4.3.16
Place 3
Manufacturer-Wholesalers-Retailers-Customers
Manufacturer-Wholesalers-Retailers-Customers
A business can distribute their product via wholesalers. Wholesalers sell products in bulk to a network of retailers and then retailers sell the products to customers.


Large network of buyers
Large network of buyers
- Wholesalers already have a large network of buyers.
- This lets a business reach a lot of customers quickly.


Less interaction with customers
Less interaction with customers
- A downside of using wholesalers is that the business will not have much personal interaction with customers.
- This can lead to worse customer service.


Profit sharing
Profit sharing
- Another downside is that both wholesalers and retailers take a cut of the profit. This means that customers are likely to pay higher prices.
- This may make the business less competitive on price.
Manufacturer-Retailers-Customers
Manufacturer-Retailers-Customers
A business can choose to skip wholesalers and sell directly to retailers. A retailer is any shop that sells directly to the customer in small quantities. Tesco and the corner shop at the end of the road are both examples of retailers.


Higher margins or lower prices
Higher margins or lower prices
- Bypassing wholesalers makes it likely that customers will pay lower prices because the business is “cutting out a middle man”.


Hard to contact retailers
Hard to contact retailers
- It can be hard for a business, especially new start-ups, to get retailers to stock their products.
- This means that it can be harder for a firm to reach as many people and it could take longer to sell a company’s products.


Control over shops (retailers)
Control over shops (retailers)
- Going directly to retailers means that a producer or manufacturer can have complete control over which shops customers can buy their products from.
- A luxury brand may not want their products stocked in Tesco or TK Maxx as it may lead consumers to perceive their brand as lower quality.


Higher logistics costs
Higher logistics costs
- Selling to retailers directly may increase a business’ delivery and logistics costs if they have to deliver all the products to a retailer themselves.
1Business Activity & Influences on Business
1.1Business Objectives
1.2Types of Organisations
1.2.1Sole Traders & Partnerships
1.2.2Limited Companies
1.2.3Limited Liability
1.2.4Unlimited vs Limited Liability
1.2.5Not For Profit & Franchises
1.2.6Multinational Companies
1.2.7End of Topic Test - Business Ownership
1.2.8Application Questions - Business Ownership
1.2.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Company vs Business
1.2.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Owners vs Shareholders
1.3Classification of Businesses
1.4Decisions on Location
1.5Business & the International Economy
1.6Government Objectives & Policy
1.7External Factors
1.8What Makes a Business Successful?
2People in Business
2.1Internal & External Communication
2.2Recruitment & Selection Process
2.3Training
2.4Motivation & Rewards
3Business Finance
3.1Sources of Finance
3.2Cash Flow Forecasting
3.3Cost & Break-Even Analysis
3.3.1Costs, Revenue & Profit
3.3.2Profit, Average Unit Cost & Interest
3.3.3Costs - Calculations
3.3.4Revenue - Calculations
3.3.5Break-Even Analysis
3.3.6Profit & Losses - Calculations
3.3.7End of Topic Test - Finance
3.3.8Grade 9 - Finance
3.3.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Fixed Costs
3.3.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Break-even
3.4Financial Documents
4Marketing
4.1Market Research
4.2The Market
4.3The Marketing Mix
4.3.1Price
4.3.2Price Penetration
4.3.3Other Forms of Pricing
4.3.4Product Design
4.3.5The Product Life Cycle
4.3.6Extending Existing Products
4.3.7New Products
4.3.8Benefits and Risks of New Products
4.3.9Promotion
4.3.10Public Relations and Sales Promotion
4.3.11Sponsorship & Social Media
4.3.12Product Placements
4.3.13Promotional Mix
4.3.14Place
4.3.15Place 2
4.3.16Place 3
4.3.17M-Commerce
4.3.18Benefits & Drawbacks of M-Commerce
4.3.19End of Topic Test - Marketing Mix
4.3.20Grade 9 - Marketing Mix
4.3.21Diagnostic Misconceptions - Decreasing Price
4.3.22Diagnostic Misconceptions - Advertise vs Promote
4.3.23Diagnostic Misconceptions - Social Media
5Business Operations
5.1Economies & Diseconomies of Scale
5.2Production
5.3Factors of Production
Jump to other topics
1Business Activity & Influences on Business
1.1Business Objectives
1.2Types of Organisations
1.2.1Sole Traders & Partnerships
1.2.2Limited Companies
1.2.3Limited Liability
1.2.4Unlimited vs Limited Liability
1.2.5Not For Profit & Franchises
1.2.6Multinational Companies
1.2.7End of Topic Test - Business Ownership
1.2.8Application Questions - Business Ownership
1.2.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Company vs Business
1.2.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Owners vs Shareholders
1.3Classification of Businesses
1.4Decisions on Location
1.5Business & the International Economy
1.6Government Objectives & Policy
1.7External Factors
1.8What Makes a Business Successful?
2People in Business
2.1Internal & External Communication
2.2Recruitment & Selection Process
2.3Training
2.4Motivation & Rewards
3Business Finance
3.1Sources of Finance
3.2Cash Flow Forecasting
3.3Cost & Break-Even Analysis
3.3.1Costs, Revenue & Profit
3.3.2Profit, Average Unit Cost & Interest
3.3.3Costs - Calculations
3.3.4Revenue - Calculations
3.3.5Break-Even Analysis
3.3.6Profit & Losses - Calculations
3.3.7End of Topic Test - Finance
3.3.8Grade 9 - Finance
3.3.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Fixed Costs
3.3.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Break-even
3.4Financial Documents
4Marketing
4.1Market Research
4.2The Market
4.3The Marketing Mix
4.3.1Price
4.3.2Price Penetration
4.3.3Other Forms of Pricing
4.3.4Product Design
4.3.5The Product Life Cycle
4.3.6Extending Existing Products
4.3.7New Products
4.3.8Benefits and Risks of New Products
4.3.9Promotion
4.3.10Public Relations and Sales Promotion
4.3.11Sponsorship & Social Media
4.3.12Product Placements
4.3.13Promotional Mix
4.3.14Place
4.3.15Place 2
4.3.16Place 3
4.3.17M-Commerce
4.3.18Benefits & Drawbacks of M-Commerce
4.3.19End of Topic Test - Marketing Mix
4.3.20Grade 9 - Marketing Mix
4.3.21Diagnostic Misconceptions - Decreasing Price
4.3.22Diagnostic Misconceptions - Advertise vs Promote
4.3.23Diagnostic Misconceptions - Social Media
5Business Operations
5.1Economies & Diseconomies of Scale
5.2Production
5.3Factors of Production
Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium
Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions
Mini-mock exams based on your study history
Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books