For a supplier to be self-aware, it's key to know the mindset of your distributor.

As a winery, brewery, or distillery, it’s very important to know what your distributor’s business is, and what is going on in your distributor’s head.

The Distribution Business…

Distributors are in the case movement business, delivery business, logistics business, and sales personnel business. More of their effort goes into running operations, instead of learning about the wine, beer, or spirits business.

There is one simple way in which distributors make money - case movement versus speed, and dollars on each case.

It's super important for wineries, distillers, and breweries to understand that. There are 500 products, and they're going to see it as 500 different boxes when they walk the warehouse floor - and they are going to evaluate each month as to what is faster moving and what is the dollar contribution of that box.

What’s in the truck weekly are the products they like. What’s selling at retail are the products they like.

Another thing to take note of is that distributors want everything to be easy. If your case is branded, labeled well, and priced sensibly, then distributors and sales personnel will be able to move it easily – and easy-moving products are what make not only the distributors but even the retailers happy.

Don’t create any friction, or don’t keep a window open for friction. Any unlabelled cases, mismatched prices, and hard-to-recognize boxes are what create friction - and that is something both distributors and retailers despise.

Here’s an inside look at what wine distributors are really looking for.