1 | A Retail Landscape in a Thousand Pieces
Take any city centre and you’ll see it immediately: one chain store next to three independent shops, followed by a pop‑up and a specialty store. This fragmentation is not just a feeling, but hard reality. In the Netherlands alone there are 6,700 supermarkets on the map; a significant portion of those do not belong to the major chains—meaning each store has its own procurement channel and promotion rules. CBS
On top of that comes hospitality. Nearly 11,000 cafés compete for attention along squares and village streets, while the number of pubs has fallen by 22% over the past ten years; the survivors are often small family businesses with limited marketing budgets. De Nieuwsbode. Add over 16,400 restaurants and an explosion of fast‑food shops and lunchrooms, and you can see that no sales team can visit all of these manually. CBS-Eng
2 | What Does This Fragmentation Mean for Your Brand?
High Acquisition Costs
A physical store tour quickly costs €50–70 in travel time, samples and POS materials, causing a national rollout to run into the tens of thousands.
Low Penetration Rate
New SKUs often end up in less than 15% of the target outlets; the rest simply never hear about them.
Low Data Visibility
Without digital proof, you only discover months later whether the display was actually installed or if the box was ever opened.
Missed Opportunities in the “Long Tail”
In niche categories every additional point of sale is worth its weight in gold, but that’s exactly where the spread is greatest.
3 | Three Pitfalls We See Every Week
| # | Mistake | Why It Hurts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blindly Relying on a Single Wholesaler | You immediately exclude all stores that purchase from other distributors. |
| 2 | Generic Promotions | “10% off on purchase” sounds good, but without proof of placement the boxes end up in the back room. |
| 3 | Field Force on Small Orders | A salesperson who spends two hours in the car for three boxes and a poster rarely achieves a positive ROI. |
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For several years now, SBJ has been responsible for the logistics and registration for Hartenhuis Chocolate Letters: a wonderful initiative by Het Vergeten Kind and Koninklijke Verkade.
i-Solution, part of i-Team Global, called on SBJ for two logistical challenges. Webshop logistics and subscription service.
SBJ ontwikkelt voor Bison een reeks doorlopende campagnes die de verkoop van het volledige assortiment producten stimuleren. Zowel voor de Nederlandse- als de Belgische consumentenmarkt.
By producing and selling bicycles, bicycle parts and accessories, the Accell Group is the European market leader in the field of e-bikes and number two in bicycle parts and accessories. Well-known brands of the group include Batavus, KOGA, SPARTA Haibike, Winora, Ghost, Lapierre, Raleigh, Babboe, Comet and Carqon.
Flexineb Nederland, supplier of a special nebuliser for horses, has decided to entrust SBJ with its online store logistics and 1st -line customer service. Once again, e-fulfilment has a big plus and clearly goes further than just entry, storage, packaging and shipping.
Every year, more than 100,000 children go door to door to sell so-called kinderpostzegels (stamps sold to benefit children), special cards and other fun items. The proceeds from this stamp campaign go to children who need support due to loneliness, poverty or problems at home.
4 | The Alternative in 60 Seconds: the Distribution Booster
“Reach hundreds of small outlets without a single door visit, and pay only for tangible results.”
Connect
Present one universal action via sales reps, trade media, QR posters, or a dedicated campaign portal.
Convert
Retailers claim the incentive by uploading a receipt or photo. No link to a specific wholesaler.
Engage
Link participating outlets to a follow-up flow (WhatsApp, email, app) for repeat purchases.
- Wholesaler-agnosticYour potential outlet pool grows by tens of percent.
- Pay-per-placementCosts apply only once the display or product is actually in-store.
- Regionally scalableOne campaign template, multiple countries or cities.
5 | Checklist: Are You Ready for a Booster?
Answer yes or no. If you score “yes” three times, you can test the demo immediately.
6 | Summary for the Reader in a Hurry
Fragmented retail markets are large but complex. Traditional tactics cost a lot and deliver little data. The Distribution Booster combines a universal promotion, digital proof, and automated follow-up so you pay only for real shelf space. Try the demo today and discover how simple scaling can be.
