"Why should we work with Randmar?"
My usual answer is true. It's just not the real one.
From my desk today
I get asked this question regularly.
Usually, my answer starts with our story:
- 90 years of history.
- Real people behind our systems. A family that cares about your business.
- A one-stop shop for more than 20,000 SKUs.
All true. All important.
But the very real reason goes beyond that. It sits at the core of our business and our expertise.
It's our performance as a distributor.
Our fill rate. Our on-time shipments. Our accuracy. Our response time. And most of all, the fact that we do all of this at a very competitive, low cost.
The retailer reality
Most retailers choose suppliers on price, product and relationship.
Fair enough. But once the account is open, very few measure what actually happens after the order is placed.
And that's where suppliers quietly cost you money:
- An order that ships short, so the shelf sits empty.
- A late shipment that misses your promo.
- A wrong item that turns into a return, a phone call and a credit note.
- A question that waits two days for an answer.
None of these shows up on the invoice. All of them show up in your sales.
So here's my suggestion: score every supplier. Including us.
Behind the scenes at Randmar
Here are the 5 numbers I'd track on every supplier, and how we measure up.
1. Fill rate
Of everything you ordered, how much actually shipped? It's the first number that tells you whether your shelf will be full.
At Randmar: Over 97%. When an item is short, we follow the rules you set, like ship complete or allow backorders.
2. On-time shipments
Did the order leave when it was supposed to?
At Randmar, our same-day cut-off is 3 p.m. local time. On one national retailer's drop ship program, 97% of weekday orders received before 3 p.m. were shipped with tracking the same day, in 3.3 hours on average. And 99% of all orders were closed by the next business day.
3. Accuracy
Right item, right quantity, right address. Every mistake turns into a return, a phone call and a credit note.
At Randmar: Over 98%.
4. Response time
How fast do you get an answer, a confirmation or a tracking number?
At Randmar, orders are confirmed within one hour in most cases. Tracking goes back to you within one hour, through the same channel you used to order. And when you need a person, our team is at service@randmar.io and 1-800-565-1221.
5. Total cost
Not just the unit price. Add freight, the number of invoices and deliveries you manage, and the cost of fixing mistakes.
At Randmar, we deliver all of this at a very competitive, low cost. And because we're a one-stop shop, you get one supplier, one invoice and one delivery for more than 20,000 SKUs.
Your scorecard, ready to use
| Measure | How to calculate it | Randmar | Supplier B | Supplier C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fill rate | Units shipped ÷ units ordered | Over 97% | ||
| On-time shipments | Orders shipped on time ÷ all orders | 97% same day (orders before 3 p.m.), 99% by next business day | ||
| Accuracy | Orders shipped without error ÷ all orders | Over 98% | ||
| Response time | Average time to confirm an order and send tracking | Within 1 hour in most cases | ||
| Total cost | Unit cost + freight + admin + cost of errors | One supplier, one invoice, one delivery |
Source: Randmar. On-time figures: one national retailer's drop ship orders, September 15 to October 16, 2026.
What it means for you: a supplier's real value shows up in these five numbers, not in the sales pitch. Track them for 90 days, and the right partners become obvious.
My real point
Our history, our people and our catalogue are why you might call us.
Our performance is why you should stay.
Your quick win this week
Copy the scorecard above and fill it in for your top three suppliers, using last month's orders. If you can't fill in a number, that's your first conversation with that supplier.
Your turn
Which number matters most to you when you judge a supplier?