Brick & Mortar Terms & Conditions

Vendor Buddy Pick-Up Location

How It Works

For a Brick-and-Mortar (B&M) retail business, there are many ways to drive traffic to the storefront. One great way is to become a Local Spirit 365 Vendor Buddy Pickup Location. Online store and event vendors typically don’t have a way to serve local customers and local B&M businesses always have a need for more foot traffic to their retail location. The more potential customers, the better.

For those online and event vendors who do not have a physical storefront, this is the opportunity to partner with a local B&M business for the purposes of conducting business in-person safely and conveniently. 

Each participating B&M Vendor Buddy will allow for a limited number of Spirit of the Fair Online & Event Vendors to utilize their space to drop off and pick up products that are sold online through the Spirit of the Fair website, Facebook Store, Facebook Marketplace and Google Listings.

Costs

This is a Free Program for Brick-and-Mortar (B&M) Businesses to help local online and event vendors sell more merchandise locally safely, securely and easily and they will receive many benefits for helping their local community.

B&M Daily Responsibility

B&M participants have very little responsibility with regards to time but their role is very important. They are required to verify each vendor transaction with each customer using an online portal that’s updated real-time for each pertinent buddy to see. They are also to check the customer’s ID and/or proof of purchase and mark the items as picked up or returned. Then they hand over merchandise (or receive for returns). If there are any issues with the order, they will immediately refer the customer to the vendor buddy and will have the option to either hand over the merchandise or keep it until the issue is resolved.

Vendor Daily Responsibility

Customers purchase products and initiate returns online. They also contact the vendors directly for any customer service related issues. Whenever necessary, vendors meet the customers at the designated B&M location to serve them better.

No vendor merchandise is to be stored at the B&M retail location without the owner’s consent. All returned merchandise must be picked up from the B&M daily unless pre-approved.

Customers choose the free next day pick-up option so that vendors only have to drop off and pick up items once per day (most of the time). Customers can also pay a fee to pick up their items on the same day as the purchase (TBD). 

Choosing Vendors

Each B&M has the choice as to which types of vendors they would like to have as buddies as well as who they would like to work with. If they are open to any type of vendor, this is an option also.

B&M Vendor Space Requirements

Each participating B&M location must have enough space for each vendor to store only products already sold and/or being exchanged/returned.

There are two options available. Each vendor shall receive the equivalent of 25 square feet (5’x5’) empty floor space. The other option is a commercial shelving unit with at least 4 shelves if the B&M already has one for the vendor buddy to use or is purchased by the vendor.

Number of Vendors at Each B&M

Each B&M may partner with as many vendors as they wish, but it’s highly recommended to stay at less than five in the early stages. Each vendor will not only need at least 25 sq. ft., they will also bring in more traffic to the vendor buddy. Unless the B&M has the staff, too many vendors and customers will not be good customer service on either side.

30-Day Trial Period

The first 30-Days for each Vendor Buddy Partnership is a trial period for both vendors and B&M business owners. If, for any reason, things are not working out within the first 30 days, either or both parties may terminate the agreement without any notice.

Month-to-Month Partnership

Even after the first 30 days, each Vendor Buddy partnership is on a month-to-month basis. If a partnership isn’t working out for whatever reason, each partner has the opportunity to cancel the agreement at any time. Unless there is an escalated reason for terminating the partnership, each partner buddy must give the other a 30-day notice so the other may find a suitable replacement. 

Finding Replacements

As long as a 30-day notice is given, there is no need for the notifying partner to find a suitable replacement for the other. However, if both partners agree, and a suitable replacement has been found, there will be no need to fulfill the entire 30 days. 

B&M – General Liability Insurance

All B&M business owners are required to show proof of and maintain General Liability insurance for all customers they service every day, which includes the Vendor Buddy Program.

Vendor – Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) Insurance

With regards to the Vendor Buddy Program, all Vendors are required to show proof and maintain Business Owner’s Policy Insurance which protects the storefront, other commercial buildings and personal property from damage and theft.

B&M Release of Liability

B&M business owners are not responsible for lost or damaged merchandise and are free from any liability that may arise from a partnership with a local vendor. They are providing a free service to local merchants and it is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to make certain all orders are properly cared for, marked and protected.

In the event of lost or damaged goods, the vendor must work with the B&M to resolve the situation. If the situation can’t be resolved, the vendor has the choice to take the loss of goods, terminate the month-to-month agreement based on the terms mentioned in this agreement and/or to file an insurance claim.

Vendor Product Packaging

Vendors will be required to place merchandise in stackable containers/boxes unless there is a shelving unit.

Product Package Labeling

All packages must be properly labeled with the customer’s full name, phone #, address and # of packages in the order.

Returned / Exchanged Items

Again, it’s the vendor’s responsibility to process returns and exchanges. B&M Vendor Buddies will accept the returns/exchanges from customers by updating the system, marking the boxes and placing them back in the vendor’s storage area to be picked up by the vendor later.

Shipping Outside the Local Area

Depending on the B&M business type, shipping and receiving may be done at the B&M location or separately. This will be a case-by-case basis since this will not be the responsibility of the B&M.

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