You call. You place your order. You get your order. You sell to your customers. That’s all you need to know, right? Believe it or not, there’s more than meets the eye. Europa offers more to you than any other distributor in the industry. How do you ask? Read on for what you don’t know and how it helps your business.
Technology
1. Warehouse Management System. Europa’s fully automated Warehouse Management System means the freshest products arrive at your door with unmatched ‘right product—record time’ service. It’s Real Time inventory management—from arrival on our docks to getting it shipped to your business. How does it work? From the time a shipment arrives at our warehouse, programmable bar code scanners are used to make certain there’s accurate check-in of each item, the product’s freshness is tracked, and everything is stocked for immediate location and retrieval when you place your order. Our investment in WMS offers industry-setting standards for product selection and quantities, along with seamless, fast and absolutely accurate order processing and delivery.
2. Mr. Roboto. Our wireless scanners not only help guarantee accurate and fresh inventory, they make quality control effortless. Once your order is keyed by your sales representative a pick ticket is generated and it proceeds to the warehouse for picking and packing. During the picking process, a warehouse associate will scan a bar code on a pick ticket and then key in the amount of product picked. If the quantities match, the order will move forward to the packing station. If it is flagged, the order will be double-checked.
3. Business as usual. We’ve integrated top technologies to work for us so we can work more effectively for you. For example, you probably haven’t heard of JD Edwards Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System However, you have been interacting with this software every time you do business with your sales representative. Europa has invested the time and money into technology to make doing business with Europa as seamless as possible. An ERP system integrates all data and business processes of an organization into one system. JD Edwards is usually reserved for Fortune 500 companies. If it was good enough for them, then it was good enough for Europa. JD Edwards software manages everything from order processing, inventory, warehouse and accounting. This state of the art technology gives you the service you require to run your business and get your orders now.
4. Personally yours. Another one of Europa’s tools of technology is Goldmine Customer Relationship Management. Ever wonder how your sales representative remembers to call you and see how your inventory is holding up? It’s not because they have ESP, it’s because our sales team uses Goldmine to keep track of your last order, your birthday and the name of your pets.
5. Europedia. EuropaSports.com is not just a run of the mill corporate website. At EuropSports.com you’ll find the most efficient, accurate and customer friendly online access to the top-notch sports supplements and nutrition information offered anywhere—bar none. A searchable database of over 3,500 products lists nutritional facts, product images, pricing, potential profit margins and packaging dimensions. You can sort items based on stock code, product line, description, cost and category. In addition, you can visit Flextime—our online magazine with articles geared exclusively to helping your run your business.
6. 3 am ordering. The OPEN for business sign is always on at EuropaSports.com. You can use the Wishlist tool online to create your own customized list of products for purchase 24/7. Simply add products to your list and your order will go straight to your sales representative and our customer service department. Additional Wishlist features include the ability to track your order history and even keep a running list of your favorite or most frequently ordered products. Each Wishlist order expedites the entire shipping process and you get your exact order in record time.
7. The first to know. To stay ahead of the curve, you need the latest information at your fingertips. Sent once a week, “What’s In Store: New Products from Europa” lists the latest products that will be coming soon from Europa. Most products arrive within two weeks of listing and can be selling in your store shortly thereafter. Be the first to know about it and have it before your customers ask for it. If you would like to receive “What’s In Store,” email your first and last name, company name, business address and preferred email address to promotions@europasports.com
People
8. Team of 200. You may just talk to your sales representative but did you know that Europa has over 200 employees working for you? It’s like your own private sports nutrition army at your disposal. From Warehouse associates picking and packing products to Accounting processing your payment, we have all bases covered with the following departments: Accounting, Sales, Marketing, Tradeshow, Web, IT, Returns, Purchasing, Warehouse, Corporate Sales and Customer Service.
Training
9. Bi-weekly boot camp. For our sales staff, training in not just regulated to the gym. The Europa sales team undergoes extensive training in new products, brands and sales techniques to ensure their expertise is unrivaled.
Bi-weekly sales training sessions are held on current selling philosophies. Plus, each sales representative undergoes weekly education on new products and brands that will be introduced to you. Representatives sample products and give feedback directly to the manufacturer before it even reaches our dock door. Our sales staff can be considered a supplement laboratory. If it doesn’t meet their standards, then it won’t meet your standards.
Relationships
10. Joining forces. We have built substantial relationships with vendors across the industry. Many times, we get first crack at select products and can also purchase large quantities. This benefits you because we do not back order and can have what you need in stock, when you need it.
In addition, our partnerships with vendors outside the industry ensure that all the behind-the-scenes action is seamless so your orders get processed as flawlessly as possible.
Facilities
11. Location, location, location. You know the old adage, “Location is everything.” With our 4 facilities located across the country we can ship the entire nation in 1-2 days. Our warehouses are strategically located near UPS shipping hubs for optimal shipping times.
12. The laboratory. Athletic training is near and dear to the majority of Europa employees. We don’t just practice it; we live it and breathe it. Our headquarters consists of a 2,400 square foot professional physical training center for usage by all employees. At any time during the day, you can walk through and catch employee’s strength training, working with personal trainers and getting their cardio in for the day.
Programs
13. Retailer toolkit. Did you know that Europa offers various programs that can help boost your bottom line? Read on for more information on programs offered by Europa.
Sports drinks have experienced explosive growth and having a cooler in your gym or store is an additional profit center for your business. Europa offers an extensive variety of drinks and single and double door coolers to qualified customers who purchase minimum case quantities of drinks per month. Customers must be on one of the Europa truck routes to qualify for the program. *Coolers are not shipped and are only available in select areas. Contact your representative for details.
Got a website but no images and information? You’ve come to the right place to get your website started or enhance your current online presence. The e-Tailer program is a service offered by Europa Sports Products in which you can subscribe to a database of product images and detailed product information such as nutrition facts and more. Built over the course of 4 years, the database includes images and product label information on over 3,600 products and covers over 150 different manufacturers.
Run an online supplement store or plan to sell supplements online? Then our Web Fulfillment program is for you. We ship products directly to customers within 24 business hours. Shipping is a flat rate and packing is done for you.
Services
14. What can Purple do for You? In addition to working with numerous delivery agencies, we also offer a fleet of Europa trucks and vans to personally deliver your products direct to your door. With our staff of professional Route Sales associates facilitating your order, you can have your products regularly delivered to you at no additional charge. *Routes are not available in all areas; contact your sales representative for more information.
Tradeshows
15. Go further. Europa sales representatives attend over 40 tradeshows, expo’s and bodybuilding competitions a year. Come out and meet your sales representative and pick their brain for the latest industry buzz. More importantly, by visiting select tradeshows and expo’s you can take advantage of show specials that can be very profitable for your business’s bottom line. You can anticipate 20%-30% off or more on products when orders are placed at shows. Typically, you can only take advantage of these additional discounts at the show. Visit www.europasports.com/flextime/shows for a list of shows and photo galleries.
16. Be our guest. At select shows, Europa customers are elevated to VIP status. Only retailers can have access to the Europa booth and can meet celebrities such as Shannon Sharpe, Sylvester Stallone, Marshall Faulk and more. Besides hanging with celebs, you can meet your sales rep, receive the latest in free product samples and take a break with a protein shake if you’d like. At expo’s and tradeshow’s, it’s all about you, our customer.
Experts
17. A way of life. To the associates at Europa, sports nutrition is more than a business—it’s a way of life. Our team of knowledgeable, experienced nutrition and fitness experts are consumers of the very products we sell. We’re avid bodybuilders, trainers and workout enthusiasts. On staff, we have a professional bodybuilder, several personal trainers, tri-athletes, martial artists, power lifters, bodybuilding competitors and associates that have a general love of strength training.
Constantly keeping a pulse on the market, Europa reps are out in the field everyday, visiting gyms, fitness clubs and health food stores. If there’s a new trend in sports nutrition, you can count on your Europa rep to lead the way.
Variety
18. Variety is the spice of life. Our expansive product selection ensures you have the brands your customer’s want—when they want them. We offer more than 3,500 unique items representing more than 150 of the industry’s leading brands. We’re constantly adding to our product mix to stay abreast of the latest trends.
Speed
19. The Power of now. The demands of being a business owner requires that you need your inventory stocked and you need it now. Europa makes that happen in 1-2 days * from one of our four locations across the nation. Our investment in technology processes your order in minutes, not hours. Our relationships with shipping and freight partners gets your order out the door first.
20. No surprises. We don’t backorder, period. On the occasion that we don’t have what you need from our full stocked inventory, you don’t have to worry about a product not showing up at your door when you expected it.
Space
21. Cool and collected. Did you know your stockroom was 214,000 square feet? We store it so you don’t have to. We can maintain large supplies of more products so that you don’t have to worry about incurring the costs and trouble of keeping a lot of inventory on site. We do that for you and then deliver it to you practically overnight in most cases. With our investment in warehouse space, we offer industry-setting standards for product selection and quantities, along with seamless, fast and absolutely accurate order processing and delivery.
All of our warehouses include climate controlled sports bar rooms to store your bars at optimal temperatures to keep inventory as fresh as possible. Besides keeping your bars as fresh as possible, during the hot summer months, we even offer a cold pack solution to prevent your bars from melting during shipping.
Resources
22. Education is now in session. Europa is committed to helping your business by offering Flextime, an online magazine focused towards the sports supplement retailer.
An added benefit to online EuropaSports.com members, Flextime compiles in one location a wide range of industry knowledge — news, tradeshow coverage, tips and tricks, recipes and advice — from various sources including our own staff of experts.
New issues are released quarterly; however breaking news articles are added immediately to continually provide you with the most current news.
Award Winning
23. Top of the Class
For the third year in a row, Europa Sports Products has earned recognition by the Nutrition Business Journal's Business Achievement Awards. Europa Sports received an Honorable Mention in the mid-size companies growth category. The Honorable Mention was awarded based on Europa more than tripling sales since 2000 as a national distributor of sports supplements, beverages and weightlifting accessories.
NBJ is a monthly executive journal focusing primarily on the nutrition industry. NBJ also addresses how this industry impacts the larger food, pharmaceutical and health care industries. Each issue discusses business activities, market size/growth, trends, and opportunities in the nutrition industry.
For two years, Europa has placed in the Grant Thornton 'North Carolina 100'. The annual ranking is comprised of the state’s largest closely held companies that Grant Thornton LLP compiles for Business North Carolina. Grant Thornton is one of the six global accounting, tax and business advisory organizations.
The Blue Diamond awards honor achievement in the use of information technology to support customer service; overall business use of IT; new IT products; and community involvement by technology professionals. Europa was nominated and a finalist in the category of Top Growth Company.
Disaster Recovery
24. In case of emergency. Have you ever thought if a disaster strikes where will you get your products? Europa has taken steps to ensure that disaster recovery plans are in place at all of our facilities. In the event that a distribution location is rendered inoperable, all operations will migrate to another Europa location and business will continue as usual. This means that regardless of what happens, your business will remain unaffected no matter what Mother Nature or else entails.
History
25. Where we come from. It’s no accident that we’ve been a leading supplier to the sports and fitness marketplace for more than a decade: our success is the direct result of our commitment to customers and our expertise in sports nutrition. Founding partners Eric Hillman and Jeff Compton have been students of sports nutrition their whole lives. Eric is a professional judge with the International Federation of Bodybuilding, while Jeff is a former competitive bodybuilder and a NPC Junior Nationals heavyweight medal winner.
The inspiration that became Europa Sports Products started in 1991 when Jeff and Eric were sales reps for a supplement company and found themselves limited to only what they had to offer. These limitations are what helped build the philosophy of Europa Sports Products, which is for existing and potential customers to have a much larger variety of supplements and products lines to choose from. Our mission today, as it was when Europa started, is to supply our customers with great service, knowledge, and a wide variety of choices and do whatever it takes to be the best supplement distribution company in the industry.
For questions on this article and more, contact your Europa sales representative or visit EuropaSports.com for additional informative articles to help your business.
= FlexTime Members Only - © 2005 Europa
Sports Products - September 3, 2010
