In the US, there are a lot of merger distributors. Learning more about the top electrical supply stores enables you o differentiate which company can assure you lasting and safe wires and cables.

The largest electrical distributor and thousands of smaller electrical supply stores have strategic marketing plans. This is for their objective analysis of the trend. Merger is the key trend.

There are lots of merger distributors in the market. Here are some of the largest and most influential:

Anixter

Anixter is considered a market channel. It is considered as such because of over a billion dollars sales in wires and cables. Its size and position in the fast-growing data communication makes it the largest and most influential.

Alan and William Anixter founded the business in the year 1957. It concentrated on building wires, power cables and control wires. The company survived the ups and downs of the construction oriented cable and wire market. It prospered in the electronic wire and cable arena which is its product’s focus. Anxter’s primary customers are electrical contractors and end users in commercial, industrial, institutional and government facilities. it has 180 stores which made an estimated sales volume of $2.5 Billion in 1996.

W.W. Grainger

The W.W. Grainger is one of the biggest players, offering a wide range of electrical, industrial, safety and related products for maintenance and repair operations.. This company invested on some of the cutting edge technologies. Recently, they focused on energy-efficient electrical products and construction oriented items. The company’s primary customers were the industrial sector and now, electrical contractors. From the satellite dishes to its sophisticated order-handling and next day delivery shipping system. W.W. Grainger has 350 outlets. The company’s total sales volume in 1997 was about $4.13 billion.

Home Depot Inc.

Home Depot Inc., like Anister and Grainger, is a distinct marketing channel. Its size and stature as a channel for electrical supplies has a big impact on the electrical market. An estimated 6% - 8% of the company’s $24.1 billion sales in 1997 are in electrical products. Their product focuses on customers that are home owners and small contractors. They are located in 624 outlets. Their estimated sales volume in 1997 was $24.1 billion; $1.4 billion of this is from electrical products.

Salisbury

Salisbury
is the world leader in personal protective equipment. It also manufactures live line tools in order to protect electrical workers from the hazards of their job. Salisbury is the complete source of personal electrical safety products which comply with ASTM and OSHA requirements and regulations. These products include:

•insulating rubber gloves
•blankets
•line hose
•temporary grounding equipments
•voltage detectors
•clamp sticks
•distribution dead-end insulators
•plastic cover up
•dialectic boots

Salisbury manufactures products that comply with the highest standards and regulations. The company knows that lives depend on the quality of their products.

Summit Electric Supply

Summit Electric Supply is also one of the fastest growing, most dynamic electrical distributors in the U.S. It helps customers purchase electrical materials in a fast and efficient manner. It provides companies and individuals with high quality electrical equipment together with superior technical support and service. Summit sells a wide range of electrical equipment including:

•motor control
•distribution
•wire and cable
•cords
•lighting
•conduit and fittings
•conduit bodies
•wiring devices
•support systems and fasteners
•raceway
•outlet boxes and enclosures
•transformers
•power conditioning
•power protection
•Tools, instruments etc.

Summit works with different customers such as electrical contractors, schools, government, and national laboratories, along with hospitals, mining, oil and gas companies, property management companies and many more.

Even though Home Depot gets the biggest share, the other large home centers played a significant factor in the electrical market place. Lowe’s Co. is also a strong and still growing player. It has 446 stores and last year their sales were $10.1 billion. In the last 2 years, some of the largest home centers like Payless Cashways, Inc. and Builder’s Square have run into financial trouble.

According to National Home Center News, the large players do most of the sales even though home center industry remains fragmented. Hence, electrical products are one of the central product groups for hardware stores. Most of the retail outlets of these hardware stores have at least one or two aisles of electrical supplies. Hardware stores do not target electrical contractors and professional contractors, but instead, they target trade people who pick up a few items that they forgot or that they need for week end jobs.