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.
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4637 articles · Page 14 of 194
Making Distributors More Profitable Is the Only Way for Manufacturers to Activate Them
As markets and retail evolve, distributors face increasing challenges, prompting manufacturers to seek ways to activate them. The key, as highlighted by two category leaders, is to increase distributor profits through three sources: product structure, channel structure, and operational efficiency.
高级研究员 海游Distributors, Don't Bet Your Life on B2b Platforms!
Yuan Lai from New Distribution shares insights from visiting B2b supply chain platforms across various cities, emphasizing that distributors should not risk everything on B2b platforms. Instead, they should build on their existing trading business and proceed cautiously, with the article offering ten core recommendations for success.
袁来Is the 2025 Beverage Market 'Cold'? Three Distributors Have Their Say
As 2025 approaches June, the beverage industry has not seen the expected 'golden season.' Despite the Chinese beverage market surpassing 1.2 trillion yuan and rapid growth in subcategories like sugar-free tea and functional drinks, distributor anxiety is spreading. A survey by the author across multiple markets found one beverage distributor saying, 'From April, it was clear this year's beverage market wouldn't be very prosperous; even as terminals start stocking up for the peak season, overall beverage ex-factory prices remain low.' A distributor from South China said, 'Product prices are too competitive now; it's hard to make money.' Some distributors even report a 30% year-on-year decline in local beverage sales this summer, with inventory piling up to thousands of cases, and price wars driving wholesale prices below cost.
擎苍Traditional Distributors Dying Out? His Distributors Have Transformed into Giants
New life, old death! The situation for physical distributors is like fire and ice... Some are closing down, others are expanding. It's no longer a test of distributor capability, but a test of business models by the times. The market doesn't need traditional distributors anymore. Recently, the author visited the Shandong market and saw many traditional distributors paying a heavy price for transitioning to B2b, with some blindly stacking SKUs leading to inventory backlog, and others making major warehouse expansions that turned out to be unsuitable...
沙华Beverage Prices Plummet: Can Distributors Still Make Money?
This round of "big price cuts" has stirred the industry and put immense pressure on countless distributors. Facing shrinking margins, inventory fluctuations, and channel turmoil, can distributors still profit? How are they finding opportunities in the cracks? In market visits, three distributors from South and North China have made timely adjustments based on regional market changes. Their real situations and coping strategies in the "price cut storm" may offer reference and inspiration for more distributors.
田静Another Round of Boring 'Cutting Out the Middleman'
The first is the 'bare procurement + private label' model represented by Sam's Club and Pangdonglai, which will sweep offline retail in the coming years and become the mainstream for large retailers. This imposes new requirements on upstream suppliers, whether manufacturers or distributors. The second is instant retail, as the last big piece of the e-commerce pie, which will also enter a rapid growth phase. For example, Meituan's fastest-growing business segment will likely be Xiaoxiang Supermarket, which follows a model similar to Sam's Club, also using 'bare procurement + private label'.
苗庆显“I'm a manufacturer's sales rep, and during the Dragon Boat Festival, I'm still doing promotions...”
During the Dragon Boat Festival, while others share family reunions on social media, I remain on the front lines. Setting up a tent at the supermarket entrance early in the morning, I sweat and shout through a megaphone... By noon, the sun is scorching and the crowd is sparse; in the evening, as it cools down, consumers pass by without being attracted by the 'buy one get one free' offer. Today's consumers seem more rational, caring about their immediate needs rather than being swayed by price. After a whole day, I sold less than 800 yuan...
金名Zhao Bo of New Distribution: In the Third Consumption Era, All Brands Must Be Rebuilt
Since the reform and opening-up in 1979, China's economy and society have undergone profound changes, with the evolution of the consumer market best reflecting the trajectory of progress. Using the Engel coefficient as a criterion, we can observe three major consumption eras: the first (1979-1998) was an era of scarcity, the second (1999-2018) was an era of abundance, and the third (from 2019) is an era of experience, where consumers prioritize emotional and spiritual satisfaction. Brands must therefore rebuild themselves around consumers' new 'jobs to be done' to remain relevant.
赵波“Tiered Pay, Delegated Authority, Shared Profits”: A Distributor Who Understands Management Achieves 60% Growth in 4 Years, with Annual Sales of 150 Million
In the face of fragmented channels and increasingly discerning consumers, many distributors find traditional methods ineffective. However, Luo Jun, general manager of Chongqing Kelixue Trading, has achieved sustained growth by integrating resources, implementing differentiated compensation systems, and adopting consumer-oriented product selection, growing annual sales to 150 million yuan with a 60% growth rate.
何雯New Distribution Zhao Bo: Giant Babies, Utopia, and the Polarized Age of Emotion
As we enter the third decade of the 21st century, developed societies are increasingly characterized by material abundance, full satisfaction of basic needs, and explosive growth in choice. However, this prosperity has not brought the expected stability and satisfaction; instead, new consumption patterns, cultural psychology, and social behaviors are quietly changing. The 'tittytainment' phenomenon—a cultural trend where social members actively pursue instant gratification, escapist entertainment, and emotional pleasure—is no longer a deliberate manipulation under some 'conspiracy theory,' but a natural product of the resonance between merchants and consumer needs.
赵波One-Person Operation, First-Month GMV Exceeds 10 Million: New Online Opportunity for FMCG Distributors!
Distributors report declining offline sales and rising inventory, prompting a shift to online channels. Dewu platform offers a new opportunity with low costs, high profits, and significant growth potential for FMCG distributors, even those without e-commerce experience.
AsherNational Benchmark Distributor Deep Study Tour - 8th Stop Xi'an Jiapin Yunshi, Complete Success!
On May 27, the 8th stop of the National Benchmark Distributor Deep Study Tour at Xi'an Jiapin Yunshi concluded successfully. The study tour focused on topics such as how Jiapin Yunshi achieved annual sales of 1 billion yuan in 6 years, a cautionary guide for distributors on B2b supply chain platforms, practical B2b startup operations, and Jiapin Yunshi's product strategy and tiered management. Following the Hefei tour on May 17, this event attracted nearly a hundred distributor owners from across the country.
New DistributionBig KAs Fall, LKAs Stand Firm
The rise of new retail in China, whether warehouse clubs, hard discount, or instant retail, is diverting business from traditional retail and forcing supermarkets to reform. However, a fact often overlooked is that Pangdonglai, the most cited model for supermarket reform, is an LKA that opened in 1997. Moreover, Pangdonglai is not unique; many LKAs like Hebei Xinyu Lou, Northeast Beiyoute, and Xiamen Yuanchu have remained resilient by leveraging regional advantages.
张振宇“Incomprehensible” Business Being Reshaped by Post-90s Distributors
A post-70s distributor admitted, “I can't understand today's business,” reflecting a sense of awe at changing times. Increasingly, post-90s and even post-95s distributors are bringing digital thinking, internet perspectives, and youthful intuition to reshape the traditional FMCG distribution industry, leveraging data-driven decisions, proactive channel expansion, innovative team management, and a focus on creating hit products.
张雨薇“Eliminating Middlemen” Is Impossible!
The retail industry's narrative of 'de-intermediation' reached a climax on March 29 when Ye Guofu declared at Yonghui's 2025 supplier conference, 'Implement naked-price direct sourcing and eliminate all middlemen!' While change is certain and de-intermediation is a trend, completely removing middlemen is a false proposition. In many cases, middlemen perform indispensable functions, and it's impossible for all retailers to deal directly with manufacturers. The real shift is not eliminating middlemen but replacing traditional distributors with more efficient new forms, such as category operators.
任文青AndyA Million-Selling Hit Every 15 Minutes: First Batch of Dewu Merchants, Including Yili and Dove, See Rapid Growth
In the era of stock competition, the growth logic of online FMCG business is being reshaped. While most merchants find online business increasingly difficult, some are achieving doubled growth on Dewu, with food category active merchants up 450% year-on-year and GMV over one million merchants up 400%. Dewu's unique user structure and growth logic offer fast-moving consumer goods brands a high-certainty incremental growth path.
AsherNational Benchmark Distributor Deep Study Tour: Seventh Stop Hefei Laiyoupin Concludes Successfully
From May 16 to May 17, the seventh stop of the National Benchmark Distributor Deep Study Tour, held in Hefei at Laiyoupin, concluded successfully. The tour focused on topics such as cost-saving supermarket operations, product management, cooperation opportunities with Laiyoupin, circulation transformation and integrated production-supply-marketing, and strategies for distributors in existing markets. Over 60 distributor owners from across the country engaged in in-depth discussions with industry experts.
New DistributionFrom BiuTe to ZhenShiMei: A Retail-Savvy Distributor Representing 460+ Brands and Serving 1,000+ Supermarket Stores
In 2023, when we first approached brands under the name ZhenShiMei, some thought we were frauds. Today, when we meet those brands in various settings, they say, 'We didn't expect you to still be here; let's find an opportunity to cooperate well.' After initial difficulties, this company, founded less than two years ago, has entered a fast-growth track: its represented brands have grown from 80 to over 460, and it serves 51 chain supermarket systems with over 1,000 stores in total.
任文青Andy“Lost Over 700,000 in a Year, Yet I Still Want to Keep Selling Ice Cream”
Li Zhiguo, an ice cream and frozen food distributor from Hebei, has been in the industry for 34 years, losing over 700,000 yuan last year. Despite setbacks, he remains determined to continue, reflecting the resilience of many in the cold beverage industry.
不旧Professor Chen Liping: From Retail Revolution to Circulation Revolution, How Can China's Supermarket Industry Cross the Cycle?
China's supermarket industry has shown clear phased development over the past 30 years, with major changes every decade. Currently, the industry is undergoing a new round of transformation, which can be called the second revolution in the circulation field. To achieve cross-cycle development, enterprises must adapt to environmental changes and survive by being fit. The article discusses the current changes, the shift from retail to circulation revolution, and predictions for the next decade.
CCFA2025 Ice Cream Selection Guide: How Andros Becomes the Growth Code for Distributors
As summer approaches, competition in the ice cream market is heating up. With the wave of consumption upgrades, consumer demand for ice cream has evolved from simple refreshment to a pursuit of quality, taste, and social attributes. In this trend, GELATO is rapidly becoming the focus of foodservice ice cream selection. How to find high-repurchase, high-premium, and highly adaptable bestsellers in fierce market competition? Andros, a French fruit expert with a century-long history, provides full-chain growth solutions for B-end groups such as distributors.
New DistributionFirst Step of Supermarket Reform: 'Squeeze' Distributors, Second Step: 'Drive Crazy' Brand Owners?
At Yonghui Superstores' 2025 Global Supplier Conference, Ye Guofu proposed supply chain reform, explicitly eliminating intermediaries, which caused an uproar in the industry. Intermediaries are essentially distributors in the traditional distribution chain who handle logistics and advance funds. On the surface, only distributors seem affected, but historically, distributors have often acted as 'workers' for brand owners. As supermarket reforms proceed, upstream brand owners will inevitably face a new set of game rules.
汪海The Era of Integrated Production-Supply-Marketing: 80% of Distributors Will Be Eliminated!
China's FMCG distribution industry is undergoing a historic transformation. In an economic downturn, the positions of producers, distributors, and retailers are weakening, with distributors being the most vulnerable. However, distributors will not be completely eliminated. Long-term trends include retailers directly connecting with brands, discount stores and supermarkets building their own logistics, accelerated industry consolidation, and data capabilities replacing traditional relationship-based intermediation. Japan's experience shows that surviving distributors are either large, comprehensive players or small specialized ones, offering a model for Chinese distributors to adapt.
New DistributionMajor Price Cuts in the Beverage Industry!
Amid the wave of consumption stratification, China's beverage industry is undergoing a notable price 'earthquake.' Distributors in South and North China report that consumer spending has become more cautious, high-priced beverage sales have shrunk, and the overall price band has shifted downward, with mainstream products dropping from the 6-8 yuan range to 3-5 yuan or even lower.
田静