When e-commerce exploded onto the scene more than a decade ago, some in the HVACR industry predicted the traditional two-step model of distribution may be heading the way of the dinosaurs. After all, why would consumers want to continue buying through a middleman when they could potentially purchase whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, from a website?
Those predictions turned out to be premature, as the two-step distribution model — where the manufacturer sells to the distributor and the distributor then sells to the contractor — continues to be alive and well. And, while online sales are growing in popularity, many HVACR parts and equipment companies still prefer doing business through the traditional supply chain.