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 16 of 194
Snack Food Distributor: 57 Employees, 200 Million in Annual Sales, Small Goal to Become Hefei's No.1 Snack Food Brand Operator
The distributor business is not complicated; it essentially acts as an intermediary, passing goods from upstream to downstream. However, despite the unchanged underlying model, operational difficulty has multiplied due to lower margins, declining per-store sales, rising costs, new channel impacts, and bare procurement by supermarkets. Snack food distributors face additional pressure from the rapid expansion of snack stores with discounts like 8.8折, 8.5折, even 5.5折. This article shares the case of Hefei Baili Food, which achieved 200 million yuan in sales with only 57 employees, aiming to become Hefei's No.1 snack food brand operator.
周群Under the Supermarket 'Bare Price Direct Sourcing' Storm, What Should the Cut-Off Distributors Do?
In March, Yonghui Supermarket's acting CEO Ye Guofu announced a 'bare price direct sourcing' strategy, eliminating intermediaries, which has shocked FMCG distributors. This move, along with the rise of private labels, is forcing traditional distributors to transform or face elimination.
关关1 Yuan Ice Cream Bars Make a Comeback in 2025?
As the ice cream industry shifts toward value-for-money, 1 yuan ice cream bars are regaining popularity among distributors and consumers, especially in lower-tier markets and specific scenarios like schools and community stores.
不旧Distributors Need to Fully Tap into Localized Markets
In August 2024, a New Distribution industry report showed that over half of distributors experienced declining sales. However, in the first two months after the Chinese New Year, visits to over twenty top regional distributors revealed that despite difficulties, their business remained stable or grew, albeit with lower profits. Their common trait was full-channel coverage in localized markets, especially in non-first-tier cities.
周群Scaling Down and Cutting SKUs: Beverage Distributors Seek Stability in 2025
In 2025, the beverage industry is undergoing a quiet transformation as distributors shift from expansion to contraction, focusing on core SKUs and cost efficiency. Facing squeezed profits and high inventory pressure, many are cutting SKUs, deepening regional focus, and evolving into service providers to survive and thrive.
饮品营销B2b Transformation: The Pitfalls and the Paths
In recent years, transforming to B2b has become a hot topic, mainly because many distributors face increasing challenges in their operations, forcing them to reassess and adjust their business models. These challenges include shrinking supermarket channels, the impact of new retail formats, high returns with low profits, difficult payment collections, sluggish growth, and inventory backlog, all of which are pushing distributors to transform. B2b offers a relatively clear and structured path, drawing widespread attention. On March 19, 2025, at the 10th China FMCG Innovation Conference and the 4th China FMCG Distributor Conference hosted by New Distribution, Mr. Liu Peng, Dean of the Business School of Chengdu Laiken Information Technology Co., Ltd. and Deputy General Manager of Operations at Chengdu Qilian Technology Co., Ltd., delivered a keynote speech titled "B2b Transformation: The Pitfalls and the Paths," which resonated deeply with many manufacturers and distributors present, sparking lively discussion. New Distribution is pleased to share the highlights of his speech with our readers.
刘朋Spending Billions in 4 Years! This B2b Incubator Reveals the Real Path for Distributor Transformation...
In early March, Tongfu Shared Platform released regional agency rights nationwide, with 616 city partners joining in that month alone. With 700 manufacturers, 1,500 traditional distributors transformed digitally, and over 50,000 terminal stores becoming community service centers, a county-level commercial revolution is quietly sweeping the country.
田静Spring Sugar Fair Concludes Successfully, Jinsha Distillery Amplifies Presence with 'Exhibition + City + Conference' Strategy
The 112th National Sugar and Wine Fair and 2025 Spring Sugar Season concluded successfully in Chengdu on March 27. As the chief partner, Jinsha Distillery impressed the industry and market with its 'Strive Upstream' brand narrative, delivering a multidimensional event covering product experience, cultural interaction, and industry dialogue, celebrating the upstream genes of the Chishui River and declaring its commitment to the industry's future.
金沙酒业The Channel Evolution of a 137-Year-Old Brand: How Lee Kum Kee and Its Distributors Navigate Cycles Together
How does a condiment brand that has spanned three centuries and 137 years of history face the new era? At the 10th China FMCG Conference, Ms. Zhang Yaping, Vice President of Lee Kum Kee Sauce Group China and Head of New Retail Operations Center, delivered a keynote titled "Thinking of Others, Winning with 'Lee' – Manufacturer-Distributor Collaboration for Shared Value." The presentation was divided into three parts: Redefining Distributor Value: From Channel Movers to Value Creators; How Distributors Develop Amid Retail Channel Transformation; and A New Paradigm of Manufacturer-Distributor Symbiosis: From Transactions to Co-creation.
张亚苹From Distributor to Category Operations Service Provider
The core value of intermediaries will no longer be limited to the physical transfer of goods, but will evolve into a hub for value exchange in the digital world. At the 10th China FMCG Innovation Conference held in Chengdu from March 17 to 19, Chen Yixin, founder of Haocheng Pet, delivered a keynote speech on this transformation, sharing insights on how distributors can evolve into category operations service providers.
陈一鑫When Bottled Water Enters the Era of Grading, Why Has Kunlun Mountain Mineral Water Become the First Choice for Healthy Drinking?
A distributor in East China lamented, 'Selling water is a good business, but choosing the right water is the real skill!' This reflects the current dilemma in the bottled water market. Consumers are often confused about the differences between 'natural water,' 'purified water,' and 'mineral water,' while distributors struggle to find differentiation. Kunlun Mountain Mineral Water, with its high-altitude golden water source, has gained industry recognition and become a benchmark case for high-quality water interpretation on 'People's Lounge.' This article analyzes how Kunlun Mountain Mineral Water solves the dual dilemma for consumers and distributors through scientific standards, scenario marketing, and long-termism.
张雨薇Is Deep Distribution Dead? Who Will Save Millions of FMCG Distributors?
Deep distribution, once the golden strategy of the FMCG industry, is now facing an unprecedented survival crisis as market growth slows and store closures surge. However, an innovative solution called 'Spark of Thought' is leveraging data and AI to help distributors achieve growth and navigate the new market landscape.
墨廷AI in Action: How Distributors Can Achieve 3x Growth
At the 10th China FMCG Innovation Conference, Pan Kun, General Manager of Zhoupudata's Digital Intelligence Division, shared insights on how distributors can integrate AI with their operations to drive growth. He highlighted the challenges distributors face, such as 'intelligent anxiety,' and presented practical solutions like intelligent store expansion, new product distribution, and cost control, all supported by AI tools.
潘坤Digital Empowerment, Reconstructing People-Goods-Places: Rebuilding Deep Distribution
At the 10th China FMCG Innovation Conference, Gao Bo, CFO of C&S Paper, delivered a keynote on how digital tools can rebuild deep distribution. He identified three reasons why deep distribution is struggling in 2024—slowing retail growth, high store closure rates, and product abundance—and proposed solutions: selecting the right stores using AI models, choosing the right product categories, and targeting specific consumer segments.
高波Ren Wenqing of New Distribution: The 'Label Dividend' of Hard Discounts Is Gone
On March 18, 2025, the 4th China FMCG Hard Discount Conference was held in Chengdu, where Ren Wenqing, CEO of New Distribution, delivered a keynote speech. This article is based on that speech. In the past six months, several events in the discount retail sector have drawn attention, including Three Squirrels acquiring two discount retail companies, leading snack chains launching 'money-saving supermarkets,' and Hema NB opening over 200 stores in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. These events signal that discount retail has moved beyond its early stage, with mainstream players finding their paths and more entering the field. Ren shares seven viewpoints, emphasizing that the 'label dividend' of hard discounts is over, urging a return to market logic, and highlighting the ongoing reconstruction of FMCG distribution order.
任文青AndyNew Distributors Shape a New Order in FMCG Distribution
The theme of this conference is 'New Order, Symbiosis.' In the FMCG distribution chain, brand owners and distributors are the most critical links. Today, they face a severe challenge: in an era of shrinking volumes, can traditional joint business plans still work? In the past, leading brand owners typically set growth targets and guided distributors to build capabilities, but as growth becomes harder, the old order may collapse, requiring a shift from a planned economy to a market economy, with both sides achieving symbiosis through data-driven channel services.
周震Lemon Tea 2.0 Era: How Youyi C Stands Out with a Probiotic Lemon Tea?
From 'one sip of lemon tea, refreshing to the max' to 'zero-sugar warrior', the shift in internet buzzwords reflects changing preferences among young consumers regarding beverage ingredients. However, as sugar is essential to 'happy water', merely controlling sugar is no longer sufficient. New Distribution interviewed numerous distributors after the New Year, summarizing star products in 2024, and found that emerging beverage new products focus more on taste, packaging design, and health trends. At the peak of brand launches in March-April this year, the author noticed that Youyi C's new product...
冯瑶In the Digital Intelligence Era, Where Does Distributors' 'Money' Come From?
In January this year, DeepSeek's phenomenal popularity ignited a nationwide AI craze, making intelligent assistants a new standard in children's schoolbags. This phenomenon has made us realize that the wave of digital intelligence has arrived and is unstoppable. For FMCG distributors, this transformation is not just about upgrading technological tools but a comprehensive reconstruction of their way of survival. In the context of the digital intelligence era, distributors are asking: where does 'money' come from?
关翔宇Industry News | First China FMCG 'Golden Cypress Award · Distributor Award' Winners Announced!
On February 13, 2025, New Distribution officially announced the first China FMCG 'Golden Cypress Award' selection. The awards include three major honors: Supply Chain Service Provider, Digital Service Provider, and Distributor. The winners were revealed at the 10th China FMCG Innovation Conference and related events held from March 17 to 19, 2025. Among them, 12 companies won the Distributor Award.
New Distribution重磅 I 首届中国快消“金柏奖·数字化服务商奖”获奖企业名单发布！
On February 13, 2025, New Distribution officially announced the first China FMCG 'Golden Cypress Award' selection. The awards include three major honors: Supply Chain Service Provider, Digital Service Provider, and Distributor. The winners were unveiled at the 10th China FMCG Innovation Conference and the 4th China FMCG Hard Discount Conference & 4th China FMCG Distributor Conference, held from March 17 to 19, 2025. Among them, 12 companies won the 'Golden Cypress Award · Digital Service Provider'.
New Distribution“Where There Are Scenes, There Is Sales”: Mingren Soda Water “Sows Seeds” at the Spring Sugar Fair
At the 112th Spring Sugar and Wine Fair in Chengdu, Mingren Soda Water became a focal point for its scene marketing strategy, particularly the “Drink Mingren before and after alcohol” campaign. By integrating with the baijiu (white liquor) scene, Mingren has achieved significant growth, demonstrating that scene marketing is a key path for FMCG brands in the era of stock market competition.
墨廷The Retail Market Is Indeed Changing, but Full Discounting Is a Simplistic Misreading
In recent years, wholesale supermarkets have sprung up like mushrooms, and the term 'hard discount' has evolved from a 'foreign import' and a 'retail model' into a widely adopted concept, becoming a deeply ingrained 'trend' where everything seems to be hard discountable. Some even argue that the market will move toward full discounting. Consequently, traditional retailers are considering whether to enter the discount store business, while brand owners worry about the future of distribution channels and whether small brands will become OEMs for discount channels. This article aims to clarify the ongoing changes in the retail market to help stakeholders better anticipate and prepare for future shifts.
戚特New Distribution Yuan Lai: Distributors' Business Will Not Be Eliminated!
On March 17, the 10th China FMCG Innovation Conference opened in Chengdu. On March 19, at the 4th China FMCG Distributor Conference, Yuan Lai, Chief Content Officer of New Distribution, released the exclusive industry insight "Urban Commercial Circulation Business Development Model 2.0". The following are key points from the speech: At this time last year, I released the "Urban Commercial Circulation Business Development Model" at the conference. This year is version 2.0 of the model. Compared to 1.0, it more comprehensively and systematically elaborates on the development direction of distributors' businesses. To clarify...
袁来Zhao Bo of New Distribution: The Evolution of Order in the FMCG Industry from a Consumer Perspective
Zhao Bo, founder of New Distribution, discusses the evolution of the FMCG industry order from a consumer perspective, highlighting the shift from scarcity to abundance to experience economy, and the need for new quality supply to meet changing consumer demands.
赵波