How to Distribute to Jacksonville

Jacksonville is the most populous city in Florida. With a 2020 population of 926,371, it is the largest city in Florida and the 13th largest city in the United States. Jacksonville is currently growing at a rate of 1.23% annually, and its population has increased by 12.73% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 821,784 in 2010. Spanning over 875 miles, Jacksonville has a population density of 1,239 people per square mile.

Jacksonville has some considerable economic prosperity. The average household income in Jacksonville is $71,800, with a poverty rate of 15.88%. Looking at the population at almost 1 million people, both upscale items and everyday commodities will do well in Jacksonville.

As with much of Florida, tourism is essential to the Jacksonville area, particularly tourism related to golf. And this means a lot for trade. Being well-positioned to benefit from the influx of tourists is a brilliant strategy to sell more products in a populated city like this.

Product distribution to Jacksonville can be direct or indirect. These methods will be discussed when talking about distribution to the areas within Jacksonville.

To understand Jacksonville’s distribution of products, it may be important to look at the areas under the city. They make up Jacksonville, and distribution is the same as to the city.

But first, it is important to note that there are more than 500 neighborhoods within the area of Jacksonville – the largest city in the contiguous United States by area. These include Downtown Jacksonville and surrounding neighborhoods. And there is still the Greater Jacksonville area.

Distributing Products to Downtown, Jacksonville

Downtown is the central business district of Jacksonville. It is the center of Jacksonville’s Urban Core, which includes LaVilla, Springfield, East Jacksonville, and Brooklyn, plus a section on the south side of the St. Johns River known as Southbank.

Getting products into a large area like this can take some work. However, a manufacturer can outsource the stress to a distributor.

A distributor works to get products into stores. To do this, the distributor has to forge several business relationships with retailers. The distributor needs to understand the distribution network. She also needs to study consumer behavior and patterns in the area. They may not like certain products due to popularly-held ideals and principles. Moreover, some products may not sell because they may be too upscale. Whichever way it is, a distributor’s job to understand the distribution area.

And this is why manufacturers use them a lot. In a large area like Jacksonville, distributors can help get your products to the shelves. It is an indirect method of distribution, but it is effective. And especially if the product is new – this strategy could be combined with marketing.

The downside to this distribution method is the real-time gathering of inventory data. However, many distributors have found a way around this problem with technology.

Distributing Products to Riverside and Avondale

Riverside and Avondale are two adjacent and closely associated neighborhoods, alternately described as one continuous neighborhood, to the south of Downtown on the St. Johns River. Both neighborhoods are primarily residential, containing some of the city’s most notable residential architecture examples, with integrated business districts, including the historic Five Points area and King Street District.

This area is one of the top neighborhoods in the United States. And there is considerable prosperity in the area. Getting products into this area may take a new turn different from what obtains in other areas.

A good place to start if you want to penetrate the community directly is the retailers’ association. Retail associations present the opportunity to connect directly with the retailers who are members. Through this, it becomes easier to pitch directly to retailers.

Distributing Products to Mandarin

Mandarin is located on the east side of the St. Johns River just north of St. Johns County. At one point, it was a separate city and was incorporated into Jacksonville in the Jacksonville Consolidation in 1968.

This area is one of the fastest-growing communities in Jacksonville. And this is why it is attractive to retail businesses.

As a manufacturer, you can choose to enter the community directly or indirectly. Indirectly – through the use of distributors.

You may want to consider retail associations like the Florida Retail Federation, Pennsylvania Retailers’ Association (has a location in Florida), and Florida Retailers Association for direct distributions.

The benefit of a direct distribution method is that as the manufacturer, you get real-time inventory data. More, you are closer to the consumer and can easily gather data on preferences and likes. With this, you can improve your product and easily build a brand following.

The success Tesla has found with the direct distribution method is second to none. They gather raw data to improve user experience and brand offerings. However, this can cost a lot of money, effort, and resources.

Things to Note When Distributing to Jacksonville

Large Market

Jacksonville is the 13th largest city in the United States. What this means is that there is a large market in Jacksonville. However, as with every large market, there is also stiff competition to deal with. You may have to work more to project a unique selling point. This is what differentiates you from other brands.

Marketing

This is as essential as the products itself. It is what projects your brand messages to prospects. Being a large city, you can employ both mass and internet media. Without marketing, it may be hard to even convince distributors, wholesalers, and retailers to even your products. Retailers, most of the time, ask for in-store merchandising items to still market the products.