Anixter is clueless at marketing and video surveillance (see: Debunking Anixter's IP Video Advantages and Anixter, Citing Axis, Sets Industry Back Years.)
But when faced with a staged Q&A from a trade magazine, you would think they would be better able to handle questions.
Alas, no.
From an Anixter / SSI interview:
"Does your company ever sell direct to end users? Why or why not? How much of an issue is there with manufacturers circumventing the distribution channel?
Powers: Anixter is committed to selling security products through security integrators. Anixter supports many manufacturers that sell both through distributors and directly to the security integrator. Increasingly, traditional security manufacturers have recognized the value of selling their products through the distribution channel."
This is a classic non-denial denial. Who needs to do that in a fluff piece? Just tell the 'editor', don't run that question and don't answer it. Even worse, these things are typically done by email so it's not like he was ambushed.
Anixter is famous in the industry for selling direct to end users and as noted in our Distributors Dealing Direct to End Users report. And if you think integrators are angry with Amazon and online cctv etailers selling direct, my God, Anixter doing this is 10x more of a threat to integrators.