A question that I was recently asked is what are deduct from invoice fees with retailers? For dietary supplement products, what are deduct from invoice fees associated with doing business with Walmart, Target and club stores like Sam's, Coscto and Bjs; how about for grocery chains like Safeway or drug stores like Walgreens? To clarify [...]
A Quora question in retail distribution category that I was asked and my answer. Question: What do suppliers look for in their distribution partners? My answer: Here's how I evaluate distribution partners: 1. Reputation/history. Do they have a good reputation? Ask for referrals to other suppliers in your size range that you can contact for references. [...]
There is an active military presence in the metro-Denver area of Colorado, which includes relatively frequent fly-overs by F15's and F16's. Most of the time, they are not moving that fast and you hear the sound before they pass overhead. Sometimes, they are moving really fast, and once-in-a-while, they are flying very low and moving awfully fast. When [...]
A small Canadian-based CPG company I know has built a nice brand with their products, but have limited U.S. distribution. They have a number of key things going on that has them at a proverbial cross-roads, making it difficult for them to determine how to grow and which road to take. Sales from their main [...]
This is a question posted to Quora. My answer is as follows. The best metric I use to measure the effectiveness of a sampling initiative by a CPG brand is to look at sales over the following weeks of the sampling event to determine if the baseline for sales has increased and is sustained. For example, [...]
I came up with a new type of natural breath freshener that I want to introduce in the US. How do I find commercial retail CPG distribution for my natural breath freshener? This is a Quora question. My answer is as follows: I am assuming you are a new company with a new product. If so, [...]
I would like to know the process of getting a CPG product into retail stores like Walmart and Target. This is a Quora question. My answer is as follows: Here's the best way to get a product in if you are a new company or have never sold in retail before: Your product has prior sales [...]
Despite the explosive growth of online e-commerce and its widespread use for buying and selling products, selling products through retailers continues to be the most important mechanism for consumer product companies to earn revenue. The problem with a consumer product company selling at retail is that it is getting harder and harder to secure retail [...]
I have never found sales to be much art at all. It's all science and execution, not some black magic. Selling to retail category buyers comes down to a numbers game, where the more you do it, the more you can learn and refine, and eventually, you will succeed. You prepare, rehearse, execute, analyze, refine; [...]
Costco is considered a higher-end club retailer and vendors in the natural/organic/LOHAS category can sell to Costco. Small CPG vendors that do not have national advertising or a substantial brand name behind their product may still have the opportunity to get their product in Costco. That can happen through the Special Events program, also called the [...]
