Let Us Make Buying Easier

My least favorite aspect of shopping is shopping.
— AJ Lee

I have a strong disdain for shopping. While visiting any type of store can be enough to ruin my day, the grocery store may be my least favorite place on earth. I was quite thrilled when online shopping began gaining popularity (and as I gained confidence in its security). It often eliminates the need for traveling to a store, it eases the pain of dealing with crowds, and it speeds the process of finding items and processing payment. Now even my grocery store offers the option to shop online, with the opportunity to either pick up my groceries, pre-bagged, via a drive-through or have them delivered to my house.

Of course, not everything is conducive to online purchases. We often have a need to feel the product in our hands or see it live in action before we know it’s right and are willing to invest in it. For example, most people like to test drive cars before they buy them. Some people like to see or hear the quality of electronics in person before purchase. Even clothing shopping may be more efficient when considering the perfect size and the accessibility of the product. However, even for items such as these, the shopping experience often begins online, where many options can be quickly whittled down to the very few that are most likely to suit the purchaser’s needs.

In many ways, websites have taken the place of print catalogs, where shoppers can flip through pages of products for pictures and pricing information. But in other ways, just as online shopping can’t be an exact substitute for the first-hand experience, these websites also do not serve exactly the same needs as print catalogs. In most cases, the two options mostly complement each other.

That’s a great reason to offer a print buyer’s guide! This issue is a tactile directory that can simplify the product research process. While people can go online to search for specific subject matter or suppliers of equipment, the quantity of results may be difficult to manage. PM’s Buyer’s Guide helps to narrow the search to only the most relevant information for the precision machined parts industry. It provides quick answers about which players are available in each area of the market.

Finely tuned to the production turning audience, this buyer’s guide is different from most others, which tend to cover the broader spectrum of the metalworking audience. Similar to our monthly issues that look at the more targeted audience at a deeper level, it provides a narrowly focused perspective on products and services strictly for our part of the industry.

The Buyer’s Guide is designed to remain relevant throughout the year. Our readers commonly keep it within arm’s length for easy access at any point they need to make a purchase. If a new product or technology comes up in a future issue of the magazine, it’s easy to pull out the Buyer’s Guide to learn more about the company that offers it.

This issue also acts as a front door to our online supplier directory, which is continually updated with address changes, new companies, and modified product listings. The online supplier information goes even more in-depth, with links to company websites, product descriptions and other editorial coverage of related equipment and processes. That information makes a visit to the online listings a great next step in the shopping process.

But before you’re ready to start reaching out to suppliers, this Buyer’s Guide provides more familiarity with the companies offering different types of equipment that you may need. It’s worth flipping through the pages now to see what’s inside. And it’s worth keeping around through the year, so the information is readily available when the time comes to make a purchase. It’s a simple tool, but it has longevity to serve for months to come.

Smart purchasing decisions begin with thorough research. Not only knowing what equipment is best suited for your application, but knowing where to shop for that equipment, can make the difference between a pleasurable buying experience and a disaster.

I know how miserable a buying experience can be. I’m always looking for ways to improve the process. This buyer’s guide is a good starting point when it comes to the needs of those in the precision machined parts industry. Keep it handy.