Montana is the Northernmost of the Rocky Mountain States. It is called the Treasure State because of its richness in mineral resources. There was oil production in the state some time ago and it was a site where gold was found and there has also been a lot in terms of forestry and natural resources. Montana is not much of an agricultural state or where much in terms of consumables is produced. However, this does not affect the sales in goods and essential products needed in the state.

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.

Montana has an impressive percentage of retailers and those involved in the supply chain. In 2006, there was an estimated 19% of those employed in the sector. This shows a solid customer base for retail distributors. But first, let’s break the retail business down.

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, the 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 the better job of getting the product to several hundreds or even thousands of stores.

Retail associations have been helpful in the United States. They have been able to push the interests of their members economically and politically. They also help in connecting their new members with retail distributors who can be of help to them. One of such associations is the Montana Food Distributors.

There is another which is the Montana Retail Association. This represents about 5 industry groups. Retail distributors use these platforms to connect with their immediate customers – retailers – and see how they can carry out business.

Montana Fish Company is an example of a retail distributor that gets seafood to retailers, food service centers, restaurants, and several retail outlets where seafood is on sale within Montana.