RETAIL CHANNEL OF DISTRIBUTION
The sole aim of a retailer is to deliver the goods to the right customers at the right time and place. As a retailer, your mission is to make sure that the goods you buy from the manufacturer or the wholesaler is delivered safely to the right consumer. Many people see retail distribution as the easiest, however, it is an enormous task on your side to win the heart of consumers in order for them to patronize you, further delivering goods appropriately is tedious, especially where your customers are based in different locations. Having said all these, an effective channel of distribution should calm your nerves, and deliver you from going through a lot of difficulties in getting your products to the consumers.
Retail Channel of distribution can be referred to as a means through which a retailer disburses the goods purchased from the wholesaler to the consumer.
Who then is a retailer?
A retailer is an intermediary between the manufacturer, wholesaler and the consumer, who buys a particular product from the wholesaler and sells it directly to the consumer.
Let’s discuss some channels through which a retailer can disburse or distribute product efficiently to the final consumer.
The Petty Traders:these are also retailer, the only difference between them and the retailer described earliest is that they don’t own a retail store where they store goods, they only get the amount they need from a retail store and sell it to the consumers. Most of the time they offer door to door services.
Where you are concerned as a retailer who need more hand in disbursing your products is that you can employ or hire these petty traders to help in delivering goods to your consumers.
Ordering or Bookings:another channel through which you can disburse your products is by taking orders from your consumers. This is an easier way to know the customers who are in need of the product, ordering or bookings can be both before, and after the purchase of goods from the wholesaler. Technology has also help in making bookings easier as you can create a link via social media, and the customers who are in need of your services will make orders via this link or through a mail.
Distributing personnel: you can also hire Distributing personnel, to help in getting your good to the right consumers at the right time, the distributing personnel should have been tested and trusted to avoid disappointments.
Courier services: this is a channel of distribution which allows you to send mails to your customers whenever you have their goods ready and also to receive emails from your customers who are in need of your services.
In conclusion, you should be careful while choosing the channels of distribution because it affects your relationship with your customers and do not want to put your reputation and profit on the line just because you want help. If you are making use of channels that involve human beings, make sure your terms and conditions are clear and your customers are not affected. Then, you can effectively and easily disburse your goods without too much sweats.