It’s hard to imagine a CPG supply chain without distributors. They’re necessary cogs in the CPG machine, issuing POs and putting more SKUs on more shelves than a brand ever could on its own. It’s undeniable that distributors help a brand scale—quickly.
But the brand-distributor relationship can be a complex one to navigate. The power often tilts in the direction of the distributor, who issues POs based on factors like bulk order promotions or in-house forecasts. Brands, on the other hand, often do whatever it takes to fill the orders and preserve their relationship with their distributors—even if that means sacrificing their margins.
As a brand, what can you do to balance out this relationship?
It all lies in how you invest in, and use, data and automation. Here’s what we cover in our newest report, Evening the Scales of the Brand-Distributor Relationship:
- How granularity can power more accurate forecasts
- The importance of collaborative visibility and how to create it
- How automation and AI can put you in the driver’s seat with your distributor
- How the right software can reduce stockouts, improve margins, and more
Learn to leverage your data, make your case, and put the control firmly back in your corner. Master the brand-distributor relationship and watch the benefits affect your whole business.
