Industry Insight: The true Cost of Doing Business with Brokers, Distributors + Retail Chains

“...Before you get excited about what you are going to GET. Make sure you understand what you have to GIVE.  Many a brand have paid slotting fees and free fills to get into a chain they could NOT afford to support only to get discontinued.”  This quote from Sandra Valasqueze instagram feed was the source of inspiration for this conversation, centered around the costs  involved in growing your CPG brand through retail grocery expansion. In this episode of The Good Food CFO Podcast…  The role of brokers and distributors and the financial investment you can expect to make with each. What Free Fills and Slotting Fees are and how they’ll affect your budget. The benefits of a promo calendar to forecast your marketing budget.  The average margin that a distributor will expect, and how to set the right expectations for your partnership The important difference between margins and markups and how to calculate each “Velocity over doors” - what it means, and why it matters.  … and so much more.  Sandra packs this episode with helpful information for CPG brands, and she joined me for a short bonus video on YouTube afterward!   MEET SANDRA Sandra Valasqueze is an NYC-based Sales & Distribution Manager who has worked across several categories in the Natural & Specialty Channel, opened hundreds of accounts and onboarded several companies with national distribution without the help of brokers.   She now shares her expertise through her course, DISTRO 101 to help new and emerging brand owners understand the ins & outs of the grocery world. LINKS + RESOURCES Learn more about Sandra and her Distro 101 course at www.distrotalk.com  Follow her on instagram where she  give lots of blunt tips: @distrotalk Email Sandra at [email protected] Learn more about Sarah Delevan, her services and programs at http://sarahdelevan.com Follow her daily on instagram @sarah.delevan.consulting Download Sarah’s Profitability Roadmap Join the conversation with Sarah and other food + beverage business owners in the Profitable Food Business Community. Watch the Bonus Video! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com