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Visiting a Hundred Stores: The 'Cold' and 'Change' in the Milk Market
“Even in the past, the milk market was never this slow!” In the second half of 2024, the author visited over a hundred stores with milk salespeople from various regions. Combined with feedback from distributors, the most profound impression was that over the past year, from front-line sales to back-end operations, the winter of the dairy industry has enveloped every practitioner. From the salesperson's perspective: downstream distribution is becoming increasingly difficult.
葛畅Deep Distribution Enters a Monopoly Mode of Overstocking, a Death Spiral in a Shrinking Market
Deep distribution was highly effective as a distribution tool until Q3 2024, but its very effectiveness has become harmful in an era of shrinking demand. It has led to overstocking at the terminal despite poor sell-through, causing massive near-expiry inventory and channel price collapse, transforming from a positive cycle into a death spiral.
刘春雄The Distribution Order of FMCG Has Truly Changed
Different perspectives and positions lead to completely different views, which I understand. I don't think low-price competition is good, nor do I agree that everyone should engage in cutthroat competition. I also hope the trend of incremental market growth can continue. However, what we hope for is not the same as what the market actually does. Over the past year, I have been on the front lines of the market as an industry observer and researcher, hoping to understand what is really happening in the industry by communicating with as many people as possible, including brand executives, distributor owners, and retail entrepreneurs.
任文青AndyDistributor Cross-Category Operation: 6 Warehouses, Deep Terminal Coverage, 10+ Finance Staff, Thorough Category Mastery, Annual Sales of 150 Million
In the face of a challenging market, distributor Li Fen of Xuzhou Runzhong Yigou Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. has achieved annual sales of 150 million yuan by focusing on categories, directly controlling terminals, and leveraging data-driven management. Her strategies include standardizing terminal operations, optimizing logistics through outsourcing, and developing customized products to capture growth in new channels.
何雯Worsening Supply-Demand Imbalance: How to Build a Distribution Revolution in the FMCG Industry?
The 10th China FMCG Innovation Conference, themed 'New Order · Symbiosis', will be held from March 17-19, 2025 in Chengdu, China. The conference aims to address the collapse of the old order and the reconstruction of a new symbiotic order among brands, distributors, and retailers in the FMCG industry.
New DistributionSpring Festival Gift Boxes Are No Longer Selling Well
Distributors are adopting a cautious approach to this year's Spring Festival gift box market, with many reducing stock and focusing on stable sales. Some manufacturers have proactively lowered sales targets and introduced more affordable products to adapt to changing consumer preferences.
何雯Deep Distribution No Longer Works in the Era of Shrinking Volume
Deep distribution has become muscle memory for a generation of Chinese FMCG marketers, but as the market shifts from growth to contraction, this once-essential tactic is now counterproductive. The article argues that companies must pivot to scenario-based marketing to tap into niche markets and create new demand.
公方刚The Darkest Hour of Deep Distribution
Sales are declining, and I accept it. In the past, the response was to rescue sales by any means, even at any cost. Recently, a phenomenon has emerged: sales decline, and I accept it. No more rescue! It's not just small manufacturers, but giants too. More and more industry giants think this way. Now, it's discovered that not rescuing is not a big deal! However, this is the darkest hour of deep distribution, starting from the third quarter of 2024. Many leading companies agree that sales decline is normal and treat it with equanimity...
刘春雄Retail is in an Era of Major Circulation Transformation; One-Stop Hypermarkets Will Eventually Be Eliminated
This year, retailers continue to face tough times. We are confronting a circulation revolution as Chinese retail has raised the banner of price destruction, which has had a huge impact on the distribution system. The old circulation system is collapsing, while a new one has yet to be established—this is the current state of our industry. The entire Chinese circulation industry is undergoing revolutionary changes. Japanese circulation expert Professor Shuji Hayashi, in his 1962 book "Circulation Revolution," proposed a viewpoint that I strongly agree with: retail revolution inevitably triggers the reorganization of the entire supply chain system, which is the circulation revolution.
窄播Snack Discount Retailers in 2024: Small Brands Exit, Giants Aim for 'Terminal Dominance'
The snack discount retail industry is entering a new competitive phase, marked by the formation of a leading tier. In June, the MMHP Group, formed by Snack Busy and Zhao Yiming Snacks, surpassed 10,000 stores and now exceeds 14,000, while the second-place Wanchen Group is close to that threshold. Meanwhile, mid- and lower-tier brands face squeezed survival space, with some franchise stores incurring losses and closures, fueling industry skepticism.
楚勿留香Connecting Industry, Facilitating Distribution: JD Supply Chain Finance Technology Supports Strong Growth of Consumer Enterprises
Most FMCG manufacturers find it extremely difficult to achieve growth this year, a harsh and concrete reality. Amid a complex and volatile economic environment, weak consumer confidence, sluggish demand, and intense competition pose unprecedented challenges. In response, the state has rolled out a series of policies to expand domestic demand and boost consumption. However, in an era of stock, how can industry partners seize these opportunities? Improving efficiency and reducing costs from the supply chain, and channeling financial liquidity, is a very good path. On November 21, the '2024 JD Supply Chain Finance Technology Consumer Industry Conference' was held in Guangzhou, where many consumer industry clients benefiting from supply chain finance shared their successful practices.
文石The FMCG Industry Has Fundamentally Changed
With just over a month left in 2024, this year's business is nearly over. If one word were to sum up this year's FMCG industry, it would be 'difficult.' Retail channel transformations have come one after another, with intense competition both online and offline, including supermarket overhauls and the aggressive expansion of snack stores. Brand owners have also struggled, with financial reports showing severe declines, having been held hostage by e-commerce in the past and now by new retail. Distributors face even greater challenges, squeezed by upstream and downstream players in the past, and now facing abandonment by them, with the trend of big fish eating small fish becoming increasingly evident.
周群Covering 15,000+ Outlets, 8,000+ SKUs, Annual Sales in the Hundreds of Millions: What Did Yijia Star Do Right?
It's no longer new for distributors to build regional B2b platforms, but nine years ago it was hard to imagine. With no experience, no case studies, and uncertain prospects, Yijia Star embarked on the path of regional B2b transformation in 2015, becoming one of the earliest trading companies in China to independently transform. After four years of losses and near abandonment, they persisted. Now, Yijia Star covers 20,000+ outlets in Nanning, with 5,000+ monthly active outlets and 8,000+ SKUs, spanning beverages, snacks, and more.
New DistributionThe Weakening or Disappearance of Terminal Customer Relations: A Landmark Shift from Small-Scale to Large-Scale Distributors
The 'death of shopping guides' and 'death of brand-focused displays' that I once predicted are now becoming reality. This article predicts that the 'weakening or disappearance of customer relations' is also underway. Customer relations, once a powerful force in distribution channels, are now weakening or disappearing in places like Pangdonglai and its reformed supermarkets, leisure retail chains, and B2b platforms. The deep distribution system was the scene where customer relations thrived; with platformization and supply chain revolution, customer relations need to be re-evaluated. The change in channel customer relations has profound implications, marking the end of 20-plus years of small-scale distributors and the arrival of an era of large-scale distributors.
刘春雄The Frontline Holds Divine Insight: It's Not That 'Terminal is King' Has Failed, But That You Haven't Visited Terminals Correctly
Visiting terminal outlets is routine for many marketing managers, but my recent market research for companies shows many do it poorly. They either fail to spot problems, miss the root cause, or don't grasp competitors' underlying logic. This article discusses the need for three perspectives—consumer, frontline staff, and manager—when visiting outlets, and emphasizes both macro and micro analysis to find growth opportunities.
高级研究员 海游National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival Double Holiday Sluggish, Gift Box Market This Year Seems to Have Failed...
In the FMCG circle, there is a saying: one festival can account for half a year's sales. Traditionally, the Spring Festival accounts for 50% of sales, the Mid-Autumn Festival 30%, and other festivals like Dragon Boat and Mother's Day 20%. However, this year's Mid-Autumn Festival was not optimistic, and the National Day holiday was even more sluggish, making the expected 'big sales festivals' seem desolate. This article reviews key points from terminal stores and distributors to provide actionable insights for the upcoming Spring Festival gift box market.
田静Zhao Bo of New Distribution: A Paradigm Shift in the Discourse Power of China's Commercial Circulation is Inevitable
This is the second article in Mr. Zhao Bo's series column 'China Commercial Circulation Revolution Series'. The series outlines four generations of retail models in China, from traditional mom-and-pop stores and wholesale markets to the current era of e-commerce and community group buying, and discusses the shift in supply chain dominance from brand owners to retailers and distributors.
赵波Prices Plunge 30%, Sales Slump: Are Mid-Autumn Gift Boxes No Longer Selling?
A frontline survey reveals that Mid-Autumn gift box sales have been sluggish since last year, with terminal prices dropping 30% and many stores reducing stock. Despite the downturn, opportunities remain in special channels and community-based stores, with two potential sales peaks expected.
张雨薇Brand Owners Must Read: Tackling the Hard Nut of Digital Integration Between Manufacturers and Distributors
In the face of economic downturn and the era of shrinking volume, brand owners and distributors are both seeking ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency, preserve existing markets, and find new growth. Digitalization has become an unavoidable topic for both parties, as it can genuinely make information transparent, business online, data-driven, and ultimately achieve cost reduction and efficiency gains. Today, digitalization is no longer a question of whether to adopt it, but has become a standard for enterprises, entering the deep water zone of digital infrastructure and operations, where every company wants to build its own private digital assets.
周斌From Traditional Trading to Regional B2B: Covering 15,000+ Stores in 5 Years, Business Doubles
In 2001, he entered the distribution industry and became a leading paper and hygiene products distributor with annual sales exceeding 100 million yuan within 10 years. In 2015, he began transitioning to regional B2B, losing over 10 million yuan in 4 years. In 2019, he cut off traditional trading to focus all resources on B2B. By 2023, he covered 15,000+ local small stores, with 5,000+ monthly active outlets, 8,000+ SKUs across categories like beverages, snacks, grain and oil, daily chemicals, and achieved annual sales of 300 million yuan. This is...
周群The Pain of Traditional Terminal Stores: Struggling to Survive, Yet Unable to Thrive
Terminal stores, a unique group in the FMCG industry, are often family-run mom-and-pop shops, especially in county and township markets. They bear the brunt of terminal sales but are frequently overlooked, facing challenges from channel compression and shifting consumer demands. This article explores their plight and the empowerment initiatives by Tongfu Group, including a live-stream ordering event aimed at revitalizing these stores.
田静FMCG frontline salespeople are anxious
“Business is tough now; upstream manufacturers' targets increase year by year, but downstream customers can't move goods. I don't know how long this consumption situation will last!” Last week, the author followed several FMCG salespeople on field visits to dozens of terminal stores, and on the way, salesperson Sister Liu lamented this. In the distributor team, salespeople are not only the vanguard of sales but also direct observers of market dynamics, and their feelings directly reflect the market's temperature. This article will start from the perspective of distributor salespeople, go deep into the frontline, analyze the internal and external factors causing their anxiety, and restore the true face of the market.
何雯One Key Upgrade to Boost Your Freezer Sales by 20% This Summer!
For beer, beverages, dairy, and ice products, freezers are the most critical sales channel. If you lose the freezer war, a summer failure is almost inevitable. With over 20 million freezers deployed in retail and foodservice outlets, brands like Kangshifu, Uni-President, Nongfu Spring, and Genki Forest are investing heavily. However, traditional freezer management relies on periodic visits, leading to issues like impurity, untimely restocking, and hidden losses. The Xuanwu Cloud Xuantong AIoT Smart Freezer revolutionizes this by using AI vision to monitor and manage freezers in real time, boosting sales by over 20% and purity by 17%.
陈思廷Navigating the Era of Shrinking Volume: Outlets Remain the Lifeline for Manufacturers and Distributors
This article discusses the importance of classifying retail outlets by brand communication levels to optimize brand influence, monitor communication effects, analyze regional market characteristics, improve resource efficiency, and strengthen competitive advantage. It provides a practical case and methods for categorizing outlets into ABCD levels based on multiple criteria such as sales, brand communication, profit, and competitive suppression, emphasizing that outlets remain the foundation for manufacturers and distributors in the era of shrinking volume.
高级研究员 海游