For the past two years, when it became clear that clients were eager to buy again, distributors’ concerns centered on everything except the sale: lack of inventory, late-arriving shipments and struggles with vendor customer service. Now in 2023, as buyers clamp down on budgets and institute hiring freezes, the focus returns to the quest to make the sale. It’s reflected in the quarter of distributors who named increasing their customer base as their top struggle. Other trends include the threat of Amazon still looming (though not as much as past years) and a push for clients to pay quicker. Sales-related stats in this year’s SOI paint a picture of an industry seeking growth and navigating the challenges presented by a post-pandemic world with flexibility and perseverance.

Hover over the bar charts to see more detailed State of the Industry statistics.

Quianne Perrin Savoy
Understand who you are as a company, what your strengths are and who you would like to serve. Once you know the answer to those questions, finding and gaining new clients can be so much fun.”Quianne Perrin Savoy, Moore & Moore Merch
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of distributors named “increasing the size of their customer base” as their number-one challenge – ranking first ahead of “remaining profitable under pressure to cut prices” and “recruiting and retaining well-qualified employees.”

PERCENTAGE OF CLIENTS RETAINED

(Distributors)

DAYS SALES OUTSTANDING

(Distributors)

44% of distributors say Amazon poses a significant threat to their business – the second consecutive year sentiment has dropped.

%

The percentage of distributors who said referrals are one of their top three sources of new business. The next two methods are social networking (25%) and company websites (23%).

3 Tips for Generating New Business

It’s time to put a renewed focus on attracting – and retaining – clients. Use these strategies to land the sale and set yourself up for success.