Retail Distribution - how it works

The retail trade, the store makes the decision on which "brands" or products to carry in it's stores. This Brand decision is made at the specific SKU (stock keeping unit) level. Retailers constantly make store by store changes in the flavors, the colors and the sizes of products they carry based on sales volume.

Balance inventory with consumer demand

Retailers as consumer focused businesses need to satisfy all of their customers' needs. They hate to miss a sale. Retailers want consumers in their stores to be able to find and but all their favorite products.  However, like every commercial enterprise to stay in business retailer  must be concerned with productivity and efficiency. Retailers measure efficiency in sales dollars per linear foot of shelf space. 

Stores use computer programs with scanner data to compare product units sold per month with shelf space used. If a given Brand product (SKU- stock keeping unit) drops below a certain dollar per linear foot of shelf space threshold it is "discontinued".  That particular product (SKU) loses retail distribution. 

Some store chains make this distribution decision across their entire chain. It is often an "all or nothing" proposition; all the stores in a chain carry the product or none carry it.  Others retailers have geographic zones and only drop the product from stores in a certain geographic area.

If shelf space is "Brand housing" - who has trouble paying the rent?

Any Brand or product with retail distribution problems generally falls into one of the following categories. 

It is a "Mature" brand - an older brand or product not as popular as it once was 

It is a New brand or new product being rolled out

It is a Regional brand- it sold only in certain parts of the country

Seasonal brands - or a seasonal product 

It is an odd size, a good example are Food Service sizes these are the big sizes used by restaurants and cafeterias

BrandFinder provides information and marketing services to Brand Marketers. These marketing efforts are designed to get specific local retailers to carry the  favorite Brands of specific consumers. 

How BrandFinder targeted email helps a retailer sell more from the same shelf space.

A local retailer can "carry" and sell a consumer's favorite brand without committing valuable shelf space for a product which is infrequently purchased. To get a retailer to carry a product a Brand marketer can guarantee the retailer the product sell through to consumers.  BrandFinder insures this guaranteed sell through by sending timely, personalized email communication to consumers instructing them to go to a specific retail store and asking at a specific location inside the store for their favorite Brand.