Iowa lies in the heart of the North American continent, in the region known as the Midwest. Iowa, with its fertile prairie lands and heavily agricultural economy devoted to raising grain and livestock, is often considered the typical Midwestern state.It is like most American states in the transition of its economy. It has moved from a purely agricultural society to one with manufacturing and processing as its mainstay.

There are about 3 million residents in the state of Iowa and this is quite a big market for retailer and retail distributors. The supply trade is put in action when there is constant demand for products and there is high potential for this in the state of Iowa.

Just like every other American state, there are essentials that are needed daily by Americans. Food, shelter, toiletries, clothes, electronic gadgets, transportation, and a whole lot of essentials are needed by the average human being for existence in the 21^stcentury world.

The retail trade is one that connects directly to the consumers. It is the trade that lays emphasis on how to get the consumer to get the product from a particular retailer and to establish a relationship with that retailer. However, a retailer, most times, does not get the goods directly from the manufacturers or get the goods produced herself. There is the existence of the retail distributor in the supply chain.

Retail distributors are essential links in the supply chain. When manufacturers produce their products, they need distribution for the product. There are several situations where the manufacturer does the distribution to retailers. This is direct store delivery. However, not all manufacturers have the capacity to do their own distribution to retail outlets. For instance, a new brand still seeking market recognition does not have a name in the market and will need to be significantly promoted and pushed. A retail distributor can do the better job of getting the product to several hundreds or even thousands of stores.

With about 20% of the working population in state of Iowa into retail and wholesale trade, there is an impressive amount working in the supply chain. However, there is more to the supply chain than the number involved. There are general goods everyone is interested in but there are specialized products like adult goods, sport goods, smoking goods, and some others.

Retail associations are very essential to retailers and retail distributors. This helps them to properly network and see how they can be beneficial to themselves. One of these associations is the Iowa Grocery Industry Association. This association brings together retail stores, suppliers, wholesalers, brokers, manufacturers, and distributors.

Another of these associations is the Iowa Wholesale Beer Distributors Association. This trade association has been on the fore front of advocating for a sustainable model of alcohol regulation. Retailers, distributors and other players in the supply chain are members of this association.