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
4620 articles · Page 35 of 193
Instant Noodle Market Grows Strongly, Distributors Should Not Miss This 10-Billion-Yuan National Brand
Despite the rapid development of prepared dishes, the instant noodle market continues to grow strongly, with the industry's sales revenue exceeding 65 billion yuan in 2022. Baixiang, a leading national brand with 26 years of history, stands out by offering a diverse product matrix, high-quality products, and strong distributor support, making it an ideal partner for distributors seeking growth.
青山依旧Guangping Wine Reignites New Battles
After the pandemic, mass-market baijiu consumption focuses more on high cost-performance and a more comfortable drinking experience. The guangping wine industry, having secured its place in the hundred-billion-yuan track, is now expanding toward a 150 billion yuan market capacity. 'Upgrading' has become the keyword for many guangping wine brands this year.
小禅First-tier brands are not profitable, what should distributors do next?
2022 was the most severe year of the pandemic, with travel and offline activities greatly restricted. Despite this, I visited dozens of distributors of various sizes and had in-depth exchanges with them. One insight I gained is that the ancient industry of commercial distribution is accelerating its transformation. But as the saying goes, 'the fish doesn't know it's in water,' most distributors are unaware of this change. This article shares my observations on how distributors can navigate the shift from serving brands to serving customers, and the importance of becoming scarce resources themselves.
任文青AndyDistributor Business Positioning Deviation: How to Position Their Business Behavior?
In the FMCG supply chain, direct sales and distribution models coexist, with the key difference being whether the target customer is the ultimate value recipient. Many distributors mistakenly manage their sales teams using direct sales methods, leading to issues like uncontrolled returns and deteriorating terminal relationships. To address this, distributors should clarify business behavior, strengthen sell-through thinking, optimize distribution practices, and adjust management approaches toward distribution.
涂超County Town Ice Cream Wholesalers Can't Win Over Young People
A county town dealer recently told Li Qinglin he wanted to stock Chicecream. Li asked three times to confirm, and the dealer insisted that despite being in a county, consumers there are wealthy and willing to spend, and Chicecream sells well. This reminds Li of last summer when a county ice cream second-tier wholesaler couldn't get trendy internet-famous ice cream for her customers, and a friend in a county-level city sought high-end brands but found the market challenging. The article discusses the gap between brands and dealers in lower-tier markets, the resilience of county consumption, and how brands like Mulunhe and Yili have successfully penetrated these markets.
全食在线Distributors: Alas, I'm Planning to Give Up on Top-Tier Brands!
During a market visit, a top local daily chemical distributor, Li Hua (pseudonym), revealed his intention to drop Unilever's agency despite 15 years of partnership, citing that the 10% gross margin can no longer cover rising operational costs. The article explores what distributors truly need at different stages and what value brand owners can offer to build lasting partnerships.
AsherWhen Systems Cannot Keep Up with Change, FMCG Needs a “Living” Digital System
FMCG digital systems must balance standardized management with the flexibility of front-line sales. Modular components, visual workflow design, and low-code extension can help the system evolve with the business.
New DistributionHow Can Distributors Profit from the Lower-Tier Market of 1 Billion Consumers?
Many well-known brands are expanding into lower-tier markets to achieve new growth, while distributors face channel expansion demands. On February 20, several guests shared insights on how distributors should respond, focusing on cost challenges and role division between brands and distributors.
New DistributionBrand Owners' Development Bottleneck: More Management, Less Empowerment for Distributors
The three-year pandemic served as a thorough health check for all FMCG manufacturers, exposing issues that have become increasingly apparent after the lifting of restrictions. This article discusses the significance, methods, and approaches of brand owners empowering their distributors, moving beyond the outdated habit of 'more management, less empowerment' from the demographic dividend era.
高级研究员 海游Breaking Through the Pass: How a Liquor Distributor Went Directly into the Bar Business Over Three Years
By following visible trends with down-to-earth execution, the market naturally responds. In 2013, a viral Weibo post about an incident at Chengdu's Jiuyanqiao bar street marked the start of the city's rise as a nightlife hotspot. Three years ago, the party stopped, and now bar owners face empty venues. One liquor distributor, Chen Zhi, decided to open community bars directly, launching 10 profitable stores in a year, with an average payback period of six months.
林贻佳Is There Still a Dividend for Distributors?
Data broadens distributors' understanding of their business, shifting focus from operations to strategic thinking. The next dividend for distributors lies in data, which helps them find growth opportunities and improve efficiency.
周群A Traditional Distributor Discovers a 'New Gold Mine,' Sales Grow by 20 Million in 2022!
In 2022, despite the challenges of the pandemic, Chen Yongle, founder of Changle Hongcheng Trading Co., Ltd., achieved over 100 million yuan in sales by focusing on 'heart-centered' business, developing new channels like associations and rural banquets, and driving sales of a long-dormant product.
田静The Rise of White Labels: Awakening of Channel Partners in China's FMCG Sector
The rise of white labels signifies the emergence of channel brand power, a redefinition of manufacturer-channel relationships, and an awakening of channel partners' business consciousness. This trend is driven by both demand-side factors like consumer preference for value-for-money products and supply-side factors such as the shift of commercial profits from manufacturers to channels.
刘春雄After All the Twists and Turns, Distributors Are the Real Moat for Channels
This article discusses how brands of different sizes can build a moat through offline distributors. It argues that after the exhaustion of online traffic and rising costs, offline distributors have become the fundamental base for FMCG brands, and provides strategies for top-tier, second-tier, and new consumer brands to empower, operate, and select distributors respectively.
袁来The Growing Tensions Between Major Brands and Distributors: Where Does the Problem Lie?
Cooperation leads to win-win outcomes, and maintaining common interests requires joint efforts from both sides. This article explores the escalating conflicts between major brands and distributors, analyzing the root causes and offering practical solutions to alleviate tensions.
赵胜男New Opportunities for Distributors and Retailers: Going White-Label Instead of Branded
Whoever creates consumer awareness gets the brand premium. Profits come from higher sales volume or higher premiums. When growth peaks, premium capability becomes the core of business. Brand premiums belong to manufacturers (brand owners), while white-label premiums belong to distributors or retailers. Going white-label instead of branded reflects a new game between manufacturers (brand owners) and merchants. Business ideas have positions. 'Going white-label instead of branded' is a business view applicable to distributors and retailers, not manufacturers (brand owners). White-label vs. generic brands: when discussing white-label, some might say it's just generic brands!
刘春雄Stabilize the 2023 Foundation: A Practical Guide for Distributors After the New Year
After the Lantern Festival, distributor teams should refocus and avoid falling back into old habits. This article provides practical steps for stabilizing this year's business foundation, including strengthening relationships with key customers, reviewing sales data, and coordinating with brand personnel on cooperation formats for key outlets.
高级研究员 海游Terminal as Media: Scenes Build Brands
Scenes include consumption scenes, operation scenes, and transaction scenes (terminal scenes). The core logic of this article: first, terminals create scenes, and scenes create demand; then, scene experience, scene connection, and scene triggering; finally, scenes build brands. Creating scenes around terminals becomes the soul of 'terminal as media.' This article references McLuhan's 'Understanding Media' and Mr. Kong Shou's 'Vivid Copywriting,' with special thanks!
刘春雄Why B2B Operations Are the Future for Large FMCG Distributors
After a decade of market education, Chinese FMCG B2B has entered a more mature phase. Distributors with sufficient scale can use digital ordering, operations, warehousing, and delivery to become regional supply-chain platforms.
New DistributionIn 2023, Dealers Should Make Improving the Speed of Making Money Their Top Priority
Dealers need to improve their capabilities, but more importantly, they need to improve their speed. In 2023, dealers should make improving the speed of making money their top priority. This article explains how to do this through three concepts: return on investment, turnover rate, and operating cycle.
任文青AndyWithout Adding a Single Employee, How Did This Distributor's Sales Surge 60% in 2022?
Distributors must excel in two strategic choices: 'path selection' and 'digital operations.' This article introduces the experience of Beijing Guoyingjian, a distributor that achieved a 60% sales increase in 2022 despite market challenges, by focusing on brand operation and digital transformation.
陈思廷Which Types of Distributors Will Win in the Next 5 Years?
The future performance of distributors depends on the boss's depth, height, and strength. This article explores these three dimensions, emphasizing deep thinking, strategic vision, and leveraging teams to seize opportunities.
任文青AndyPost-Pandemic Era: Manufacturers Should Accelerate the Creation of Four Types of Consumption Scenarios
Channels most affected by the pandemic are rebounding the strongest and offer the greatest growth potential. After three years of the pandemic, both macro-economic aggregates and micro-industrial structures have undergone dramatic changes, and FMCG channel dynamics are now influenced by non-market factors.
高级研究员 海游Distributors in 2023: Focus on Profit, Not Sales Volume
In 1998, marketing expert Jin Huanmin proposed 'Don't focus on brand, focus on sales volume,' which was well-received. Now, a new viewpoint is proposed: 'Don't focus on sales volume, focus on profit.' With profit, sales volume becomes easier. Sales volume and profit are mutually causal. This article argues that in the current low-growth era, distributors should shift from a sales-volume-centric approach to a profit-centric one, exploring new paths such as high-end products, white-label products, and a 2C organization.
刘春雄