Retailer rails against Weber strategy
In the aftermath of Weber’s early May decision to make an exclusive distribution deal in the convenience hardware channel, retailers that have been cut off have expressed shock and disappointment.
Case in point: Joe Taylor, the president and CEO of Virginia-based Taylor’s Do it Center & Pleasants Hardware wrote an open letter objecting to the Weber deal. Taylor is also chairman of the board of Fort Wayne, Indiana-based Do it Best.
Weber, one of the world’s largest grill manufacturers, struck an exclusive deal in the convenience hardware channel with Oak Brook, Illinois-based Ace Hardware Corp. and its Emery Jensen Distribution division. The exclusive distribution arrangement will kick in Dec. 31, 2025.
Taylor says he’s not buying it.
“It will most certainly hurt to lose them,” Taylor wrote about Weber under its new policy. “But we will not buy their products through our competitors. How can this be a reasonable solution for independents?”
Read Taylor’s open letter here.
In the home center warehouse (big box) channel, Weber grills and ancillary products will continue to be sold at The Home Depot and Lowe’s.
Palatine, Illinois-based Weber has been unresponsive to HBSDealer’s requests for comment.
# # #
Have an opinion? Share it with HBSDealer at [email protected].