Route to Market & Supply Chain Blog

Increasingly in my discussions with clients, the subject of single use plastic packaging comes up.  Why? The answer is DRS. The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will arrive in your market soon. If you are a FMCG company, it will have a profound impact on…

Previously, we looked at a what a potential DRS model could look like for drinks producers in Europe. The stated aim of DRS is to increase the amount of single use packaging that is recycled and increase the amount that is brought back into the…

Here are a ‘Top 10’ to kick off the discussions. 1. COMPETITION: Your DP competes with you. 2. CREDIT: DP does not pay &/or uses your credit for other ventures. 3. VOLUME: Unexplained decline or forward buying with no sell out. 4. RTM STRATEGY: DP…

I recently shared our step-by-step approach to drive and develop distributor performance. We call this the Distributor Partner (DP) Development Programme. I have previously shared the first Four modules: Module 1 - Producer RtM Strategy – Translate…

I recently started a blog series on indirect distribution by sharing our step-by-step approach to drive and develop distributor performance. We call this the Distributor Partner (DP) Development Programme. I have previously shared the first three…

A quick internet search revealed 129 examples where the initials DRS are used to describe something or a body or a process. While many are obscure, very obscure, two from the sporting arena and one from IT will be familiar to many readers. In motor…

I recently started a blog series on indirect distribution by sharing our step-by-step approach to drive and develop distributor performance. We call this the Distributor Partner (DP) Development Programme. The programme has eight modules, across…

I recently started a blog series on indirect distribution by sharing our step-by-step approach to drive and develop distributor performance. We call this the Distributor Partner (DP) Development Programme. The programme has eight modules, across…

I recently started a blog series on indirect distribution. I began by examining the 10 biggest challenges Route to Market (RtM) leaders face in managing FMCG Distributors. Then in response to this in my last post I shared our step-by-step approach…

In my last post we discussed the biggest challenges that a Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) company could face when managing the ‘last mile’ of the Route to Market (RtM). Once we have examined the challenges and the pitfalls in managing distributors or…

If you ask any sports person who has played a contact sport, how to avoid getting hurt, very often you will be told to try your best not to get hit. In order to avoid the hits, you need to understand more about them including when they are likely to…

Is it just me or does FMCG life seems to be increasingly full of initials? New examples seem to pop up on a weekly basis with COVID-19 being top of mind currently. In line with many business functions Supply Chain and other functions use multiple…

The Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule, states that for many phenomena 80% of the result comes from 20% of the effort. This principal is often applied in business, and for good reason, it works. Targeting our effort and resource where it will have…

The new normal brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on so many issues regarding corporate Route to Market (RtM) strategies.  What many companies now face is the truth that has been hidden for years - we cannot race with unstable or…

Arguably the most important element to any Route to Market strategy for a consumer goods company is their Distribution Strategy. Very often, when results are not coming in, the distributors get the blame and may even be replaced. Too often, their…