A manufacturer had neglected its specialist retailer channel, which was traditionally handled by distributors. With increased penetration from imports, sales into that channel had fallen significantly.

Solution

A brief customer survey was conducted which identified the issues of importance to the specialist retailers, what they thought of the manufacturer, their competitors and the distributors.

From this a strategy was developed to re-establish the manufacturer's position while continuing to service the channel via distributors.

A test market exercise was conducted in conjunction with a local distributor. This proved very effective, providing valuable feedback which was then used for a full national launch.

For a period after the launch Competitive Advantage obtained customer feedback each month, allowing progress to be monitored and providing the manufacturer with valuable information about retailer sales.

Benefits

The company re-established its presence with retailers, and achieved a significant increase in sales in this sector. Its understanding of this market sector improved significantly, putting it in a stronger position when negotiating with distributors.