---
title: "Hundreds of Stores Stocked, but Sales Barely Move: The Reasons Behind This Are Thought-Provoking!"
description: "For many distributors, product distribution can be done quickly, but market activation after distribution is slow. Once products don't sell, it leaves a bad impression on retail stores, affecting customer relationships and making it hard to introduce new products later. Terminal sell-through is the most direct and important indicator of a distributor's performance, as it's the final step in consumer purchase decisions and the ultimate realization of distributor profits."
author: "师顺宽"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2019-03-10"
language: "en"
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original_source: "https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/u93o4Y7WspTHPq8aSh6_aw"
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# Hundreds of Stores Stocked, but Sales Barely Move: The Reasons Behind This Are Thought-Provoking!

> For many distributors, product distribution can be done quickly, but market activation after distribution is slow. Once products don't sell, it leaves a bad impression on retail stores, affecting customer relationships and making it hard to introduce new products later. Terminal sell-through is the most direct and important indicator of a distributor's performance, as it's the final step in consumer purchase decisions and the ultimate realization of distributor profits.

Click to read the original article for details.
For many distributors, product distribution can be done quickly, but market activation after distribution is slow. Once products don't sell, it leaves a bad impression on retail stores, affecting customer relationships built over years, and making it difficult for distributors to introduce other new products in the future.
Judging the quality of a distributor's product operation, terminal sell-through after distribution becomes the most direct and important indicator. Because the terminal is the final step where consumers decide to purchase, and it's where distributors ultimately realize profits. If the distributor operates well, the terminal can guide consumption, enhance brand image, and increase product flow, securing better and more survival space and resources for the distributor.
With intensifying industry competition, terminal sell-through has become the core lifeline of a distributor's market sales. Therefore, solving the problem of terminal sell-through is the top priority for increasing sales. So, how can distributors solve the problem of product sell-through after distribution?
**I. Reasons for Poor Sell-Through**
The main reasons for slow sell-through of new products include:
**1. Low Overall Distribution Quality**
Sales personnel solely pursue distribution rate, focusing only on completing the number of stores within a specified time, without in-depth understanding of the target terminals, leading to a mismatch between the product's target group and purchase locations. For example, some stores are not suitable for the product, or some stores are in a half-dead state.
**2. Distribution Without Management**
After distribution, terminal management is equally important, requiring follow-up management and close service. Distributing without managing is worse than not distributing at all. Currently, the phenomenon of distributing without managing is widespread. For example, some products are placed in inconspicuous positions where customers don't notice them; some products are placed in warehouses, but shelves are empty; terminal outlets have width but lack depth. Another situation is that the market distribution rate is good, but there are many outlets, yet very few core outlets that actually generate sales.
**3. Lack of Terminal Merchandising**
Sales personnel go through the motions, appearing busy, focusing solely on delivery, payment collection, and other routine business tasks, making product sales the only goal without actually solving problems. For example, some salespeople forget product display and terminal merchandising (such as promotional materials, price tags, POP, shrink wrap, KT boards, etc., which are rarely seen in the market), and some forget to introduce the product's unique selling points and characteristics.
**II. Clever Strategies to Attract Attention**
To open a good market entry, create a buzz, attract the attention of consumers around the store, quickly increase brand awareness, make consumers think of the brand, and generate purchase desire.
**Strengthen the Quality of Terminal Promotional Staff.**
Promotional staff are frontline soldiers who directly contact customers. They should be trained in product knowledge and customer psychology. Because the quality of promotional staff and appropriate promotional methods can greatly improve promotional efficiency.
Distributors can establish a strict management system to regulate the behavior of terminal promotional staff:
First, require terminal promotional staff to submit work information reports based on daily sales;
Second, sales managers should regularly go to the market frontline to fully understand the true situation at terminals, objectively evaluate the performance of terminal staff, and implement established reward and punishment policies;
Third, systematically train promotional staff in both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, provide targeted supervision and guidance, and enhance their sense of responsibility and belonging.
**III. Product Display Matters**
Terminal product display is silent advertising, creating strong visual impact and attraction for consumers, and is the most intuitive interpretation of brand image. It is also an important reason for impulse purchases. Therefore, terminal display can be standardized from the following three aspects to effectively enhance brand terminal performance.
**1. Choose Appropriate Display Positions**
Research shows that the more customers come into contact with a product, the higher the purchase probability. Therefore, companies can set specific display standards, such as: prominent position principle (where consumers can see the product at first glance); brand concentration principle to showcase brand strength, enabling consumers to have related and holistic brand associations, deepening the product's impression in their minds.
**2. Implement Merchandising Displays**
Merchandising terminal displays not only attract consumer attention and stimulate purchase desire but also shape a distinct brand image, directly enhancing brand terminal performance. For example, set up reminder signs and notice boards in hotels; post advertising posters in low-end stores, hang banners inside, hang lanterns under eaves outside, arrange POP posters and decorative balls on bar counters, and add brand ads to table cards, menus, tablecloths, ashtrays, magazine racks, and clothing covers.
**3. Create a Hot-Selling Atmosphere at Display Points**
Research results show that about 70% of consumer goods purchases are impulsive at the terminal. Therefore, a good sales atmosphere can help companies increase sales by 30% to 50%. Thus, it's possible to use scenes, displays, showcases, POP displays, DM stands, creative displays, promotional videos, and the performance of sales guides to attract customer attention and enhance the hot-selling atmosphere. To achieve the best terminal performance, terminal displays should also align with industry and product characteristics, marketing strategies, and the location and structure of terminal stores, maintain consistency with advertising images and promotional activities, choose appropriate timing, and unify detailed operational standards to create the desired hot-selling atmosphere.
Based on the dynamic strategy combination of "points" and "areas" in regional markets, adopt the strategy of "using points to drive lines, and lines to drive areas," strengthen customer relationships and merchandising to achieve sell-through at outlets and quickly sell products.
New Distribution will hold the **2019 (5th) FMCG + Internet Conference** during the Chengdu Spring Sugar and Wine Fair from March 15 to March 18. This conference will focus on the topic of **"Breaking the Game"** , engaging in in-depth discussions with numerous brand owners, supply chain service providers, distributors, and retailers.
Compared to previous conferences, this summit will be fully upgraded. In addition to original topics such as **channel innovation, city distribution logistics, and distributor transformation** , it will add multiple parallel forums on **new marketing cases, IP + FMCG empowerment, community group buying, and innovative retail** . Through three days of ten high-density, high-quality expert sharing sessions, we believe every brand owner and distributor can learn the latest business models, expert insights, and practical methods, finding new tools and approaches to break the game in 2019 and return to high-speed growth.
Review of Previous Conferences
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