The Next Distributor? Let’s Get Real About What It Actually Takes
This conversation around “The Next Distributor” is hitting an industry-wide nerve—and I feel uniquely qualified to go deeper.
I started and built a distributor. I’ve seen behind the curtain. And to be honest? A lot of what’s being said about what distribution should be… is missing the real picture of what it actually takes.
Let’s clear a few things up:
Bloated portfolios aren’t the problem.
Distributors don’t want bloated portfolios. They accumulate them because too many brands offer little to no reason to earn prioritization. It’s not that we’re carrying too many great brands—it’s that we’re carrying too many brands expecting miracles without delivering results.
The fastest way to get prioritized? Prove that your brand moves. Drive demand. Win consumers. Make it impossible for the distributor not to care.
Because here’s the truth: no distributor deprioritizes a high-performing brand. Ever.
Vans instead of trucks? Sounds agile. Until you do the math.
Smaller vehicles may feel lean and flexible. But without the scale and capacity of full-size trucks, your route profitability plummets. The more stops, the fewer cases, the more inefficiencies.
Distribution runs on volume and margin compression. Anyone who thinks you can build a profitable fleet model without logistical size and scale hasn’t paid the fuel bills, insurance premiums, or truck maintenance costs.
Want to use vans? Great. But you better pair it with dense geography, high turns, and laser-efficient routing to even think about profitability.
Lean overhead only works at scale.
Everyone loves to say “we’ll run lean.” But until you hit a certain infrastructure threshold, you’re not lean—you’re just under-resourced and overextended.
Distribution only becomes efficient after you’ve made the painful investment in scale. Before that? You’re working harder for worse results.
And the reality most don't want to hear: without volume, your supplier book won’t attract talent, won’t support ops, and won’t justify long-term capital. You’re not running lean. You’re running toward a wall.
Tech-forward doesn’t mean tech-only.
AI tools? Yes. Automation? Sure. But I’ve watched top-tier teams armed with warehouse robotics and AI-driven forecasting still struggle to perfect inventory planning. You don’t solve operational complexity with a few slick apps.
Tech is an accelerator—not a magic bullet. If you don’t understand the mechanics of your ops, all the tools in the world won’t save you.
“Distributors should be brand builders.” Let’s unpack that.
Distributors are force multipliers—not miracle workers. We don’t create demand from scratch. We scale them. We amplify them. But we can’t generate what doesn’t exist.
Founders frustrated by lack of distributor support should ask:
Are we driving pull in the market?
Are retailers asking for us?
Are we giving the distributor a reason to lean in?
If not, blaming the distributor won’t fix the problem. You don’t deserve attention—you earn it.
Building a new distributor? You better have a cast-iron stomach.
You’ll be operating at a loss for years. You’ll need to invest in people, vehicles, insurance, compliance, and tech—without immediate return. You’ll need to convince investors to wait far longer than they’re comfortable with.
And most importantly? You’ll need brands that can scale. Without that, no amount of idealism or good intentions will make this model work.
Look—I get the frustration. I’ve lived it.
The current system has cracks. There’s room to innovate. But real disruption means facing economic truth—not just pitching against the incumbent.
Are there some distributors that could be better? Sure. But is the business model broken? Certainly not, and the sooner that your brand realizes that, the sooner you can fix your approach and start having real success.
Reach out if you're ready to unlock the full potential of your distribution network and build the systems that will turn your brand into a market leader.
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