Home Furnishings Veteran Jim Gabbert and Lighting Veteran James Fleming Unveil Expansive Lighting Industry Distribution & Growth Strategy

Furniture World Magazine

The International Lighting & Accessories Market at Dallas played host to an unprecedented event, as executives from Lighting Gateway Inc. unveiled their new business and its strategies, to senior executives from many of the world's most influential lighting manufacturers (referred within the industry as "vendor/suppliers"). At the center of Lighting Gateway's strategies is Reshare Corporation's patented business method "Distribution Relationship Management(TM)" or "DRM". DRM enables Lighting vendor/suppliers to market and sell their products directly to end users without circumventing or alienating retail intermediaries. "Reshare's patented software ensures that retailers like Gabbert's will receive equitable treatment and compensation from vendor/suppliers that want to respond to consumers' growing desire to purchase products directly from vendors websites," said Jim Gabbert, CEO of Gabbert's Furniture & Design and Chairman of Lighting Gateway, Inc. More and more consumers are looking to the Internet to research, source, and purchase lighting products online. However, the invaluable relationship between vendor/suppliers and retailers has prevented vendors from selling online because they do not want to circumvent or harm their relationships. Lighting Gateway is the exclusive worldwide reseller of Reshare's DRM for the Lighting Industry. DRM enables millions of consumers to search for lighting fixtures by brand, style, or SKU, from a given vendors' complete product line at the vendor's branded website, and now transact their purchases and select an authorized retailer. The retailer may perform pre-sales functions, such as providing design advice, or post-sales functions, such as product assembly. The retailer is now included in the revenue stream attributable to the customers who choose them, regardless of their role. This patented DRM business strategy benefits everyone: consumers benefit from complete product line availability, product authenticity and retailer support; retailers gain competitive advantage over etailers; and vendor/suppliers now gain access to the entire consumer marketplace. Non-performing inventory remains one of the great challenges for the Lighting Industry. Vendor/Suppliers have not traditionally been able to access consumers to gain intelligence about their buying preferences, in advance of design and manufacturing. This has led to inventories in excess of 18% remaining unsold from year to year. "Lighting Gateway's initiatives now enable vendor/suppliers to gain critical consumer intelligence, which can be used to reduce the design & manufacturing of unwanted goods and to develop targeted marketing, that matches buyers with appropriate products." said James Fleming, President of Lighting Gateway. He continued, "the initiative presented by Lighting Gateway is designed to serve the entire Industry - vendor/suppliers, retailers and sales agents, in a unilateral and unbiased manner." A summary of the solutions is outlined at www.lightinggateway.com. "The overwhelming support of the vendor/suppliers we met with at the Dallas Market, served to confirm the validity of our plans for the Industry," said Fleming. "There was a tremendous response from over 20 leading companies. We anticipate implementation of Reshare's software with several of them this year," said Jeff Ehrmann, Reshare's President/COO, who attended the Market with Gabbert and Fleming." About Lighting Gateway Inc. Lighting Gateway provides lighting vendor suppliers with online business strategies, services, and eCommerce solutions, coupled with channel management software, which empowers vendor suppliers to develop a one-to-one, online relationship with end users, such as; homeowners, interior designers, custom builders, residential architects, purchasing firms, hotels, etc. As the exclusive licensee and reseller of Reshare's Distribution Relationship Management(TM) software for the Lighting Industry, Lighting Gateway's initiatives serve the Lighting Industry by harnessing the many benefits of vendors launching online sales & marketing initiatives, in support of: driving increased sales, accessing strategic product development insights, enhancing brand management and positioning, driving sales and clients to authorized distributors and reducing costs for retailer order placement, processing and fulfillment. About Reshare Reshare(R) is the leading Distribution Relationship Management(TM) software and strategy company with the only patented channel management solution that enables manufacturers and brand owners to sell online directly to end users, without circumventing valuable channel partners. With over 20 years of online experience, across a multitude of industries, including; Professional Beauty & Skin Care, Lighting, Automotive, Electronics, and Apparel, Reshare offers software and strategies that resolve channel conflict, guarantee complete brand control and enhance relationships between all channel partners and end users. This translates to increased revenue, market share and profitability. Founded by Adam G. Southam, CEO, in 1999, Reshare continues to pioneer expansive strategies in a variety of industries. Visit Reshare at www.reshare.com.