The hypercompetitive foodservice sector is supported by a large network of distributors and suppliers. These businesses are the lifeblood of the hospitality and restaurant industry. As such, there’s a growing number of wholesalers who specialize in foodservice distribution. These companies use different techniques and solutions to increase wholesale sales, grow their business, and expand to additional categories. In this article, we’ll explain more about the ways to grow a foodservice distribution business with BlueCart and other online solutions. Our guide on order management can also be of help to suppliers. If you’re interested in using BlueCart as a buyer, make sure to check out our post on BlueCart’s Endless Aisle for restaurants.
Key takeaway: Food distributors have multiple options if they wish to grow and scale their operations. That includes adding additional sales channels, growing into additional product categories, and optimizing business processes.
How to Grow a Foodservice Distribution Business Online
Suppliers who specialize in deliveries to foodservice businesses can do a lot to grow their operations online. Here are some of the ways to benefit from digital solutions.
- Create a website that showcases your company’s services and the area of operations. This will allow potential customers to get to know your business. The website can be a simple informational website or have eCommerce functionalities. Keep in mind that an eCommerce platform is more expensive than a corporate website and requires more maintenance efforts.
- Digital marketing channels like SEO, LinkedIn ads, content marketing, and Google ads can be of great help to grow a foodservice distribution business online. Keep in mind that online marketing campaigns need to be properly targeted in order to achieve a high ROI.
- Partnering with online marketplaces and platforms for wholesalers can lead to additional sales and growth. For example, BlueCart’s Endless Aisle is specifically designed to help distributors in the hospitality industry. It’s used by thousands of businesses across the US to order food, beverages, and supplies.
- Create a seamless experience across all channels. Managers might order via different channels like the website, online marketplace, app, or via email. Foodservice distributors need to integrate a professional CRM to help them manage omnichannel sales. This makes it easier to track purchase history and introduce predictive ordering features.
How to Grow a Foodservice Distribution Business with BlueCart
Our platform can be a great addition to other online efforts for food suppliers. Let’s examine some of the most important BlueCart features that can help you grow a foodservice distribution business.
- Endless aisle. BlueCart’s Endless Aisle is a great tool to grow a foodservice distribution company online. It allows wholesalers to easily create a catalog with their products and showcase it to thousands of buyers. BlueCart’s Endless Aisle is used by restaurant managers, hotels, coffee shops, retailers, and various other businesses in the hospitality sector.
- Sales rep app. Thanks to BlueCart’s app for sales representatives, wholesalers can get the most out of their sales teams. It allows distributors to take and manage orders conveniently. The integrated customer relationship management tools make the process seamless and smooth.
- Invoicing and payment features. Thanks to BlueCart Pay, vendors can issue invoices and collect payments securely from their customers. This allows foodservice distribution businesses to streamline their operations.
- Delivery route optimization. BlueCart’s feature for optimizing delivery routes is especially useful for businesses that wish to grow and scale. Thanks to its integration with Google Maps, this tool creates optimal routes based on real-time traffic conditions.
- Other tools to optimize food inventory management, sales, order management, and B2B marketing. BlueCart has various other features that help foodservice distribution businesses grow their operations, increase revenue, and advertise their products. The platform can be integrated with different types of software to help both suppliers and businesses that want to find suppliers and buy wholesale products.
Other Foodservice Distribution Marketing Techniques
In addition to online tools and solutions that help wholesalers grow their business, there are other ways to promote your distribution business and increase sales. One of them is to attend some of the various trade shows and expos in the hospitality and foodservice sectors. These events are visited by decision makers and allow suppliers to showcase their products and services to a targeted audience of business owners and managers.
Traditional marketing and sales techniques are still a great way to market your foodservice distribution business. That includes reaching out to businesses or advertising across local media. Make sure to train your sales representatives properly in order to increase their conversion rate.
Companies in the hospitality niche market expect their suppliers to offer them a combination of affordable prices, convenience, and flexibility. That’s why integrating solutions that help track orders, restaurant data analytics, and make the overall wholesale ordering process easier is a must.
Suppliers can also integrate referral and loyalty programs as part of their wholesale marketing strategy. These programs reward loyal customers and incentivize businesses to advertise your services to other companies.
Frequently Asked Questions about Growing a Foodservice Distribution Business
BlueCart is committed to helping both suppliers and their customers with reliable solutions. In addition, we also create various resources on topics like calculating restaurant profit margin and the trends in restaurant technology. Check out our answers to important questions regarding growing a foodservice distribution business.
How to Grow a Food Distribution Business into Other Sectors?
Companies that specialize in the wholesale distribution of food products can easily grow their operations into other industries. Gather feedback from your current clients regarding their needs. It’s recommended to add related products to your catalog. For example, that could be wholesale janitorial supplies or equipment (cookware, utensils, tableware) and wholesale restaurant supplies. Offering products from a totally different niche is not recommended, as your current customers are not likely to be interested in them. Nevertheless, by doing thorough research, having optimized processes, and investing in marketing, distributors can also grow into other sectors as well.
How to Optimize a Foodservice Distribution Business?
Modern technologies allow suppliers to optimize their operations in various ways. For example, BlueCart’s platform features help automate and optimize various aspects of the business, including the delivery process, order management, and invoicing. The main benefit of optimizing different processes is that it allows distributors to easily grow and scale their operations. Another way to optimize a food distribution business is to integrate warehouse management systems, ERP, or other tools to improve warehouse process flows. Optimizing the distribution network and increasing wholesale sales through additional marketing and sales channels can also increase revenue.
What Are the Trends in Foodservice Distribution?
In recent years, one of the biggest trends in food distribution is related to increased demand for locally-sourced products. That way, businesses and wholesalers can shorten their supply chains while helping the local economy. The increased demand for sustainable products is another major trend. Automation, eCommerce solutions, and AI-powered tools are also trendy in foodservice distribution. Thanks to them, wholesalers in the food and beverage industry can optimize and scale their operations. Another popular trend among foodservice suppliers is related to their desire to become the one-stop shop for their customers.
BlueCart: The All-in-One Tool to Grow a Foodservice Distribution Business
If you’re looking for a reliable wholesale ordering software for your food distribution business, BlueCart is the right solution. Our platform is specially designed to help food suppliers increase their sales and automate certain processes. BlueCart’s Endless Aisle for wholesalers is a powerful tool to boost B2B sales. Schedule a demo and see how BlueCart can help you grow a foodservice distribution business online.
Restaurant businesses, coffee shops, grocery stores, and other companies can sign up for BlueCart as buyers and use our platform to find suppliers in various fields.