It is essential to understand that just like every other state in the country, Marylanders use essential products. However, the economic development of the state is one a retail distributor has to understand. But first, let’s break down the retail structure.

A retail store is an essential part of the supply chain – it is the point where the consumer can get items to purchase. All other points in the supply chain don’t directly deal with the final consumer. However, retail stores are almost everywhere. You can find a convenience store in almost every neighborhood. Thus, competition is tough.

The retail business is basically the sale of goods to consumers. It is that outlet that deals in the transfer of the product to the last person in the supply chain – the consumer. The retail outlets could be the supermarket, the retail stores, the grocery stores, the convenience store, and many others.

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 a better job of getting the product to several hundred or even thousands of stores.

Maryland used to be a very agricultural state but with more focus on manufacturing and a high percentage of the working population in the services sector, the economy has grown to be a very developed one. The contiguity with water has made fishing a very lucrative profession in the state. Maryland is the leading state in the production of blue crabs.

Retail, wholesaling, and manufacturing hold a very key place in Maryland. Retail distributors are able to get products cheaper to stores because a lot of manufacturing goes on in the state. However, not all products are manufactured there. There are products several retail distributors bring from other states.

There are established distributors in Maryland. Some have been in business for nothing short of a century. For instance, the S.E.W Friels in Queenstown was established in 1903. This is a supplier of private label products.

Maryland is a state where the word “seafood” finds home. The seafood companies have to get their products to distributors to help get them to retail outlets. A distributor like this is the United Shellfish Company, Inc. in Grasonville. This quality wholesale distributor has been supplying a full array of fresh and frozen seafood to the state since 1960.

Thus, a retail distributor has to understand that products may be offered at a cheaper price because production is carried out on a large scale in the state. More, lesser products would have to be brought to the state because a lot is manufactured here.