NEW DISTRIBUTION RESEARCH TOPIC
How can distributors keep growing across fragmented channels?
Front-line analysis of product selection, organization, channel strategy, profit models, and business transformation for FMCG distributors.
Related research and analysis
4623 articles · Page 128 of 193
Distributors | Are High Sales Costs All the Fault of Van Sales and Visit Sales?
Almost every distributor starts with van sales in the early days of their business. In a sense, van sales is the simplest and most practical sales model, where salespeople carry goods in vehicles to visit customers, sell and collect payment on the spot, and handle tasks such as posting promotional materials, product display, and customer complaints, making management relatively easy for distributors. However, as labor, fuel, and vehicle costs continue to rise, and competition among homogeneous products intensifies, higher demands are placed on distributors' terminal operations. Many distributors complain that van sales costs are too high and inefficient, but the root cause lies in the inherent drawbacks of the van sales model. So, how should distributors adjust and improve their sales models to maximize profits?
张宇How Markets Get Killed: A Tribute to the Markets That Have Been Through the Wringer
In 2015, many FMCG companies saw poor sales performance, with the worst suffering significant declines and the better ones barely maintaining sales while facing losses. Amid the downturn, some excellent companies achieved growth, but at sharply reduced rates and profit margins. The media began to warn of the largest wave of layoffs in history. The growth rate of total retail sales of goods slowed dramatically in 2015, with more monks and no increase in porridge, putting even greater pressure on the surviving sales staff. Although the e-commerce wave has been strongly eroding traditional sales channels in recent years, offline channels still account for about 80% of the consumer goods market, so FMCG companies continue to seek ways to complete sales tasks offline.
杨挺How to Classify and Define the Many Types of Distributors?
Choosing a distributor is a required course for every marketing manager, and finding a suitable one is a coveted goal. However, in practice, distributors play both angel and devil roles, making them deeply loved and hated. The selection of distributors is often proportional to brand strength, with strong brands setting high standards and weak brands having low thresholds or no choice. This article categorizes distributors from various perspectives to help managers understand their options.
方刚Circulation E-commerce: A Tsunami Is Coming
An era without a safe zone: whether you like it or not, the internet is taking over China's economy. Every epoch-making industrial transformation means the rise of new industrial elites and the fall of one or more established classes. In this era of internet disruption, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers are all being forced to transform, but the circulation sector, the lifeline of the industry, is about to be conquered by e-commerce.
陈崖枫New Product Launch: What to Do When Employees Say the Price Is Too High?
Companies want to launch new products, but salespeople are the opposite—they fear new products the most. Why? Although new product launches can increase salespeople's volume, companies will undoubtedly keep raising sales targets. Before launch, salespeople must use their visit time for market research, surveying terminals, distributors, competitors, and consumers, and follow the orders of the "lazybones" in marketing who never go to market. During launch, they bear the burden of blanket distribution, and if products don't sell well, they face blame and must handle inventory. In short, nothing about new product launches is good for salespeople, and if it fails, it's even worse. Moreover, salespeople fear high prices most, as early adoption is tough. So what should they do?
谭长春Stop Asking Me How Distributors Pay Their Employees—Here's Everything You Need!
Most distributors design compensation primarily based on cost and the minimum acceptable salary for sales staff, rarely considering incentives. This article explains why employees work and how to motivate them, offering a comprehensive guide to designing an effective compensation system.
New DistributionSales Not Improving? Look Beyond Symptoms to Root Causes
When all work is done but sales do not improve, the cause must lie in the work itself. To boost sales, focus on five key aspects: correct direction, thorough execution, proper timing, systematic approach, and sustained effort.
杨永华How Are FMCG Distributors Being Killed by B2B?
This article discusses how B2B platforms are disrupting traditional FMCG distribution by using strategies like price parity, value-added services, and eventually taking over small retailers, leading to the demise of traditional distributors. It outlines a four-stage process and warns that distributors must adapt or be eliminated.
赵波A Practical, Down-to-Earth Daily Management Handbook for Small and Medium Distributors
This handbook offers practical advice for small and medium distributors on managing key employees, delegation, cost-cutting, diversification, recruitment, and other daily challenges. It emphasizes retaining core staff through shareholding, avoiding unnecessary expenses, and maintaining transparent and consistent policies.
New DistributionTen Rules for Regional Managers: Eliminate the Weak, Win the Strong
Regional managers are grassroots managers in the marketing team, managed yet managing, and are the closest to the frontline as both managers and executors. To avoid being eliminated by the company and the market, they must follow ten rules to eliminate weaknesses and win in the workplace.
郭 旭After Gaokao, How Can Baijiu Distributors Seize the Opportunity of Banquets?
With around 9 million students taking the 2016 Gaokao, many families will host banquets to celebrate college admissions or thank teachers, with an estimated half occurring in July and August. This article suggests three strategies for baijiu distributors to boost sales at these events: information collection and rewards, effective media promotion, and attractive promotional policies.
赵海永The "Ten Steps" Standard for FMCG Terminal Visits
Terminal visit eight steps, according to legend, were created by Master Kong during its channel intensive cultivation. However, currently, it has become a basic skill in the FMCG industry. Today, we break it down into ten steps for detailed explanation.
方刚All Dealer Operational Problems Can Find Answers Here!
This article discusses the six major areas of daily operations for building materials dealers: product, terminal, channel, promotion, service, and management. It emphasizes that all operational issues can be addressed within these six areas, and provides detailed insights into the first three, along with practical advice on promotion and service.
李月明Standard Operating Guidelines for Channel Stock Pressure
Stock pressure is a required course for sales personnel. Before peak season or new product launches, almost every manufacturer habitually pushes stock into the channel. However, while some succeed brilliantly, others fail miserably. This article analyzes the blind spots in four common stock pressure tactics—dealer pressure, order pressure, ride-along pressure, and blitz pressure—and offers self-check points for promotion, pricing, and channel management to avoid pitfalls.
方刚How to Carve Out Your Competitor's Terminal Blind Spots in the Market?
This article is excerpted from Mr. Fang Gang's book "FMCG Veterans Do It This Way: Regional Manager Playbook". High distribution rate and high share are basic features of a base market, but behind the impressive numbers, there are always terminal resistances that sell less or even refuse to sell your product—these are terminal blind spots. The article explains how to find, analyze, and attack competitors' blind spots to create market fault lines.
方刚Mastering Terminal Sales: Analyze Three Factors, Master Four Principles, Implement Five Countermeasures, and Check Six Points
This article is excerpted from Mr. Fang Gang's book "What FMCG Veterans Do: Regional Manager Playbook". The terminal sales management model is sales = number of terminals × turnover rate × number of SKUs. To achieve terminal sales, three key factors (occupancy rate, control rate, visit rate), four principles, five countermeasures, and six inspection points are discussed.
方刚Channel Promotions: Why Do They Fail to Please Despite Offering Profits? Why Bumper Harvests Don't Translate to Bumper Gains?
This article examines why channel promotions in the FMCG industry often fail to yield expected results, despite significant investment. It argues that the root cause lies not in the promotions themselves but in the lack of management capability, brand strength, and market foundation, leading to a situation where companies 'intensively cultivate' but cannot 'fine-tend', and 'reap bumper harvests' but not 'bumper gains'.
方刚Multiple Employees Involved, Total Amount Exceeds 3 Million Yuan: This Wine Distributor's Salesmen Treat the Company as Their Personal 'ATM'!
On June 2, a video from Anhui TV's Science and Technology Channel was aired on Fengtai Xiaoyu Net, revealing that Anhui Fengtai County Xingyue Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. had uncovered an 'inside ghost'. Salesman Yuan, over three years, used fraudulent means such as forging IOUs in customers' names, underpaying or not remitting payments, and fraudulently obtaining wine to resell, illegally profiting over one million yuan from the company. Police investigation revealed this was not an isolated case; other salesmen had similar issues, causing total direct losses of over three million yuan. Root cause one: chaotic financial management is the fundamental issue. Police inquiry...
New DistributionMaster Kong's Performance Slumps, Dealer Enthusiasm Dampened
Master Kong's performance suffered another 'Waterloo'. On May 26, Master Kong Holdings released its Q1 2016 results, showing total revenue of approximately $2.1 billion, down 9.54% year-on-year, and net profit of approximately $73.5 million, down 45.02%. The instant noodle business saw sales of $842 million, down 15.82%, and net profit of $48.661 million, down 48.34%, while the beverage business net profit fell 40.16%.
黄荣How Distributors Can Plan Their Operations Management, with Full Set of Policies for Download
Distributors play a crucial role in the circulation of goods, despite challenges from changing consumer demands, channel diversification, and e-commerce. Their operations management is simpler than manufacturers' but requires careful planning to avoid risks and ensure healthy growth. This article outlines a six-part framework for distributor management planning, including vision, positioning, strategy, marketing, branding, and daily policies, based on a real consulting project.
冯学金Distributors Really Can't Hold On Much Longer
A visit to a county-level FMCG distributor chamber revealed that 2 out of about 20 members had recently given up, and this is not an isolated case. The reasons include lack of hope, manufacturers' excessive inventory pressure, and failed transformation attempts. The article argues that distributors' collective plight stems from stagnant sales, lack of new strategic products, rising labor costs, and especially manufacturers' inventory pushing, which is the last straw. It suggests that transformation, such as adopting SaaS systems for visit-based sales and B-end platforms, and shifting from corporate to platform-based operations, can help distributors survive and thrive.
刘春雄Laocunzhang Liquor Distributors Suspected of Commercial Bribery Investigated by Puyang Industry and Commerce Authorities
On June 1, a reporter learned from the Puyang Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce in Henan Province that, in order to maintain normal market competition order and protect the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and consumers, the Puyang industry and commerce authorities, in accordance with the unified arrangement of the Provincial Administration for Industry and Commerce, launched a crackdown from that day until June 25 across the city on distributors of Laocunzhang liquor suspected of commercial bribery, signing exclusive agreements, and other unfair competition practices. It was reported that recently, the Henan Provincial Administration for Industry and Commerce received a complaint from Heilongjiang Longxiang Jiayuan Liquor Co., Ltd., stating that distributors of Laocunzhang liquor in many places in Henan Province, under the instruction of their superiors, used commercial bribery, formatted exclusive contracts, and purchasing competing brand products to restrict terminal retailers from selling Longxiang Jiayuan liquor, causing serious adverse effects and significant economic losses to the company and its distributors.
雕爷Products Not Moving, Teams Hard to Manage: What Should a Regional Manager Do?
This article is excerpted from Mr. Fang Gang's book "FMCG Veterans All Do This: Regional Manager Playbook." It addresses two common problems: products not selling and teams being difficult to manage, offering self-check tools and management strategies.
方刚Salesperson: Are You Selling Yourself or Just the Product?
It's well known that without process there is no result. The results of sales work are simple: performance and payment collection, or more precisely, profit contribution. But what about the process—the common sales execution tasks such as distribution, display, customer relations, and promotion activities? These are done daily, consuming significant manpower and resources, yet actual effectiveness remains mediocre. Bosses complain about employees loafing, while employees complain the work is too hard. There must be a reason. Here, we shift to a fundamental perspective: before selling the product, one must first sell oneself.
潘文富