Through Velocity at the University of Waterloo, Lanstar met with Competition Bureau Canada representatives and shared practical lessons from working across Ecommerce channels, distributors, international vendors, and operating partners.
Through Velocity at the University of Waterloo, Lanstar Supply recently met with representatives from Competition Bureau Canada to share practical insights from across the Ecommerce ecosystem.
The Bureau wanted to hear what our team is seeing across retail and Ecommerce, including how competition is shifting, how pricing dynamics are evolving, how consumer purchasing patterns are changing, and how operators are responding.
Members of our leadership team shared firsthand observations from working with distributors, international vendors, brands, operating partners, supply-chain partners, and multiple online channels.
A few themes stood out:
Connected execution across channels
Every Ecommerce channel has its own audience, competitors, pricing dynamics, fulfillment expectations, and content requirements. Success comes from tailoring the strategy for each channel while connecting purchasing, inventory, pricing, and brand presentation behind the scenes.
A shared view of the business helps teams avoid over-ordering, conflicting prices, and missed replenishment opportunities.
Shifting competition and consumer behaviour
Competition is no longer defined only by which sellers offer the same product. It is also shaped by marketplace visibility, fulfillment speed, product availability, content quality, reviews, promotions, and the overall customer experience.
At the same time, consumers are comparing more options across more channels. They are increasingly sensitive to price, delivery time, product information, and trust. Understanding these purchasing patterns helps operators make better decisions about assortment, inventory, pricing, and channel strategy.
Distributors as Ecommerce partners
Distributors bring deep catalogs, strong vendor relationships, and reliable access to inventory. Pairing those strengths with accurate product data, pack and UPC mapping, demand visibility, and clear channel ownership creates even more value.
When distributors and Ecommerce operators share information early, products launch faster, purchasing improves, and the customer experience becomes more consistent.
Resilience through international partnerships
International sourcing creates flexibility, but only when lead times, pack formats, compliance requirements, communication, and contingency plans are understood before disruptions occur.
The strongest vendor relationships are not built on cost alone. They are built on trust, reliability, and a shared understanding of risk.
AI that supports operators
The most valuable applications of AI are often the most practical: identifying demand patterns, improving catalog mapping, monitoring pricing changes, flagging inventory risks, and helping teams focus their attention.
Technology works best when it gives experienced operators clearer signals and more time to act.
During the conversation, we also showcased itemIQ, Lanstar's in-house technology for supporting vendor operations. itemIQ connects catalog, demand, inventory, pricing, and seller signals, helping our team make clearer purchasing and operating decisions for vendor partners.
We're grateful to Velocity and the University of Waterloo for creating the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute lessons from our experience.
Sometimes giving back is as simple as sharing what we've learned, from the warehouse floor, the purchasing desk, and the marketplace. Those honest conversations help build stronger businesses and stronger communities.
