This is what a buyer checks before they shortlist a logistics, distribution and industrial services supplier.
What does a trade customer check before opening a supply account?
They check whether you hold the range in depth, the account terms available, and whether there is technical support behind the counter. Trade customers buy on availability and advice, so depth in a narrower range beats breadth without stock.
A contractor needs a supplier who has the part today and can advise on the substitute if not.
Reviewed 4 August 2026 · Written for business-to-business suppliers selling to business buyers
What does a trade customer check before opening a supply account?
What a buyer needs to identify the product
These are the fields a buyer scans before deciding whether you are worth contacting. Missing one of them usually ends the visit without an email.
- 1
Product categories and range depth
Depth in the categories you serve beats breadth without stock.
- 2
Stock availability by location
Trade buying is same-day buying.
- 3
Branch or collection locations
Proximity matters more than price for many orders.
- 4
Account terms
Credit terms and account application requirements.
- 5
Technical support available
Advice behind the counter is a real differentiator.
- 6
Delivery options and cut-off times
Same-day and next-day change the proposition.
- 7
Trade pricing structure
Tiers, volume discounts and contract pricing.
The documents buyers ask for
Not all of them belong on a public page. Naming the ones you can issue is what separates a supplier who can be audited from one who cannot.
| Document | What it proves | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| Account application requirementsAsked at: first contact | What is needed to open a trade account and how long it takes | Publish it |
| Product range with stock indicationAsked at: every order | What you carry and what is actually available | Publish it |
| Trading terms documentAsked at: account opening | Credit terms, limits and pricing structure | Publish it |
| Product technical dataAsked at: product selection | Specifications and datasheets for what you sell | Publish it |
| Compliance documentationAsked at: regulated goods | Certification for regulated products, passed through | Name it, share on request |
| Returns and exchange policyAsked at: before ordering | How unused and faulty goods are handled | Publish it |
| Delivery and collection cut-off timesAsked at: ordering | When an order today arrives | Publish it |
Where b2b supply and trade counters sites lose the enquiry
Each of these is common, cheap to fix, and costs an enquiry that never arrives — so nobody ever reports it.
Stock not shown by branch
Trade customers need the part today from a specific place. A range list without location availability does not answer the question they are asking.
Technical data not held for products sold
Trade customers frequently need a specification or a substitute. A supplier without the data sends them to a competitor who has it.
Account terms unclear
Trade buying runs on credit accounts. Vagueness about terms and application requirements delays a decision that should take minutes.
What the enquiry form should ask
A form that collects these can be answered properly the first time. A form that collects a name and a message cannot.
Enquiry form — b2b supply and trade counters
Enough to reply usefully, short enough that a buyer finishes it.
- Trade or business type
- Determines eligibility and pricing tier.
- Product categories required
- The commercial fit.
- Typical order value and frequency
- Sets the terms.
- Account type needed
- Credit or cash account.
- Locations used
- Branch proximity matters.
- Delivery or collection preference
- Shapes the service offered.
Questions suppliers ask
What matters more, range or stock?
Stock, decisively. A trade customer needs the item today, and a supplier with deep stock in a focused range beats one with a wide catalogue and long lead times. Publishing real availability by location is worth more than adding lines to the catalogue.
Is technical support a real differentiator?
It is one of the few remaining ones. Trade customers regularly need a specification checked or a substitute suggested, and a counter or phone line that answers competently earns loyalty that pricing alone does not. It is worth featuring rather than assuming.
How should account opening be presented?
As a short, clear process with the requirements listed and a realistic timescale. Trade customers open accounts when they need something urgently, so friction at that moment sends them to whoever makes it simplest.
Documents and standards named here are the ones buyers in this industry commonly ask for; requirements vary by market, customer and contract, so treat this as a starting checklist rather than a compliance list. Clearer pages can help discovery and evaluation. They do not guarantee rankings, AI citations, enquiries or revenue.
Illustrative
An enquiry from this search looks like: Product categories required · Locations used · Typical order value and frequency · Trade or business type
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