Despite what some pundits say about DVD sales not doing well, Adam Hanan, VP of Mediamix Distribution, begs to differ. “The allure is that DVDs are an impulse item, especially when you put them in nontraditional retailers like we do,” he says. “Customers are out shopping for other things, they see our rack by the register, and pick up a favorite film at a great price.” Hanan knows all about the concerns of the retailers he deals with, having been one himself before getting into wholesaling. “We had been running our own retail locations,” he says. “We started seeing a lot of high quality, lower priced closeout DVD merchandise available, so we started branching out with that, putting it into customer’s stores.” From there Hanan moved into nontraditional DVD outlets, first putting a rack in a discount store, and then a clothing store. He eventually spun the sideline off into a separate business.
So why should a retailer get its DVDs from Hanan? “We know the product,” Hanan says on his website, . “A family run business, we have over 15 years experience in media retail and distribution.” Indeed, Mediamix now carries more than 1,800 different titles, including action, classic, horror, drama, comedy, urban, music, sports, children’s and more. MediaMix sells mostly to brick and mortar outlets, but the company doesn’t limit itself to any one type of store. “Our experience has been that DVDs will sell most anywhere,” Hanan says.
The pricing is a big draw for customers as well, with feature films wholesaling for $4.50 each and retailing for $6.99. Kids’ films wholesale for $3.50 and retail for $5.99, and discounts are available for both with quantity orders. Asked about current bestsellers, Hanan says film popularity differs by region. “For example, action films are really popular in the Northeast,” he says. “Yet modern classic films like ‘300’ or ‘Goodfellas’ do phenomenally well also,” he adds. Hanan also wants to clear up the misconception that it’s the newer films that sell the best. “We tell our customers, ‘It’s not about how new it is, it’s about how good it is,'” he says.
Customer service is a big part of Mediamix’s business. The company tracks every location it sells to and every shipment by title. “This way, when we process a return or do an inventory by title, we get a clear picture of what’s happening in that particular store, and can then restock them with product we know will sell,” Hanan says. Mediamix wrote its own software program that tracks everything, so the company can learn what’s selling and what’s not. “Our program gets stronger over time, as we learn what’s working in the store,” he adds.
Coming up, Mediamix is getting ready to add a Blu-ray section to its lineup. “We’re just waiting for more Blu-ray films to be available, so we can offer an assortment,” Hanan says. Although he acknowledges it can sound like a cliché, Hanan says his company really does offer “turnkey solutions” to its customers. “All initial orders come with a display rack,” he says. “Shipping is included, and there are no added fees, so the customer gets a pure margin. We’ve been on the retail side, so we know what it’s like. We want to make dealing with us as easy as possible.”
For more information:
Mediamix Distribution
8 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Tel.: 212-819-9666
Website: www.mediamixdist.com