FAQ

Ultra Standard is amongst industry leaders in distribution with a core concentration for Multicultural Hair and Skin care products for over the past 40 years. Currently, the company carries over 6,000 skus, reaching 35,000 retail doors nationwide, and an expanding international market divison. To support the growing needs and logistical landscape of both our vendors and customers, Ultra’s ‘state of the art’ facility located in Bellport New York ranks highest in customer service, order accuracy, and on-time delivery. Adding additional value propositions, Ultra’s ‘one-stop’ full service capabilities offers 360 marketing services, retailer focused digital programs, category management, and supply chain solutions.

There are certain requirements Ultra Standard has set for potential vendor partners to successfully complete prior to becoming part of the company’s roster. For more detailed information regarding partnering with us, please feel free to contact our Vendor Support team at [email protected] or call (973) 575-5260.

Category Management is a systematic, disciplined approach to managing a product category as a strategic business unit, it promotes successful collaboration between brands and retailers. In order to implement category management, it requires both retailers and suppliers alike to work through improved productivity, reduced costs, and higher profits. Through this collaboration, we solidify relationships between our vendors, retail partners and our brand products.

Syndicated data helps generate market insights which in turn drive actionable category and product/brand plans. Ultra Standard keeps a ‘score card’ of how your sales are doing currently vs last year, the competition, and the benchmark status quo. By implementing Category Data Analysis, you will understand the factors that influence sales and market share, and their relative influence. Samples of syndicated data are as follows:

• Point-of-Sale
• Consumer Panel
• Shopper cart
• IRI data

Our warehouse is located at 35 Sawgrass Drive in Bellport NY 11713. Receiving hours are from Mondays thru Fridays, from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM only. Please note: Only shipments with a valid purchase order# will be granted appointment schedule.

Our spacious 690,000 sq. ft. warehouse facility in Bellport New York uses the following cutting edge technology solutions and systems:

• Packaging Solutions (Packaging foam is biodegradable and we use recycled corrugated & plastics)
• Lighting Solutions (We use low-voltage motio-activated lightning.)
• Solar Panels (We installed one of the largest solar power projects in New York state.)
• Full Robotics – Innovative System where each order is pulled by a unique automated warehouse robotic system.

Yes. All orders must be set on a standard pallet. Pallet grade must be “B” or better. The height of pallets must not exceed 54” high. All cartons must be labelled with SCC 14 case label. For further details and instructions regarding these logistical requirements, please feel free to contact Pat Conroy (Warehouse Manager) at our Bellport’s shipping department (631) 803-3250.

All merchandise purchase orders requires a delivery appointment of at least 48 hours in advance prior to ship to arrive date to our warehouse facility. Please ensure that your logistics and operational department is aware of our Receiving hours and requirements. Failure to comply may result to delays and your orders being refused.

We have regulated return policies for products we distribute locally and internationally. The following are set requirements we have established to ensure smooth process for all returns:

• All claims for damages, shortages, shipping errors and other alleged failures to conform to buyer’s order must be made in writing by buyer within forty-eight (48) hours after buyer’s receipt of goods. Buyer’s failure to comply with the foregoing constitutes a waiver by buyer of any such claims.
• All returns must be pre-approved by seller. Any return for a reason other than seller’s error will be subject to a 15% handling charge. No term discounts will be allowed for returned merchandise.
• A redelivery fee of $50.00 will be charged to all COD or money pick-up deliveries refused by customer.
• Any unpaid balance shall accrue a monthly interest charge following its payment due date at the annual rate of 18% in the event that an attorney is employed by the seller to collect all or any portion of the unpaid balance, buyer agrees to pay seller’s reasonable attorney fees and costs of collection, whether or not a suit is commenced.
• If a remittance check to Ultra/Standard Distributors is returned for any reason, the undersigned agrees to pay a NSF (Non-Sufficient Funds) fee of $70.00. This fee will be added to the account balance.
• Acceptance by buyer of seller’s goods shall constitute a firm contract on all terms and conditions set forth herein. Inconsistent terms contained in any purchase order or other documents are expressly rejected and shall not become a part of any contract between buyer and seller unless embodied in a writing signed by the seller. The contract between buyer and seller that embodies these terms shall be governed by and construed according to the internal laws of the State of New Jersey.

We have a growing lists of distribution channels locally and internationally. Categories such as Retail chains, dotcom, Export, and Beauty Supply/OTC.

With 40 years of experience in the industry, our relationship with our retail partners are indispensable. We collaborate on strategic sales solutions, as well as share insights and recommendations to grow the multicultural beauty category. Emerging brands benefit greatly from these relationships, allowing for faster entry into the retail space.

We have proven time and time again that if we stick to our vision and stay true to what customers need, we will prevail and so are you, as our vendor partner. Also, we have a dedicated expansive sales force team that builds user-friendly platforms that streamlines workflow and communication between vendors, we help our partners get full buy-in from our sales teams, resulting in more reps hitting their sales numbers, which generate more revenue for you and us.

Our dedicated marketing department offers customizable retail marketing strategies and programs based on brand needs. Those programs include retail co-op programs, digital, personalized consumer mailers, experiential and traditional promotional platforms.  This is a great way to boost your sales and increase awareness of your brand. We provide reduced cost of advertising but higher reach on your exposure to a large number of retailers and consumers.

Yes, we do. We have industry experts that run and analyze reports, conduct product focused qualitative and quantitative analysis to provide brands with the latest in consumer studies, thus helping them to foresee their brand performance and make necessary adjustments to align your product initiatives to the growing demand within the marketplace.

An exploration into market segmentation is, simply put, finding new ways to grow as a company. Whether battling a sales slump, identifying a group of customers who could benefit from a specific product – segmentation has many benefits to boost business and gain new visibility. We analyze and implement new packaging, a refreshed website for example, can provide product exposure and gain higher traffic in consumer market. A marketing initiative for a new segment could include a market specific catalog that features brands and products with visual presentations that catches the attention of a wider consumer based market. We continuously provide competitive pricing for our catalog placements.

Texture Media is Ultra Standard’s subsidiary company that is established as the largest hair and beauty content and e-commerce platform. They serve as an advocate and voice of the natural hair consumers. With their assistance, we provide indispensable business-driving resources and detailed consumer insights for brands and retailers. Their knowledge and expertise will offer powerful insights and solutions to your research needs about the textured-hair consumer segment.

Distribution-based Analytics is a process we apply in order to adjust sales results according to the distribution levels of a particular product groups being analyzed. This study has shown distribution to be the most important variable in the marketing mix. Analytics conducted using this methodology offer more explanation of current market dynamics and are more predictive of future sales trends, thus, helping us align product initiatives to the current market.

Below are some of the advantages of distribution-based analytics:

– More appropriate description of consumer preference

– More predictive of future trends than just dollar sales trends

– Powerful tool to evaluate distribution level gaps at any geographic level

– Facilitates extremely fast insights into overall sales trends. First level diagnostic on “Why”

Business is all about meeting the needs of customers. One of the biggest edge we bring into the distribution industry is our application of the process called “Unmet Need Analytics” – the process of uncovering whether there are unmet needs around the product or category or within the market which we can meet to increase customer satisfaction and revenue. In order to meet these needs and bridge these gaps, we create forums, use online focus groups, use social media platform to invite customers to join feedback groups. The result are increased sales, product retention and ROI that benefits us, as well as our vendor partners.

The following are just a few of the many custom tailored reports we provide our vendor partners to drive business growth and revenue:

– Category Data Analysis using Syndicated Data Spectra Data

– Point of Sales Reports and analysis

– Annual Texture & Trends Reports

– IRI