SIMA to Bolster Sustainability Efforts
Under their mantra of “reducing and eliminating” the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is bolstering its new Business Sustainability Alliance by helping manufacturers move away from printed B2B sales catalogs. SIMA has chosen PlumRiver Technologies’ Elastic Suite as its preferred B2B digital merchandising solution to help eliminate printed sales catalogs for its members while strengthening the surf industry’s commitment to the environment. Under this new partnership, PlumRiver will donate 8% of their revenue from creating digital catalogs for SIMA members to fund environmental programs through its Business Sustainability Alliance.
“From a business efficiency point of view, the move to digital catalogs in this day and age is a relatively easy decision,” said Shannan North, SIMA President. “When considering the positive impact we as an industry can have on the environment by eliminating printed catalogs, the decision becomes a necessity. Elastic shares the same core values as SIMA when it comes to the environment, retailer adaptation and customer service. We are very excited to be taking on this challenge with a B2B technology solution that is robust, innovative and user friendly.”
SIMA members collectively print nearly 180,000 B2B sales catalogs annually at a cost of just over $5 million. Research by the Environmental Paper Network shows that printing and shipping this number of 150-page catalogs requires 540 tons of wood made from 3,244 trees, uses 3.45 billion BTUs of energy, produces 2.43 million pounds of CO2, uses 2.89 million gallons of water and produces 159,480 pounds of solid waste. All of these negative environmental impacts will be eliminated when moving to print-free B2B sales and marketing materials.
“Partnering with SIMA to help the surf industry achieve their sustainability objectives through the elimination of printed B2B marketing materials is directly aligned with our values and vision as a company,” said Josh Reddin, PlumRiver Technologies CEO. “The Elastic platform is not only the leading digital merchandising technology that makes 100% print elimination possible, but our solution also helps boost the bottom line of both manufacturers and retailers by incrementally lifting sales while creating measurable efficiency-driven cost savings.”
In addition to helping surf industry manufacturers realize these cost savings and sales growth, SIMA has chosen Elastic as its preferred technology provider to enhance relationships with retailers. Printed catalogs have been a staple of the B2B sales process for reps and retailers alike since the beginning of the surf industry, but the move to a digital merchandising platform will provide a more seamless and efficient wholesale buying process for retailers. The purchasing experience when using Elastic becomes more interactive, visual and strategic as buyers continue to fight for the attention of a more discerning consumer. With this next-generation B2B platform retailers and sales reps can collaboratively curate assortment plans to assure a higher level of sell-through with the potential of greater margins at retail.
Credit: www.shop-eat-surf.com