home and learn-from-home trends that emerged as a result of stay-at-home mandates. This included products such as mobile computing devices, home Wi-Fi solutions, displays, webcams, and peripherals. The company predicts those areas will see ongoing increases as workers and students continue to deal with a combination of on-site and virtual attendance requirements in early 2021.
Products in the “kitchen and outdoor” categories also performed well this year, reflecting the new role of the home as a round-the-clock base of operations.
D&H ‘BOPIS’
The Harrisburg, Pa.-based distributor’s sales were considerably bolstered by the “buy online – pick-up in-store” trend, which allowed consumers to patronize both big box and local retailers, avoid venturing far from home, and still maintain a controlled, safe shopping experience. And the same way work-from-home scenarios have come into favor for many workers, curbside shopping is gaining preference among consumers. This paradigm is predicted to stay in place even after COVID-19 subsides, now that shoppers have acclimated to the model.
“Traditional ecommerce is surging, as would be expected in an atmosphere where consumers are intent on a safe shopping experience,” says Fred Eddy, D&H’s vice president of retail sales.
“We expect this to continue to be the focus until summer of 2021. The concept of ‘Black Friday’ has also diminished as a phenomenon in 2020. Promotions started earlier, which spread retail spending more equitably across October and November, as opposed to a Black Friday/Cyber Monday rush.”
Exceeding Milestones, Supporting Partners
“During the pandemic, D&H didn’t take the course of many competitors,” says Dan Schwab, D&H’s co-president. “When others reduced investments, D&H established new focus areas specific to the evolving needs of the market, providing training and resources in areas like work-from-home technologies, remote infrastructures, distance learning, and cybersecurity for home networks.”
“Our Fiscal Year performance has exceeded our expectations so far, setting records for D&H month after month as we met the explosive need for technology in 2020. We’re proud to have empowered so many dealers and retailers to meet e-commerce demands during COVID-19,” said Michael Schwab, D&H’s co-president. “Our objective is always to help our partners not only to endure through market ups and downs, but to find ways to thrive and grow.”
In addition to it headquarters in Harriburg, D&H has branches in Brampton, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada. Additional warehouses are located in Atlanta, Chicago and Fresno, Calif.
