Looking for Retailer to fill and ship orders.

[Mash]

As a new DSP and restrictive Virginia ABC rules, I am looking for a distributor/retailer to fill sales orders for my company. Do any of you have a company that you are doing business with that is working out well for you? Also are there any that you may have had bad experiences with, namely not getting paid and or not providing good customer service.

Any ideas?

It may be sometime before my product is in our Va ABC and some cash flow would make life easier.

[JohninWV]

Mash, our experience (*which might not mean much) is that your best bet is to get listed as a Special Order in VA and do what you can to move product through that system.

Do you mean distributor/retailer in another state? What kind of orders do you have at this point....out of state, in-state, etc?

[Mash]

At this point, it's a 50/50- mix. The Va ABC agent said it might not be till next summer before the board can decide whether they will allow my product in the ABC stores. I don't want to wait that long. With that said I don,t really know how long it will take to it to market.

[JohninWV]

You can't sell in VA without it either being a listed item or a special order item...no matter who your distributor is. You need to get it on the special order list or sell some product in another state, IMO.

[Mash]

Well, I am aware of the sales laws of the Great Controll State of Virginia. Between now and when AMS spirits is a listed and on the shelves in Virginia, my spirits have to be shipped to an "out of state" Retailer/wholesaler/distributor who can legally receive said spirits and sell, ship and fufill retail orders that we will drive to their store. Any ideas?

[nick jones]

Well, I am aware of the sales laws of the Great Controll State of Virginia. Between now and when AMS spirits is a listed and on the shelves in Virginia, my spirits have to be shipped to an "out of state" Retailer/wholesaler/distributor who can legally receive said spirits and sell, ship and fufill retail orders that we will drive to their store. Any ideas?

As far as I know, no such entity exists in any state. The role played by the State in control states like yours is played by wholesale alcohol distributors in other states. We, as manufacturers, are forced (by law) to sell our products to wholesalers, and retailers are forced (by law) to buy from wholesalers. Retailers can't buy from manufacturers and manufacturers can't sell to retailers.

So your fist step is to get a distributor to pick you up in a state with a retailer that you'd like to work with. Next, demonstrate to the distributor that it is in his monetary interest to carry your product. Only after he buys a shipment from you and puts it in his warehouse will a retailer in his state be legally able to buy your product. Sorry to say, I wouldn't be surprised if it took the same amount of time to get this done that it is taking you to get things done in VA. Government bureaucracy or corporate bureaucracy, there's no way around the bureaucracy.

Fortunately, the ADI has already complied a list of distributors here. If you're a member, it will save you tons of time tracking down liquor distributors in various states.

But things do vary considerably from state to state, so you may find one with this ideal entity that you speak of.

Good luck,

Nick

[daveflintstone]

Generalities are often wrong. And definitive statements based on them are too. Case in point:

"Retailers can't buy from manufacturers and manufacturers can't sell to retailers."

Depends entirely on what state you are in. I can, and do, sell to retailers in state.

[nick jones]

Generalities are often wrong. And definitive statements based on them are too. Case in point:

"Retailers can't buy from manufacturers and manufacturers can't sell to retailers."

Depends entirely on what state you are in. I can, and do, sell to retailers in state.

Facinating, Dave.

Mash was asking about retailers that could buy from him, not you. Can retailers in HI buy from manufacturers in VA? If so, you might want to mention that, because then you would actually be helping him out.

Nick

[daveflintstone]

As far as I know, no such entity exists in any state.

Washington state

Washington DC

right back atcha

[JohninWV]

We sell in DC. I don't know any retailer that's buying product of any amount of quantity from anyone other than a distributor. On-premise guys aren't allowed to buy products in DC and then bring them into VA.

Are you really asking "Do we know any good distributors outside of VA while I'm waiting to be listed"?

[Mash]

Yep, JohninWV, thats what I was looking for. Your right, by the time I go through all the hassel I'll be selling in VA. My partners are looking into distributors in their respective home states. We just need some positive cash flow, 12 months of bleeding and I'm getting bled out.