Great Wolf Lodge

Successful partnerships are necessary in all industries. For us to be successful, our partners need to be successful. It’s a symbiotic relationship. Both parties need to be invested in each other.

A great example for us has been our relationship with Great Wolf Resorts who own and operate family resorts throughout North America under their Great Wolf Lodge brand. Typically each resort features themed accommodations, restaurants, arcades, spas and children's activities.

Several years ago, we met with Terance (“Terry”) Lard, Corporate Director of Retail Services, for Great Wolf Resorts, to discuss changes he was seeing with their arcade business. In short Terry explained that the consumer/end-user/player was demanding a higher quality prize. Gone were the days of tchotchkes and off brands. In the age of I-phones and X-boxes, people not only wanted, but rather expected more. Terry stressed that the prize selection offered, was also a reflection, and representation of the entire Great Wolf product, service, and experience.

We set out developing a product plan that would allow Great Wolf to address their concerns, augmenting and complementing their product offering. We recently checked in with Terry, as part of a regular review, and asked him to provide some feedback. Here’s what he had to say:

"Our product direction is quality driven. We’ve made a conscious decision to increase the presence of recognizable name brand and retail items. You (PIA Products) have a tremendous selection and variety that has allowed us to fill that product niche. The range of product categories, price-points, and brands is fantastic, with a great mix of new items regularly introduced, and staples that we rely on.

From a service aspect, PIA Products just makes it so easy. Some of our buying team enjoys the ease with which they can review and make product decisions on your site (PIAproducts.com). I like the fact that I can discuss directly with our rep, and review products from quote sheets specifically created for prices and categories we need.

Before PIA Products, we spent countless hours searching multiple online stores to find products, only to discover limited quantities and disjointed shipping, resulting in receiving and payables issues that were frankly unneeded headaches and inefficiencies. Receiving consolidated orders which deliver from a single warehouse makes life so much easier, particularly when we have multiple individual locations spread out throughout the US and Canada.

It really has been a Win-Win situation for us. PIA Products helped us execute on our product strategy, which in turn has improved our customer experience. The quality brand name items are driving game play in the arcade, and increasing revenues. Our inventory turns have increased, as the products move fast. Additionally, our cost of goods has remained constant and on budget."

Relationships matter. When both parties are invested in each other’s success, great things can happen. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Find the right partners who can help solve your problems, or improve your operations. To paraphrase Terry Lard, create “a Win-Win situation.”