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3725 articles · Page 5 of 156
Before Squirrel Convenience Strikes, This Veteran's 43 Lightning Warehouses Hit a Fatal Trap
Lao Zhang received a call from Lu, a ten-year veteran in traditional trading with nearly 300 million yuan in annual revenue, who had plunged into instant retail with 43 lightning warehouses in less than two years. Despite initial success, by late 2024, most of his warehouses were losing money due to rising delivery costs, platform rule changes, and price wars, prompting him to seek advice on how to regain control and build a sustainable model.
老张From Buzz to Sales: Lay's Runs the Full-Court Press for CNY, Injecting Certainty into Channel Sell-Through
As the Spring Festival approaches, the CNY battle in the food and beverage industry has shifted from the 'stocking-up phase' to the intense 'explosive phase.' A month ago, New Distribution analyzed Lay's 2026 'scenario-based product portfolio' evolution, which addressed the channel's anxiety about 'what to sell' with combinations like 'Fortune Bucket' and 'Family Bucket' and a refined matrix covering all scenarios from self-use to gifting. But with the Spring Festival travel rush underway, the new question facing the industry is: with products in place, what will ignite sell-through?
冯瑶In the Next Five Years, Distributors Will Have Only One Lifeline: 'Extreme Efficiency'
In the past two years, New Distribution has heard the most common refrain in market visits: business has become difficult. Both brand owners and distributors feel the same, even if they maintain or slightly grow. Facing this sustained downturn, many distributors are lost, wondering if their product selection is wrong, if they should wait for the next trend, or if the market will recover after this period. The problem is often not a lack of effort, but that the old map in hand fails in the new world. Past experience gradually becomes a burden; the more skilled, the easier it is to misapply effort.
AsherWahaha Suddenly Deregistered? Zong Fuli Makes Another Cut!
Wahaha's strategic restructuring is entering its most decisive phase. On February 5, the cancellation filing of Hangzhou Wahaha E-commerce Co., Ltd. put Zong Fuli's 'streamlining plan' back in the spotlight. This core subsidiary, where she serves as legal representative with a registered capital of 200 million yuan, was once the cornerstone of Wahaha's online transformation, but now it is coming to an end via 'resolution to dissolve'. This marks the sixth Wahaha-affiliated company Zong Fuli has cut since July 2025.
New DistributionBrand Listing: A Magnifying Glass on Manufacturer-Dealer Relations
As Dongpeng Beverage lists in Hong Kong and receives a warm reception from the capital market, many FMCG brands are also preparing to go public: Jinxing Beer filed an application on January 13, which, if successful, would make it the 'first Chinese craft beer stock' in Hong Kong; a few days later, Junlebao Dairy also filed an application, planning to raise funds for factory construction, capacity expansion, and brand marketing... Above the surface, this is a significant leap for brand owners toward capitalization and scale; beneath the surface, the businesses and future destinies of thousands of distributors are also stirring. The capital market...
陆知梨Ten 'Killers' of Distributor Profits
In 2025, I conducted field research on no fewer than 50 distributor owners and found many issues in their warehouse logistics, team management, and channel management. I will compile these into a series of articles; today, I will discuss the ten factors affecting distributor profits. In recent years, it is true that making money has become increasingly difficult for distributors, and while external environmental factors are the same, improvements in certain areas can indeed boost distributor profits. I will divide this into cost-cutting and revenue-increasing sections, starting with cost-cutting.
高级研究员 海游Prices Collapse, Channel Distribution Logic Changes!
As the saying goes, 'Seeing this letter is like seeing me.' I'm Yuan Lai from New Distribution. Over the past year, which word has been mentioned most frequently by frontline sales managers? Price, I think it's definitely number one. Although it existed before, it was more about online e-commerce and wholesale markets. But now, discount savings supermarkets, regional supermarkets, instant retail flash warehouses, and community fresh food chains are all in chaos, comparing prices with each other, with no lowest price but only lower! What to do about price chaos? Should we launch a new specification or packaging? That might only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. I think we should look at it from a more fundamental perspective...
袁来Seven Things Distributors Must Do When Signing Contracts with Manufacturers This Year
With two weeks to go before the Chinese New Year, it's a critical period for FMCG brands to sprint for a strong start. Distributors planning to renew or sign new contracts with manufacturers should prepare thoroughly to gain more leverage and favorable terms in negotiations. This article outlines seven key preparations to help distributors navigate the upcoming signing season with confidence and initiative.
邢仁宝Small and Medium Supermarkets: The Core of Distributors' Business Growth in the Next 2-3 Years
As we stand at the beginning of 2026, looking back at 2025, distributors have had a tough time. Maintaining sales without decline and achieving slight growth is already commendable, but most distributors have seen their profits decline. Based on market visits and data, the key to future growth lies in small and medium supermarkets and community mom-and-pop stores, which offer significant incremental opportunities through multi-category product portfolios.
袁来Say Goodbye to Channel Stuffing: Every Channel Deserves a Rethink
A closed-door conversation with a brand general manager about where future growth will come from reveals that the radical transformation of new retail formats is forcing brands to cede power, while traditional distributors, though still holding the majority of market share, are struggling with dwindling momentum. The consensus reached is that all future growth must revolve around consumers, but this requires a fundamental organizational shift from a B2B-oriented command structure to a C-end-centric one, enabled by digital tools that connect brands, distributors, salespeople, terminals, and consumers in real time.
任文青AndyDistributors Who Open Stores Blindly Are Likely to Lose Money!
Recently, while visiting the market, I heard a snack food distributor talking about plans to open several stores. He has already scouted locations near communities with thousands of residents, and believes the surrounding competitors are mostly small shops that pose no threat. He intends to offer a wide range of products to cover their strengths. However, he is hesitant not about rent or renovation, but about what type of store is more likely to succeed: a local chain convenience store or a snack store. But when asked how he defines "success" for his stores—whether as a model store or simply a profitable business—his answer remains vague.
葛畅“In the past two years, everyone has wanted to bypass distributors.”
Distributors are feeling increasingly squeezed as brands, retailers, and platforms seek to bypass them. To survive, they must transform from cost centers into value providers by controlling terminals, moving into retail, or becoming system service providers.
何雯From Distribution to Sales: Dali Gift Boxes Crack the 'Logic of Certainty' in the Spring Festival Market
Every Spring Festival, the gift box market is the most certain and most competitive battlefield. In the Nanjing market, distributor Mr. Li describes the sales pace before this year's Spring Festival: although the peak sales season is still over ten days away, Dali's Spring Festival gift boxes have already 'heated up' in multiple channels based on current distribution completion and terminal feedback. Through visits to multiple markets, New Distribution observed that Dali Food's Spring Festival gift boxes are becoming one of the key promoted brands among many distributors and stores.
田静Distributors Who Don't Understand Product Mix Can't Make Money Even with the Best Brands!
The market is changing, retail is changing, and distributors' businesses are getting harder. One of the key strategies for large and medium-sized trading companies to break through is product mix and management, which involves rationally combining products from different brand tiers: first-tier brands can cover basic operating costs, ensure normal survival, and bundle with second- and third-tier brands to improve their trading terms, help them quickly cover sales networks, and spread distribution costs; second-tier brands can become the main profit contributors after first-tier brands cover basic costs, enhancing distributors' resilience to risk and providing terminal market maintenance teams for third-tier brands; third-tier brands can further increase profit margins with the backing of first- and second-tier brands.
高级研究员 海游293 Prefecture-Level Cities: How Many B2B Platforms Are There in China?
In March 2024, Retail Link announced adjustments and gradually suspended related businesses, leading some in the industry to declare that winter had arrived for B2B. As industry observers, our judgment at the time was that the retreat of giants precisely proved the complexity of FMCG channels, which cannot be easily flattened by burning money or subsidies. The exit of Retail Link actually returned the space once occupied by giants to local markets. Looking back from 2026, our judgment has been confirmed. We see a large number of regional B2B platforms, transformed from major distributors or evolved from unified warehousing and distribution, quietly rising.
New DistributionDistributors: Grab Share, Grab Terminals, Don't Get Left Behind!
At a manufacturer's meeting, a business manager said, 'Local consumers have a special attachment to competing products and only buy them.' The leader retorted, 'If that's the case, we might as well give up on this market.' The reality is that consumer loyalty is not as high as we think. If they only buy competitors' products, it's because your competitive strategy is flawed. Strategically, companies should avoid homogeneous competition, create new categories, and pursue differentiation, especially for SMEs.
金名Distributors: Don't Bet Your Life on a Single Channel
Distributors' sales and profits largely stem from channel strength, making channels not just a means to sell but a core competitive advantage for survival and growth. A diversified channel strategy helps mitigate risks, ensuring business stability when one channel falters. This article discusses how distributors should plan their channel layout for 2026, covering offline and online channels.
高级研究员 海游Dialogue with Chen Liping: 'De-intermediation' Is a False Proposition!
In the winter of 2025-2026, China's FMCG and retail industry seems to be in a collective 'confusion'. On one hand, there is visible involution: e-commerce platforms compare prices, livestream e-commerce breaks prices, and hard discount stores slash prices. On the other hand, there is a panic spreading deep in the channels—de-intermediation. Platforms shout 'direct sourcing from the source', various new retail models shout 'direct supply from manufacturers', and brands ponder DTC (Direct to Consumer). It seems that overnight, distributors, agents, and wholesalers who have been struggling in this industry for decades have become redundant roles hindering efficiency.
任文青AndySpring Festival Gift Boxes: Should Distributors Stock Up More?
Spring Festival has always been a key window for observing trends in China's consumer market. For the FMCG industry, Spring Festival gift boxes not only carry holiday consumption demand but also represent the most important concentrated sales period of the year. With less than a month to go before the 2026 Year of the Horse Spring Festival, the question for distributors and retailers has shifted from 'whether to stock up' to 'how to stock, what to choose, and how much to control'—the outcome of this battle will directly affect the operating rhythm for the entire coming year.
simbaSales Are Hard, 90% of the Problem Isn't the Salesperson
At a distributor's internal review meeting, salespeople were blamed for poor B2b performance, but the real issues lie in organizational structure, management, and product assortment. To succeed, distributors must clarify responsibilities, train thoroughly, and pilot with small teams.
葛畅In 2026, the Underlying Logic of the FMCG Industry Has Completely Changed!
The 11th China FMCG Conference is set to address the industry's shift from incremental growth to an era of surplus, where the key to success lies in reaching consumers' decision-making radius. Brands, distributors, and retailers must all focus on the C-end, building a unified supply-demand loop around consumer needs, scenarios, and fulfillment methods. The conference, themed 'Advance Toward the C-End!', will explore this transformation and the new competitive rules for the next decade.
New DistributionHow Should Distributors Survive in 2026?
If asked about their biggest feeling in 2025, most distributors would likely say anxiety. The traditional agency model—the 'brand → distribution → retail' chain—is being replaced by new models. Distributors' value comes from the industry ecosystem, with upstream and downstream defining their role. Over the past 40 years, China's consumer boom has created unprecedented prosperity for distributors, but today, giants are entering the market, and new retail models are emerging, encroaching on traditional retail's territory.
赵波Disintermediation Is a False Proposition; the Real Battlefield Is the C-End
The 11th China FMCG Conference, themed 'Advancing Toward the C-End,' will be held in Chengdu from March 16-18, 2026. As the FMCG market enters an era of surplus, the industry must shift focus to the consumer side, redefining the role of intermediaries rather than eliminating them.
New DistributionStop Competing on Channels—The Battle Will Be Won or Lost at the Consumer End
The 11th China FMCG Conference, themed 'Advance Toward the Consumer End (C-End)', will be held from March 16-18, 2026 in Chengdu, China. As the FMCG market shifts from incremental growth to an era of oversupply, the industry must pivot from channel-centric strategies to understanding and serving consumer demand directly, making the consumer the core of the supply-demand loop.
New Distribution