What Are the Best Channels for Your Food Product?

At the Fancy Food Show in CA, Ian Kelleher – Peeled Snacks’ Director of Sales, Alternative Channels – discussed the pros and cons for a range of sales channels.

Ian Kelleher Peeled Snacks

There Are Lots of Sales Channels!

Specialty • Natural • Grocery  • Convenience  •  Mass  • Online  • Military

Which are Best for YOU?

His Advice?

Due Diligence

  • “#1 Buyer Complaint? Sellers don’t take the time to understand the buyer’s needs.”
  • “Hone your pitch for each sales channel.”
  • “Plan ahead. Category reviews may be only once per year.”

How to Start?

  • “Launch in Specialty. Get story straight. Then scale up in Grocery.”
  • Consider “Brokers as curators and a rolodex for calling.”

Beware!

  • “Craps analogy – money down, hope for a big return, the ‘pot of gold at the end.'”
  • “UNFI (distributors) make 1.5% profit margin / year. They make money by charging the manufacturers.”

Importance of Trends

  • Most in Natural channel
  • Then Specialty, Grocery / Club (especially the ‘cool’ ones), Foodservice and Convenience…
Helpful? Please share!
Tweet about this on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInEmail this to someone