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.
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!
