Careers/opportunities

A career in distributor sales can be a rewarding path that allows you to learn the business of the beverage industry and form relationships with many different people and firms. But what does the job actually entail? And how do you land such a role?

In many cases, consumers outside the industry may not even realise the breadth and depth of opportunities in distribution, because distributors are often the “backstage” professionals in the business. Consumers’ experiences are shaped primarily by retailers, bars and restaurants at the point of sale, and by the suppliers through marketing of the brands they produce. Distributors often bridge the gap between these two parties. As an example:

A major supplier produces their brand of Blended Scotch Whisky, in Scotland. The supplier does marketing for the brand, creating consumer awareness around the world. The supplier ships their whisky to all these markets.

In many of those markets, there exist distributors who specialise in logistics and sales in their specific region. They receive the Blended Scotch Whisky from the supplier and warehouse it in their territory. They employ sales and marketing teams to work with many retailers and bars and restaurants, fulfilling their orders for products.

Liquor stores, bars, and restaurants order the Blended Scotch Whisky, which they in turn sell to consumers.

There are many different varieties of this “three-tier system” around the world, based on the laws of the market. But where it exists, the distributor tier provides a significant benefit to suppliers large and small. Their expertise in their region is invaluable as they have existing relationships with individual retailers, and they generally have their own logistics in place for fulfilling local orders.