Why cant I sell directly to a large broadline Foodservice Distributor?
The main focus of Foodservice Distributors is on efficiency in their logistics. They are designed to receive, store and move the maximum amount of product to the proper places for the least cost. They are not set up to build sales for new products. You and your agents must do that. To maintain this efficiency, Foodservice Distributors typically require a minimum turn rate for products that they handle. This is usually at least five cases per SKU per week for each warehouse. For a major Distributor this could mean 350 cases per week nationwide. Most new products cant guarantee that level of movement. In addition, the cost and wear & tear of traveling to each Distributor’s warehouse to obtain approval and to build sales that meet their requirements, are often too much for a new vendor to handle in a timely manner.
