Now B&H Becomes A Dahua Distributor

JH
John Honovich
•Oct 20, 2015
IPVM

Two weeks ago, we covered Dahua authorizing a branded US distributor - CCTV.net

Now, it seems that Dahua is ramping up quickly. Though Dahua tells us who distributes their products is confidential information, B&H Photo has confirmed to us that they too are distributing Dahua.

Here's a listing of Dahua cameras available for sale at B&H Photo.

Members asked about B&H listing Dahua prices online and plans to stock Dahua cameras. Here is B&H's response:

"B&H observes MAP pricing. All prices listed always reflect the latest price information we have in our possession.

Currently, Dahua products are being drop shipped. Most but not all products qualify for free standard shipping. Expedited shipping can be arranged upon request by calling our SuperStore. We plan to keep the most popular products in stock for immediate shipping, as soon as we can tell what the most products are. For example, we currently carry 34 Hikvision camera models in stock, based on what we've learned about how our customers shop over the past several months. We were only drop shipping Hikvision at first, too.

We will be providing tier 1 tech support for Dahua products, as we do for our other lines. Tier 2 tech support will be arranged if necessary. All products come with full manufacturer's warranty."

U
Undisclosed #1
•Oct 21, 2015
IPVMU Certified

Though Dahua tells us who distributes their products is confidential information, B&H Photo has confirmed to us that they too are distributing Dahua.

At the risk of sounding ignorant, what is the distinction between being a distributor and a reseller in this case? Are they a distributor of Dahua like ADI is a distributor of Hikvision?

Do they offer dealer pricing and end-user pricing?

JH
John Honovich
•Oct 21, 2015
IPVM
In reply to Undisclosed #1

Distributors typically buy direct from a manufactuer and sell to companies who re-sell to end users.

Many distributors offer dealer pricing but I do not believe that is the case for B&H Photo. As a counterexample, CCTV.net lists both MSRP and dealer pricing for Dahua though not publicly.

U
Undisclosed #1
•Oct 21, 2015
IPVMU Certified

Distributors typically buy direct from a manufactuer and sell to companies who re-sell to end users.

B&H typically sells to end-users, no?

JH
John Honovich
•Oct 21, 2015
IPVM
In reply to Undisclosed #1

That's why I used the term 'typically'. B&H Photo is not your typical store / online store / distributor.

JP
Josh Penfold
•Oct 21, 2015

Online there is a blurring of distributor or reseller. Many online sellers drop ship from distribution or manufacturers anyways. Everyone wants a piece of the pie.

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
•Oct 21, 2015

It seems as though many distributors are becoming "jobbers", in that they are stocking less SKU's and ordering from the manufacturer after a sale is made. This forces the manufacturer to assume the stocking burden to keep the "just-in-time" really just in time. Distributors were originally set up at price levels that assumed they would handle inventory and credit for the manufacturers, and now it is very difficult for a manufacturer to "adjust" their pricing structure to compensate for their having to keep higher inventory levels again.

Of course, distributors are stuck in the downward price/profit spiral that camera sales have become, and many report margins of 60% or less than they earned in the "good ol' days", on lower and lower cost items.

Seems like B & H's format might be the wave of the future.

(2)
Avatar
Boris Bronstein
•Oct 22, 2015
CCTV.Net

Disclosure - I'm with CCTV.Net:

We are more traditional distributer in a sense that we sell to security dealers and integrators only, not general public. There’re very few exceptions, and such exceptions are always at the request of either manufacturers or integrators, we never market to end-users.

We are also stocking the most popular Dahua items.

U
Undisclosed #3
•Oct 23, 2015

Among several of the major brand name manufacturers, B&H cannot buy directly (protecting the channel). They needed to buy through a Security Distributor. They still are able to offer competitive pricing.

New discussion

Ask questions and get answers to your physical security questions from IPVM team members and fellow subscribers.

Newest discussions