SERVICE SALES CORPORATION: THE WHOLESALE CHALLENGE

Ahmed Hussain had just concluded an intense phone call with the largest wholesaler in the central region. The wholesaler had made it clear to Ahmed that he would not use his current month budget to buy from Service Sales Corporation (SSC) unless Ahmed matched the offer being made by one of his competitors in terms of discounts on purchase. Ahmed had been at SSC for well over five years, he came back to Pakistan after studying at Carnegie Mellon University. He had been appointed as country head wholesales just over a year ago. However, his previous education and experience had not prepared him for such a challenge in the unstructured footwear industry of Pakistan (Ahmed had studied engineering and this was his first job in a sales role). The case focuses primarily on the power of channel partners within an industry. The importance of the wholesaler in the context of SSC is discussed and their role within the value chain is elaborated upon. The case focuses primarily on the power of channel partners within an industry. The importance of the wholesaler in the context of SSC is discussed and their role within the value chain is elaborated upon.