Last week, we discussed the role of sales development in how to launch a food product. While you’re busy distributing samples and sales literature, your food brokers should be busy putting the wheels in motion. They should be selling your food or beverage to distributors, retailers, and club stores. After all, one of your ultimate goals is probably to see your product on the shelves at your local supermarkets. In this week’s blog, the experts at HSR Associates discuss food brokers and their role in how to sell food products to supermarkets.

What are Food Brokers?

Food brokers are independent sales representatives who work for both food producers (you) and food buyers (supermarkets and other types of retail food stores). Most of them work within a specific geographic area. When a food broker represents your product, they work under your sales policy to sell your product to their network of wholesalers and retailers.

Working with food brokers saves you time and money. It is much more efficient and effective to deal with a few experienced food brokers than it is to try and sell your product to many different wholesale and resale representatives. This is especially true if you have little or no experience. Food brokers have extensive connections in the industry, as well as local knowledge and expertise.

How Do You Work with Food Brokers?

Again, the sales development process is going to keep you pretty busy. This is where your food product development consultant comes in. At HSR Associates, our clients do not need to worry about the complex process of managing and communicating with multiple food brokers. We work closely with a large nationwide network of specialty/natural brokers. That means we can contact food brokers who have experience with the type of food or beverage you have developed. We know what information they need to be able to maximize your product’s sales potential. We manage their sales programs, monitor their progress, and measure their achievement of sales forecasts each quarter.

See How to Sell Food Products to Supermarkets with HSR Associates

Food brokers play an essential role in your product’s success “on the ground” as sales start happening and your product makes its way into retail stores. Now that you know what food brokers do and how they fit into your product launch, we’d love to lend you more of our food product development expertise! HSR ASSOCIATES specializes in developing new food products and bringing them to market. We provide all the services necessary, from Kitchen To Marketplace. Contact us today at steve@hsrassociates.net.

More great ideas to come from our food product development experts! Stay tuned…………..