Food & Beverage Distributors & Wholesalers in North Carolina Key Terms

Learn some terms associated with food and beverage distributors and wholesalers in North Carolina

Food and beverage distributors and wholesalers in North Carolina take food from the manufacturers and suppliers and bring it to supermarkets, commercial kitchens and other food based businesses. These distributors and wholesalers stock the shelves and pantries of food based businesses all over the state.

Take some time to learn some commonly used terms when dealing with food and beverage distributors and wholesalers within North Carolina. It will allow you to negotiate a solid distribution contract for your food based business. Here are some of those terms along with some resourceful links to help get you started.

 

Product recalls

Product recalls refer to items that have been contaminated or otherwise compromised and deemed unsafe for consumption by the public. Many distributors detail product recalls on their website to alert their retail locations so that they may adjust their orders accordingly.
Try: Visit the website for US Food Service for more information and an example of product recalls. US Food Service operates multiple distribution locations in North Carolina.

Retail accounting

Retail accounting refers to a service that is offered by many distributors whereby the distributor takes over the process of day-to-day accounting in the areas of accounts payable, manufacturer coupon redemption and the payment of state sales tax. This allows the retail location to focus on driving sales, while the distributor derives their numbers from the automated reports that are created by the point of sale software in the store.
Try: Go to the website for Merchant Distributors for more information on retail accounting and how it operates between the distributors and the retail locations.

Product list, brand list

A product list or brand list refers to a list of companies that supply the wholesaler or distributor along with the products they offer. Many wholesalers and distributors detail these lists so that the retail location knows what products may be ordered from the distributor.
Try: Check out NC-based Pate Dawson Company for an example of a product list that can commonly be found on a distributor or wholesalers website.

Location map, distribution map

The location map or the distribution map details the overall area that the distributor or wholesaler will deliver their products. Many distributors post this on their website so that supermarkets, commercial kitchens and other food based business can deem if it's feasible to receive delivery from that particular company.
Try: Visit the website for Mutual Distributing for an example of a distribution map that is commonly found on distributor websites. Mutual Distributing distributes beer and wine to the locations in the entire state of North Carolina.

Market reports

Market reports are published by the American Restaurant Association every week that detail information on various food categories. For instance, there are categories on meat, dairy and poultry that cover everything from the most recent cost to consumption trends. Food and beverage distributors and wholesalers in North Carolina often work with supermarkets and commercial kitchens to fill orders based on these reports.
Try: Go to the website for Sysco for more info on market reports. They also provide several example of market reports by food category. Sysco owns and operates distribution locations in North Carolina.

Cold chain solutions

Cold chain solutions refer to the process of a distributor keeping the food at a safe, cold, temperature during the distribution process. Cold chain solutions come in to play with everything from meat and sea food to eggs and dairy. Many distributors detail the cold chain solutions they offer on their websites so that the supermarket or retail location knows they're getting the freshest produce possible.
Try: Visit the website for McLane Company for additional information on cold chain solutions. They are a food distributor with several distribution locations within North Carolina.

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