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Articles by 袁来
Browse 256 New Distribution articles by 袁来.
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256 articles · Page 5 of 11
The 'TOP1' Strategy for Distributors in 2022
As 2022 begins, distributors face a tough market where maintaining sales is already a challenge. This article argues that in the current zero-sum market, distributors must adopt a 'TOP1' strategy—striving to become the number one in a specific store, channel, or region—to gain bargaining power and access to resources. It advises starting with becoming the top supplier in individual stores, treating each store as a fortress to conquer.
袁来Five Ways Brand Owners Empower Distributors to Grow Their Business
At year-end, many brand owners are trying different forms of empowerment for their distributor partners, hoping for closer cooperation and business growth in the new year. In 2021, New Distribution's internal team participated in several brand-distributor empowerment training projects, and this article reviews and summarizes how current brand owners (mainly leading brands) empower distributors.
袁来Distributors: Is E-commerce a Good Way Out?
As offline business becomes increasingly difficult and stagnant for two or three years, many distributors are turning to e-commerce, with some bosses even overseeing it personally. Frankly, I do not recommend distributors to enter e-commerce, because the logic of online and offline operations is completely different. However, despite this advice, many distributors are eager to try, as the entry barrier is low: a couple of people can run it, register a Tmall or JD exclusive store, and with existing products and a warehouse near a courier station, the business can start operating.
袁来New Brands Going Offline: It's a Street Fight!
As new consumer brands face a turning point, many are moving offline, but the offline market operates on a different logic. This article shares insights from two industry veterans on how to succeed offline, emphasizing the importance of regional dominance, unified sales teams, practical tactics, and strategic pricing.
袁来Every Distributor Deserves to Re-Engage the Terminal Market
Many distributors dismiss the idea of re-engaging the terminal market, believing that offline sales are declining irreversibly. However, a case study of a Jinluo distributor shows nearly 10x growth by systematically re-conquering stores with dedicated promoters and aggressive in-store tactics. The article argues that offline growth comes from seizing competitors' share, not from category growth, and that distributors must evolve into large-scale operators by focusing on efficiency, multi-category expansion, and terminal dominance.
袁来The New Logic of Manufacturer-Dealer Win-Win: Insights from PepsiCo Foods' 'Ru Hu Tian E' Project
On October 15, the live case sharing of PepsiCo Foods' 'Ru Hu Tian E' dealer digital transformation project concluded successfully, with a record-breaking cumulative online attendance of 33,600. Launched in June 2020, the project aims to empower dealers to undergo digital transformation and upgrade in the new era. This case, co-created with New Distribution and outstanding dealer benchmark Shenzhen Yataixuan Industrial, showcases a 'digital omnichannel dealer' model. As the event concluded, it's evident that concepts like digital transformation, omnichannel operations, and full-channel layout are being increasingly practiced by dealers.
袁来The Elimination of Some Distributors Is Inevitable!
The article argues that while many distributors feel their business is getting harder, this is not universally true. It uses examples from the book 'Factfulness' to illustrate negative thinking bias, and then analyzes the reasons for difficulty, emphasizing the need for distributors to focus on 'selling out' and 'efficiency' to thrive.
袁来How Much Longer Can the Distributor Business Last, and Can It Still Make Money?
A grain and oil distributor expressed concerns about the declining business and questioned the future viability of the distribution trade. The article analyzes market changes through semi-annual reports of listed companies, highlighting the growth of major players through premiumization, omnichannel, and digitalization, while smaller players suffer from community group buying and declining supermarket traffic. It concludes that distributors must focus on internal regional market share by refining offline operations and expanding categories, and that those who become top players in their local categories can still profit sustainably.
袁来Distributors Won't Die, But Their Functions Will Change!
After years of struggle, it's now consensus that traditional offline markets cannot be replaced by online e-commerce. While retail stores are irreplaceable, the role of distributors, often seen as mere goods movers, is questioned. This article analyzes the value of distributors in logistics, capital flow, and information flow, arguing that they won't disappear but will evolve in function.
袁来Distributors That Only Do Warehousing, Financing, and Wholesaling Are Close to Closing Down!
The harder business gets, the more distributors should think about how to run their business in the next 2-3 years, especially in an era of new retail and online e-commerce. New Distribution has predicted that regional distributors will evolve into three types: brand operators, category operators, and regional supply chain companies. Regional supply chain companies are rare (1-3 per region) and demanding, making them less ideal for most distributors. Brand and category operators are more feasible, requiring directional adjustments based on existing resources.
袁来Former Jia Duobao and Special Forces Coconut Juice Executives Launch Seasoning Brand—Kouwei Quan, Redefining the Seasoning 3.0 Era
As the new consumption entrepreneurship wave heats up, more executives from traditional FMCG giants are joining the startup fray. Kouwei Quan, founded by a former sales executive with over 20 years of experience, has completed two rounds of financing within three months, aiming to redefine the seasoning industry with a focus on nutritional and functional products.
袁来Lessons from Conversations with Over 100 Outstanding Distributors: 10 Management Insights
Over the past two to three years, New Distribution has visited over a hundred outstanding distributors across the country, discussing their business strategies and how they resist risks, achieve growth, and expand despite rapid market changes. This article summarizes 10 management lessons distilled from these visits, offering practical insights for distributors to break through in a changing environment.
袁来Former Jia Duo Bao South China Market Head and Former Alibaba Supermarket Ecosystem Business Head: The Offline Dilemma of New Consumer Brands
This article discusses the offline challenges faced by new consumer brands, drawing on insights from Hu Hao, a former executive at Jia Duo Bao and Alibaba. It highlights common misconceptions, the importance of founder involvement, and key strategies for successful offline expansion.
袁来Community Group Buying: Brand Strategies - Set Standards, Differentiate, Respond Quickly
Following the collapse of Tongcheng Life, community group buying remains a viable retail model. For brands, the key is to set standards, differentiate products, and respond quickly to navigate this trillion-yuan market.
袁来Three Paths for Distributors to Expand Their Business: Cross-Online Business, Cross-Category Business, and Cross-Region Business
Starting around April, many distributor friends have been calling me, saying business is particularly tough this year. This sounds familiar—almost every year, business gets worse. They ask for advice, and soon the conversation turns to whether cooperating with community group buying platforms is still an opportunity, whether opening stores on Pinduoduo can still make money, and whether the recent popularity of membership warehouse clubs is worth pursuing. After talking with a dozen or so distributors, I noticed a common trait: they tend to seek solutions externally rather than internally.
袁来What a 49-Yuan Box of Gummies Reveals About Gen Z
If you work in marketing, phrases like "personalized consumption" and "diversified consumption" roll off the tongue, but what they actually mean can be elusive. After speaking with Li Yi, co-founder of BUFF X, a functional food brand, the answer became clearer: Gen Z consumers exhibit highly individualized preferences even within the same demographic, driving the rise of innovative brands that cater to these diverse needs.
袁来With Classic Coca-Cola Ahead and Popular Genki Forest Behind: What More Can a Beverage Innovate?
The beverage category is now a veritable red ocean. In such a market, how can innovation be achieved? Some might create a better product within existing categories, aligning with sugar-free and health trends, with better quality, higher aesthetics, and novel concepts. But if innovation is limited to these dimensions, can one carve a path? Probably not, because in the current market environment, innovation on only one or two points is hardly enough to secure a place amid giants. Beverages are a well-known commodity, so where is the key button for innovation? Perhaps the protagonist of today's story can offer some inspiration and thought.
袁来Agent for Strong, Perfetti Van Melle, Lay's, with Annual Sales Over 100 Million in a Third-Tier City, Hecai Trading Continues to Race, Seeking Further Growth
At the opening ceremony of Luoyang Rongcheng Yigou in December last year, I met Mr. Luo Kai, general manager of Luoyang Hecai Trading. At that time, I only knew that Luoyang Hecai was doing well and had a considerable scale. Before the Chinese New Year, I had a phone call with Mr. Luo Kai, and in nearly two hours of in-depth communication, we discussed his entrepreneurial journey in trading, methods for business growth, and future plans. It was full of insights, and I believe the business path of Hecai Trading is worth learning from for many distributors. Even though they have become a leader in the local snack food sector, they remain dissatisfied with the status quo and continuously seek new growth opportunities...
袁来Second-generation distributor for Unilever, Darlie, Colgate and other daily chemical brands enters e-commerce, doubles growth in 3 years!
Du Xiaoying, a second-generation distributor, leveraged her audit background and a full organizational structure to grow her family's daily chemical distribution business online from 8 million RMB in 2018 to 48.5 million RMB in 2020. She shares her strategies for profitability, product selection, and the importance of systems and execution, offering insights for traditional distributors considering e-commerce.
袁来The 'Adaptable' Distributor: With Over 200 Million in Snack Food Distribution, Now Starting a New Venture to Cover Small Stores!
A month ago in Wuhan, I met Mr. Hu Xiaosheng, General Manager of Wuhan Shengxing Zhonghe Marketing Company, and we talked for nearly three hours. It's hard to imagine that this boss is not only a traditional distribution businessman but also a devoted student of Buddhism. This distributor, with a 'scholar's quality,' has built a snack food distribution business in Wuhan reaching 200-300 million in scale, with over 70 brands, mostly second and third tier, except for a few first-tier brands like PepsiCo Foods. Covering all channels except mom-and-pop stores...
袁来Post-60s and Post-70s Distributors: If You Don't Change, Elimination Is Not Far Away!
After visiting distributors in Jiangsu, it's clear that post-80s and post-90s distributors are rapidly rising, with a better understanding of the business and faster response to market changes. They embrace new thinking and methods, while older generations risk being left behind if they don't adapt.
袁来The Dealer's 'New Survival' Manual
Recently, community group buying has caused many dealers to suffer, feeling lost and anxious. The market is changing rapidly, with supermarket owners becoming group leaders and product prices dropping repeatedly, leading to widespread channel crossing and dumping. Dealers, already squeezed from both ends, now face a third pressure. This article discusses the survival value of dealers from an industry perspective, addressing whether dealers have a future and how they can adapt by looking at future trends and strategic choices.
袁来From 0 to 1, 1 to 10: The Entrepreneurial Birth of Tsingtao White Beer!
As is well known, the beer industry is currently a red ocean of competition. In this context, if you were given a brand-new beer brand, what would you do? Would you go big or take small steps; attack offline or start online? There are many paths and methods to choose from, with no one-size-fits-all answer. But how to do it specifically, I want to hear the voices of frontline practitioners, which may bring new inspiration and thinking to innovators and entrepreneurs. Recently, New Distribution had an in-depth exchange with Ms. Cui Hong, Market Director of Tsingtao Beer Innovation Marketing Headquarters...
袁来Community Group Buying Giants, Please Stop!
Meituan, Didi, and Pinduoduo, now industry giants with ample capital, are heavily subsidizing community group buying, causing significant harm to hundreds of thousands of FMCG distributors, over 20,000 KA supermarkets, and six million traditional retail stores. This article urges these giants to end subsidies and restore normal pricing to protect the traditional commercial ecosystem.
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