Distribution is a visiting business. A well-planned sales route keeps retailers stocked, catches new orders and brings in payments on time.
Map your retailers
List every retailer by area: jewellery shops, bangle stores, cosmetic shops, saree stores and boutiques. Note size, styles they sell and payment reliability.
Group into routes
Divide retailers into routes you can cover in a day. Plan a cycle, such as weekly for busy shops and fortnightly for smaller ones.
What to carry
- Samples of new designs
- Catalogue with codes and prices
- Order forms or a phone app
- Care cards and display materials
On each visit
- Check the retailer's stock of your designs.
- Show new designs.
- Take the order.
- Collect due payments.
- Note feedback on what sells.
Delivery
Deliver promptly and completely. Short deliveries damage trust.
Collections
Clear credit terms, regular collection and polite follow-up. Most distributor problems are collection problems.
Using data
Record orders per retailer and design. Identify your best retailers and best designs.
Common mistakes
Irregular visits, promising stock you do not have, and letting credit stretch.
An example
A distributor in Coimbatore runs four routes covering 80 retailers across the city and nearby towns, visiting each every two weeks, carrying new temple designs from a Mumbai manufacturer each month.
See becoming a distributor and WhatsApp catalogues.
Winning new retailers
Approach new retailers with a small, well-chosen assortment rather than your whole catalogue. Offer a first order with sensible credit or a sale-or-return arrangement on a few pieces, if your terms allow, to build trust. Deliver exactly as promised.
Each route passes shops that do not buy from you yet. Leave a small catalogue and a contact card, and follow up on the next visit. A few new accounts a month adds up over a year.
Serving small towns
Small-town retailers often rely completely on visiting distributors. Regular visits, reliable deliveries and advice on what sells make you their preferred supplier.
Using technology
Order-taking apps, shared catalogues and digital payment links save time on each visit and reduce errors.
Keeping retailers loyal
Share new designs with your best retailers first, and help them with displays and care cards.
Planning a weekly route
Group retailers by area and visit each area on a fixed day, so shops know when to expect you. A simple weekly plan might look like:
| Day | Area | Shops |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | City centre market | 10 to 12 |
| Tuesday | Eastern suburbs | 8 to 10 |
| Wednesday | Nearby town A | 6 to 8 |
| Thursday | Western suburbs | 8 to 10 |
| Friday | Nearby town B | 6 to 8 |
| Saturday | Collections and new retailers | Varies |
Regular, predictable visits build trust and make retailers keep space for your stock.
What to measure
Track orders per visit, average order value, collections against outstanding, and new retailers added each month. A route that produces few orders or slow payments should be visited less often or replaced with WhatsApp ordering.
Mixing visits and remote ordering
Many distributors now visit key retailers in person and serve smaller or distant shops through WhatsApp catalogues and courier delivery. It keeps travel costs in line with order sizes.
What to carry on a route
Carry a sample set of your current range, new arrivals, a printed or digital catalogue with codes and prices, order forms, and a small stock of fast-moving items for immediate top-ups. Keep samples clean and well organised: retailers judge your whole range by how you present it.
Collections on the route
Collect payments on the same visits, following the agreed credit terms. Keep a statement of each retailer's account with you, so there are no disputes about amounts. Retailers who pay on time can be rewarded with priority on new designs or better terms; those who delay repeatedly should move to advance or cash-on-delivery terms.
Delivery and service
After each visit, deliver confirmed orders within the promised time, with an invoice and a packing list by design code. If a design is out of stock, tell the retailer before delivery, not after. Reliable delivery and honest communication are why retailers keep a distributor, often more than price.
Using data on the route
Keep a record of what each retailer buys. Before each visit, check their last orders and bring new designs in the styles they sell best. Retailers notice when a distributor knows their shop, and it turns visits into orders.