Asian Market Grocery Distributors
Distributing to Asian Market Grocery Distributors is all about satisfying the store’s needs in what type of products their customers demand. Asian Market Grocery Distributors want a product that has been established and will sell quickly. Contacting local Asian Market Grocery Distributors is a good first step to get a feel for what products do well in that market.
Finding a distributor who already has an established relationship with independent specialty retailers is essential. The distributor and retailer relationship is important in product placement in Asian Market Grocery Distributors. If a distributor has a good reputation with an independent specialty retailer the process of getting products into the store is a lot smoother.
Building a relationship and a positive track record is a very important part for the distributor. It is important for the distributor to do some research on what kind of specialty products do well in each specialty store, which can be dependent on where they are located. If a product does well in one independent specialty store the likeliness the distributor will put it in other stores is high. In Asian Market Grocery Distributors and independent stores in general it is all about shelf space and what sells well will claim that shelf space. Products that do not, will be given less space or no space in order to move in a new product that sells well.
Asian Market Grocery Distributors look for products that are innovative and will set them apart from competitors. So, new products have a better chance of making it into an independent specialty store vs. a big box retailer. An independent specialty store will have a stronger personal relationship and knowledge with products compared to big box stores as well. This is beneficial to everyone involved because having knowledge about the product in stores will improve sales.
In order to get a product into an independent specialty market contacting the correct distributor is the first step. The next step would be sending samples and other pertinent information to that distributor if requested. They like to see proof of sales and selling points of that product. Communicating about price points and minimum order quantities is very important. If the distributor likes the product and thinks it would be a good fit for their route they will purchase the product.
If the product does well in stores, the distributor will continually order more. Proof of sales will bring more orders and getting in contact with other distributors in other parts of the country is the next step. A product with proven sales in a few Asian Market Grocery Distributors will make its way to Asian Market Grocery Distributors all across the nation through different distribution channels. Establishing and building relationships with distributors is the best way to get products into Asian Market Grocery Distributors.
Here are the 6 steps you need to take to have your product picked up by a distributor.
1. Start with the right questions.) Before you try distributing your product, you need to ask yourself a few basic questions. Do you need to build demand for your product, or is there already a demand for it? Do you know that the distributor would be interested in selling your product? If you can strike a deal with them, can you handle the production volume? Do you want to sell directly to the distributor, or do you want to license your product to a manufacturer that will handle distribution?
2. Be prepared to profit.) Does your product offer enough of a profit margin for a distributor? Can you sell your product at a reasonable enough profit to cover the packaging, shipping, commissions, marketing and wholesale distribution? Check the distributor’s guidelines for other fees that you will have to build into the cost of your product in order for you to be able to turn enough of a profit to make the effort worth your while. If you work with a discount retailer, they will try to strip your profits down to zero in order to keep their prices as low as possible.
The typical breakdown of margins are: If a products costs $1 to produce, that product will retail for $4. That product that retails for $4 will wholesale for $2 to distributors and stores that purchase direct. Big box retailers like Walmart may offer to pay $1.25 to the manufacturer if the product costs $1 to produce. That is the typical profit margin.
3. Determine if the distributor is the right one for your product.) The relationship between you and the distributor starts with you browsing the store’s that they service for competing products. If the stores already has a similar product, it is going to be very difficult to get your product picked up. Picture in which zone your product would best fit on the shelf and keep in mind that the most precious asset that these big box stores value are their shelf space. Keep this information in mind when you are preparing your presentation to the distributor.
4. Pitch your product.) Decide whether it will be you or a representative to present your product to the distributor. Your presentation depends heavily on your strengths as a businessperson as they will most likely ask financial questions and logistics questions.
It’s common for companies to hire a broker to pitch their product to a distributor, as it will be more likely that your product will make it to the next stage if the individual pitching your product has industry knowledge or a personal relationship with them. The percentage of commission verses, however generally a broker will take around 5% to represent your product.
We at Mr. Checkout have experience dealing with brokers and know that there are several retail brokers that have poor business practices that can potentially damage your brand. If you are seeking a legitimate broker, please give us a call for a recommendation. It could save you a huge headache and a lot of money.
5. Complete the required paperwork.) Often a distributor will have you go through an application process. However, before submitting the paperwork required, you should contact them and let them know your intentions. Having a contact inside of the company will potentially move your application more smoothly through the process.
6. Anticipate the need for increased volume.) Having a distributor pick up your line will most likely mean a significant increase in volume. You should be prepared to ramp up your production and informing your manufacturer of this opportunity.
Having production, logistics and distribution to sync is not only difficult, it requires a significant amount of time invested in customer relations. Also, distributors may have stipulations in the contract that may penalize you for delays in shipping and production. Have an attorney explain all contracts to you if you don’t understand the terms.
If you’re looking to distribute your product through a distributor, be sure to thoroughly assess the marketplace, carefully prepare for production growth, and take full advantage of resources available to help you grow your business.
Top 5 Asian Market Grocery Distributors
Asian food spices can be very unique. They have been indigenous to some cultures for quite some time. However, they have found a large market in the United States. It is noteworthy that billions of dollars are spent on foreign food items in the United States every year. This is not unrelated to the very healthy and nutritious content of these meals.
Getting these products to the United States from their various indigenous homes is the work of the distributor. The distributor works with agents in the foreign country to get a shipment of these products down. A list of Asian Market Grocery Distributors would be given below.
Golden Country
Golden Country supplies a large inventory of Asian, Oriental, African, European and 
Caribbean foods, spices, and more to grocery stores all over the U.S. Golden Country Oriental Food L.L.C. is committed to supplying and distributing to Asian, Caribbean and African international grocery stores, food service providers and wholesalers high quality authentic products regularly used in kitchens for preparing Oriental, Asian, Caribbean and African style meals.
The Viet-Wah Group
The Viet-Wah Group is one of the largest Asian grocery importers, wholesale distributors, 
and retailers in the Pacific Northwest. Since its inception in 1981, The Viet-Wah has evolved beyond a basic “Seattle Chinatown” grocery retailer that featured some Asian grocery and gift items.
The Viet-Wah Group has been successful in forming alliances with quality and significant businesses that are major producers and processors of grocery and food items in Thailand, Vietnam, The Philippines, China, and other Pacific Rim nations. These alliances have enhanced the capability of Viet Wah Group to deliver quality, unique, new, and traditional food items to its US customer base at reasonable cost and with reliable delivery efficiency.
Southeastern Food Supplies
Southeastern Food Supplies is Florida’s market leader in Asian Food Service. They 
service their restaurant, market, and distributor customers with the leading brands of authentic imported Asian foods as well as a full line of domestic commodity, grocery, packaging, meat, poultry, seafood, and produce items.
For 50 years, Southeastern Food Supplies has been a market leader in Asian food service through a personalized approach to nurturing business relationships and a commitment to quality products and reliable service.
Asian Foods
For over 30 years, Asian Foods has provided a broad line of quality products and 
exceptional service to a wide variety of ethnic restaurants and retailers throughout the upper Midwest from our headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota. From their early years serving primarily Chinese restaurants, they have expanded their customer focus to include Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Middle-Eastern, Mediterranean, and African customers. Their multi-lingual sales team understands the special needs and challenges of these ethnic restaurants and retailers, and our product assortment and service model are specifically targeted to meet those needs.