Category: Buying Groups

ProSource a member-owned amalgam of two buying groups: Pro Group and HES. Pro Group was founded in 1985 and HES was founded in 1994.

Nationwide Marketing Group (not to be confused with the Nationwide insurance company) touts itself America’s largest buying and marketing organization. Its 3,500 members operate over 11,000 storefronts across the US and have $15 billion in combined annual sales. Nationwide is so large that it has seven regional divisions. Each of them is led by a retail industry veteran. Nationwide is based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The National Association of Retail Buyers & Sellers (NARB) is a non-profit founded in 2009 by two retail industry veterans. Their goal was to create an organization that would help retail professionals share information and best practices with one another so that all members could succeed. One of the benefits of joining NARB is that you’ll get special offers (read: discounts) from vendor sponsors. However, increasing members’ buying power isn’t the sole purpose of this NJ-based organization. It also seeks to develop members’ careers and serve as a resource for many aspects of retail buying and selling, store planning, and product development. Unlike many buying groups or group purchasing organizations, NARB is only open to individuals, not to businesses.

Royal Buying Group (RBG) was founded in 1995. The group, based in Illinois, is designed to support independent convenience store retailers. RBG negotiates with national vendors to increase members’ buying power and reduce their operating expenses. In addition, this buying group offers such benefits for its members as educational programs and networking events.

The Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA) is a group purchasing organization for consumer electronics retailers. A group of consumer electronics retailers founded it in 1996, and, as of September 2016, is the only member-owned cooperative buying group in the consumer electronics space. The group’s purpose has always been to give independent retailers in this field a stronger voice, which it does by increasing their purchasing power, serving as a forum for best practices, and increasing members’ market share.

The Veterinary Cooperative (TVC) touts itself as America’s largest veterinary industry purchasing cooperative. It’s located in Evanston, IL, although it’s actually incorporated in Minnesota. Founded by four veterinarians in 2012, the goal of the cooperative is to ensure independent veterinary practices and hospitals remain profitable by gaining a great deal of purchasing power and marketing prowess. In addition to its purchasing activities, the Veterinary Cooperative offers revenue-enhancing programs, profit-maximizing programs, and an online best practice knowledge exchange.

NATM Buying Corporation is a group purchasing organization based in Irving, TX but operating across the United States. It has 11 regional members that sell appliances and electronics. Despite its relatively small membership, it’s a nationally recognized group and all of its members are leading retailers in their verticals. This may have to do with the requirements to join, which include a stipulation that a member business must do at least $50 million in sales per year.

The Alliance is a buying group located in Illinois and catering to the medical field, specifically optometry and eye care. The primary focus is on lowering purchasing costs, though other advice and assistance is also available, including professional marketing programs, social media management, and website development services. Its website includes links to the Vision Council and American Optometric Association, though it’s not clear if those are partners of the Alliance or just listed as resources. The group also lists upcoming events relevant to optometrists and those in the medical field.