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 4 of 194
Distributors Are Finding It Harder and Harder—At Least Half Are Driven by Anxiety
At the 11th CFC Conference in Chengdu from March 16-18, attendance surpassed 3,500, but the author felt deeply uneasy. A distributor, Gao Jingjing, expressed that dealers in her circle are universally anxious, constantly chasing new models and making hasty changes, leading to losses and more anxiety. The author reflects on the industry's role in amplifying this anxiety and urges dealers to calm down, think clearly, and consider a second battlefield in asset management.
陈思廷Hangzhou Debut! 2026 CHINASHOP Reshapes Retail Innovation with 'Service Quality Enhancement'
2026 marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, signaling the end of the era where distributors and retailers could rely on scale expansion for easy wins, making deep competition in the existing market a required course. The core contradiction is that consumer demands have changed—have our services kept up? From April 15-17, 2026, the 26th China Retail Industry Expo (2026 CHINASHOP) will debut in Hangzhou, themed 'Service Quality Enhancement,' responding to the industry's shift from 'transaction-driven' to 'experience-driven'.
New DistributionGenki Forest's Young Product Innovation Laboratory
Genki Forest gives young product managers a public testing stage, a pilot factory, and an agile R&D system so that more small ideas can become testable products before the market decides their future.
New DistributionManufacturers Want Scale, Distributors Want Profit: This Game Needs a New Strategy
A beverage distributor complains that tasks increase yearly while profits shrink, making the business unsustainable. Manufacturers set ever-higher sales targets, pressuring distributors to stock up, often leading to losses. Distributors must adapt by setting bottom lines, negotiating for support, identifying growth sources, and refining terminal operations to survive the manufacturer-distributor game.
金名Why ViVi Is Taking Soy Milk Into China's Foodservice Channel
ViVi is moving from powdered breakfast soy milk toward ready-to-drink products designed for breakfast, spicy dining, banquets, and restaurant operations, supported by a new distributor service model.
New DistributionMajor Release | "Next-Generation Distributor White Paper - China FMCG Distribution Insights 2026"
At the China FMCG Distribution and Retail Conference held on March 18, 2026, during the CFC Conference in Chengdu, New Distribution's chief editor Zhou Qun released the "Next-Generation Distributor White Paper - China FMCG Distribution Insights 2026." The white paper argues that the industry is not merely facing a stagnant market but an era of oversupply, where traditional distribution logic is failing, and the next generation of distributors must shift from scale-driven to quality-driven operations, from single-channel distribution to multi-channel layered management, and from being transaction intermediaries to becoming operationally capable matching intermediaries.
周群More Beverages Sold, Less Money Earned: Some Distributors Begin to Recalculate a 'Non-Mainstream Category'
A beverage distributor with ten years of experience described this year's business as 'selling more goods but earning less money.' As promotions pile up, profits thin out, prompting more distributors to reconsider their product mix. In this context, some are turning to non-mainstream categories like areca nut, with new-style products such as Bingqi gaining attention for their longer shelf life and higher margins.
AmyMajor Release | Instant Retail Lightning Warehouse Supply Chain (Distributor) Map
At the CFC Conference held in Chengdu from March 16-18, 2026, the Second Instant Retail Supply Summit Forum took place on March 17. During the forum, Yuan Lai, Chief Content Officer of New Distribution, released the "2025-2026 Instant Retail Lightning Warehouse Supply Chain Partner Map." This year's forum focused on answering who should provide controllable supply, and the map categorizes distributors into four types based on coverage and assortment logic.
袁来Dealer Breakthrough: First Adjust Structure, Then Strengthen Organization, Then Calculate Compensation
A dealer asked why he couldn't meet the manufacturer's targets despite his efforts. The article outlines three steps for market breakthrough: adjusting product structure, channel structure, and combining organization, execution, and compensation.
高级研究员 海游From Pioneer to Leader: Damowang Opens a New Track of Rich-Flavor Snacks with Sesame Sauce Konjac Tripe
At the 2026 Chengdu Sugar Fair, a stark contrast was observed: industry-wide anxiety over slow sales, high inventory, and price chaos versus the bustling booth of Yanjin Shop's Damowang, where distributors crowded to inquire and order. Frost & Sullivan's latest certification shows Damowang's Sesame Sauce Konjac Tripe has been the national sales leader for three consecutive years, proving it as a truly reliable product in a market flooded with options.
任文青AndyDistributors, Stop Being 'Movers'!
A trading company owner shared on social media: 'First principles is a super method to see through phenomena to the essence! Ask what the fundamental question is, then think about what to do. In any field, stage, or environment, when feeling lost, set aside appearances, penetrate the essence, and get to the core of the problem.' In recent years, business has been tough, and many distributors are feeling lost and anxious, making mistakes in judgment and operations. It's necessary to share six daily operational issues that need to be solved with 'first principles.' The first principle of sell-through is consumer operations.
高级研究员 海游Direct Hit at the Spring Sugar Fair! Dali Strongly Leads, Full-Category Upgrade Anchors New Industry Direction
In the channel, a change in 'product selection' is underway. Distributors are shifting from 'stocking more' to 'selecting better products'; consumers in stores repeatedly check ingredient lists, making more rational decisions; in special channels like schools, 'high-oil, high-salt, high-fat' products are explicitly restricted. These dual changes in channels and consumption are reshaping product entry barriers. Clearly, products with health attributes, clear selling points, and defined consumption scenarios are becoming the new 'passport.' As the Chengdu Spring Sugar Fair approaches, a new product cycle is unfolding. As a leading domestic food company, Dali Foods is participating in this spring fair, launching over 60 new products across core categories.
田静Zhao Bo of New Distribution: The Crisis and Opportunity for FMCG Practitioners in the AI Wave
As generative AI sweeps across industries, the FMCG sector—a traditional field deeply tied to human interaction and billions of consumer needs—is undergoing structural changes. From category decisions at retail stores to supply chain coordination, AI has penetrated every link of the industry chain. The question for every FMCG professional is no longer 'Will AI affect us?' but 'How do we stay firm in this transformation?'
赵波New Distribution's Ren Wenqing: The Old Distribution System Fails in an Era of Oversupply!
At the 11th China FMCG Conference held in Chengdu from March 16-18, 2026, Ren Wenqing, CEO of New Distribution, delivered a keynote speech titled '2026 New Distribution Annual Insight: From Linear Distribution to Supply-Demand Matching System.' This article summarizes the core of his speech, which argues that the FMCG industry is shifting from a linear distribution model to a supply-demand matching system, driven by the need to address oversupply and changing consumer behaviors.
任文青AndyIs There an Opportunity for FMCG Distributors to Go Global?
After 2025, the Chinese FMCG market is characterized by extreme squeeze and zero-sum competition. Distributors face shrinking margins and must explore overseas opportunities. While many attempts fail due to capability mismatches, there are real opportunities for those who transform into supply chain service providers, leveraging China's expertise in fragmented markets and digital distribution.
戚特200,000 Cases in Six Months: The Relaxed Player 'Bouncing to Dai Disco' at the Sugar & Wine Fair: What Makes Yunnuoshan Stand Out?
The old growth drivers of China's beverage industry—channel inventory pushing, flavoring with artificial essences, and price-war involution—have reached their end. Distributors are undergoing role reconstruction, and consumers' 'ingredient awakening' is intensifying. At this crossroads of old and new momentum, Yunnuoshan has chosen a harder but correct path: rooting downward and growing upward, building a brand grounded in core production areas and industrial depth, striving to become the 'Noah's Ark' of the next generation of beverages.
YvonneNew Distribution's Zhao Bo: How the FMCG Industry Should Embrace Change in the AI Era
In this speech, Zhao Bo from New Distribution argues that FMCG is one of the first industries where AI will see large-scale implementation and tangible results. He outlines how AI is reshaping consumer decision-making, brand-channel connections, and internal business operations, and provides a three-stage roadmap for companies to adopt AI, emphasizing the importance of starting with real problems and preserving human insight.
赵波Thin Margins, High Inventory, Strict Compliance? On March 15, the Dealer Annual Training Course Arrives
Dealers are facing tough times: shrinking profits, mounting inventory, and stricter tax compliance. To help dealers navigate these challenges, we are hosting a special pre-event training course during the CFC China FMCG Conference, featuring three experts who will provide practical solutions on profit improvement, compliance, and business model transformation.
New DistributionThe Times Have Changed: The 30-Year B-End Path Has Completely Failed—How to Successfully Build a C-End Command Center?
Over the past three decades, the Chinese FMCG industry has had only one winning logic: mastering the B-end. As long as channel penetration was deep enough and the distributor team strong enough to continuously push products onto terminal shelves, you could win. This push-based approach dominated the thinking of a generation of marketers. However, in the last two years, the consensus is that this playbook has completely failed. Increasing rebates and issuing hard sales targets to push products has resulted in goods sitting stagnant at terminals like dead water. Why? Because the underlying commercial soil has fundamentally changed. We built a vast B-end empire in an era of shortage and incremental growth, but now we are lost in an era of severe oversupply and stock-driven markets.
陈思廷FMCG Distributors' Guide to 'Raising a Lobster': First Understand What It Is, Then Decide How to Use It
Recently, a phrase has been trending in social circles: 'Have you raised a lobster?' This 'lobster' refers not to the culinary delicacy but to OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent that has suddenly gained popularity. Its icon resembles a red lobster, so the process of installing, deploying, and fine-tuning OpenClaw is vividly called 'raising a lobster.' Its rise to fame isn't just for fun; it represents something more significant: AI is moving from 'conversation' to 'taking action for you.' This is something distributors should take seriously, as the FMCG industry is ripe for such transformation.
New DistributionThis Time, We Have the Path Ready for Beer Distributors to Break Through
This is the common situation we face today: industry volume shrinkage is an indisputable fact. But if you ask frontline beer distributors, they will likely tell you that the word 'shrinkage' cannot describe their feeling—it's a suffocating sense of being attacked from both sides. Upstream giants demand profits, squeezing margins and increasing inventory; downstream restaurant terminals demand fees, requiring advances for store purchases, promotions, and displays. Payment cycles are lengthening, cash is tied up in goods, and cash flow is at risk. The solution lies in opening a 'second battlefield'—using multi-category symbiosis to counter single-category competition, with beer as the core and complementary products like soda water to enhance the scene.
陈思廷The Impact of Instant Retail: Who Will Become Relics on the Beach?
The wave has arrived: this is not a choice, but a matter of survival. In 2025, China's instant retail market will exceed 2.5 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of over 35%. Instant retail is no longer a simple channel supplement, but a profound channel revolution. Data doesn't lie: in first-tier cities, instant retail already accounts for 18% of FMCG retail sales; in second- and third-tier cities, this figure is climbing at a rate of 5 percentage points per year. Coca-Cola's flash warehouse model, P&G's front-warehouse experiments, Unilever's instant supply chain restructuring—brand giants are exploring and acting.
陈思廷The First Positioning Battle After the 2026 Spring Festival: Lay's 'Spring Harvest' Returns, Giving Channels a Firm Grip
This year's Spring Festival came late, leaving the market with almost no buffer before hitting the spring season. For frontline distributors and retailers, this means the pace has shifted forward—festive atmosphere just fades, and shelf structures need to be readjusted. Time is tight, and tasks are heavy. At this critical juncture, channels fear 'trial and error' the most. A snack distributor in East China said bluntly: 'Our requirement for new products is simple—no gimmicks, just guaranteed sell-through.' The consumer shift is equally rapid. After the holiday, consumption quickly returns to daily scenarios: office, home restocking, spring outings, etc.
冯瑶A Letter to Distributors: The Second Half Is Not About Who Earns More, but Who Holds the Line
History does not simply repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Over the past three decades, China's FMCG distributors have enjoyed the most magnificent economic growth dividends in the world. As the water rises, all boats float high; as long as you were bold enough, dared to leverage, and dared to expand warehouses and buy fleets, the elevator of the times naturally carried personal wealth to new heights. That was an era of one-way upward movement, of 'going long on China and expanding circulation.' However, when the elevator stops, or even begins to descend, we must cool down from the frenzy of expansion. Today, we stand at a turning point of a grand cycle. For...
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