Distributors are a crucial part of the supply chain. One of the most important decisions a distributor must make is selecting which brands and the breadth of products to carry. There are several paths you can take: Offer a single brand, a premium brand, a value brand, or a variety of brands—both premium and value.

How do you know which path is best? I believe the determining factor is choice.

Consumers today have more choices in the products they buy than ever before. From their morning coffee to what car they drive, they are accustomed to choices. Offering your customers more choices by carrying alternative brands and product lines is going to help you be more successful as a distributor.

There are several advantages to offering alternative brands and product lines. By expanding your offering, you can target a broader range of markets and end users.

While no major-brand supplier can service every single market niche, today’s niche is tomorrow’s major market. Being there first with the products that service these markets will determine which distributors grow and which become irrelevant. 

Distributors who service these niche markets should be alert for which products those markets may demand in the future. Explore what’s available to you. One brand may include a product category that another does not, or offer a lower-cost option. One may incorporate newer technology, another more features.

By offering alternative product lines, distributors can also better meet customer demand. If you only carry one line and you run out of a particular product, you will be losing sales and customers by not having alternatives in stock. What if a customer has a bad experience with a brand and wants to know what else you have to offer? What if a delivery is delayed?

Another advantage is offering one-stop shopping. People want the convenience and efficiency of finding everything they’re looking for in one place. Distributors that offer a wide range of products can provide one-stop shopping and become more attractive to customers.

Offering more than one product line also gives a distributor more power and control. If you carry one brand, it’s likely that particular brand’s vendor appreciates your business. But he is not likely to go as far as he might in offering discounts or sales support if he knows your business can be taken for granted.  When they see another brand taking up catalog space, they are put on notice that they need to earn your business with the right combination of discounts, support and new product innovation.

Deciding which brands and product range to carry can be a difficult decision in today’s market. But put yourself in your customers’ shoes. When you’re in the market for something, are you looking for monotony and uniformity? Or are you looking for a variety of selection?

You, like your customers, are looking for choice.