Electrical parts can be a thorn in any manager or business owner's side. They're absolutely necessary, and they tend to be pricy. However, overhead can be reduced by a few means. Getting to know your supplier is one option for your electrical components, but when that isn't feasible, it's time to turn to the most universal option: looking for the appropriate parts online.
Seeking electrical components online brings a handful of benefits to anyone with a margin to increase. The following are by no means a comprehensive list, but they are the most immediately notable.
First is the benefit shopping online can bring is cost reduction. Online retailers have lower overhead in general than brick-and-mortar operations. To stay competitive, these savings are most commonly passed on to the customer. This is especially relevant when seeking industrial parts which generally don't come with 'special deals' or 'sales' to look for to take advantage of timing.
Next is availability. Shopping online puts every electrical component you can imagine at your fingertips. If one outlet doesn't have what you need, there are others. There's never any need to have something special-ordered for high filing and handling costs. This is both a convenience measure and a cost-reduction measure.
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, is the convenience afforded by shipping. With in-person suppliers, transportation of supplies is often left to the purchaser. Purchasing online tends to use third-party shipment resources, which are often advantageous.
Electrical components can be a pain, but shopping online is an excellent option available to anyone that can't find a good deal by merit of their connections.