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In the words of managing director David Elder, ‘Fitbit is the biggest product CMS Distribution works with right now’. A household name, a leader in its field, call it what you want but everyone knows that Fitbit is a roaring success. Always on the hunt for the ‘next big thing’, Elder admits that no one could have 100 per cent predicted the success of the Fitbit, however good he personally thought it was.
“The most exciting part of the job is helping to bring these amazing new technologies to the masses. Ultimately we are in this business as we want to find that next multi-million pound product and ride the coat tails of the supplier,” Elder told PCR. “Just like any product we take on, it is always a bit of a gamble. As much as you like a product, sometimes they just don’t take off, for one reason or another. With Fitbit, we knew it was good but you can never be 100 per cent sure of success.”
He added: “We were originally referred to them by a previous client. We went to them and instantly liked the product. We pitched to them, telling them how we would take their product to market and how it would be beautifully marketed in store. Inevitably we won the business because they were passionate about their product and care about what they do with it. They saw us as an investment rather than a get-rich-quick scheme. In the end Fitbit exploded and they have made a lot of money.”
Currently dealing with 25 vendors, CMS Distribution has recently acquired Irish company TNS as well as distribution firm Widget. After picking up a PCR Award last month, the sky is seemingly the limit for the international distributor.
Keep your eyes peeled for a longer interview with the team at CMS Distribution coming up in PCR’s May edition
