Identifying the top retail chains in Greece where you can sell your products is relatively easy. Approaching and convincing them is a much bigger challenge.
It may be a better strategy to find a distributor first who can help you to get your products in smaller chains or individual stores, and then help you to get to the big names. Or to start online.
In this article you will find more information on the retail market and guidance on how to convince retailers and distributors to work with you.
With an estimated population of around 10.7 million people as of 2023, Greece presents a diverse cultural landscape influenced by its ancient heritage and modern European trends.
The country’s economy, with an absolute GDP per capita of approximately $20,000 USD as of 2023, is characterized by its service sector, which dominates the economy, contributing significantly to its GDP. Tourism is a major economic driver, with millions of visitors drawn annually to Greece’s historic sites, sunny islands, and vibrant culture. Additionally, shipping plays a pivotal role in the Greek economy, with the nation boasting one of the largest merchant fleets in the world.
Agriculture also contributes to the economy, with products like olive oil, wine, and various fruits forming significant exports. The industrial sector, though smaller, focuses on food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, and metal products.
The capital city, Athens, is the largest and most influential, known for landmarks like the Acropolis and Parthenon. Other main cities include Thessaloniki, a cultural and educational hub; Patras, known for its port and carnival; Heraklion, a gateway to Crete’s ancient ruins; and Piraeus, the primary maritime hub of the country.
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If you have a consumer product that you can’t sell directly from your home country to your end customer, you need at least one step in between. This can be a distributor (who also acts as wholesaler or importer), a big retailer directly, or it can be a large web shop. Let’s look at the pro’s and con’s of each option.
You should put a lot of emphasis on drafting a good distributor pitch. Even if you already have great sales materials for your end-users, this often does not make clear what the benefits are for a potential agent, distributor or retailer to work with you.
When you approach potential sales channels with your standard documentation, chances are high that they are holding of. If you make it crystal clear what are the benefits for them, like in the example presentation, you will get a much higher response rate.
Please note that it helps to put concrete data in your presentation. You may think it is sensitive, but just know the secret is in how you achieve the rotation or the low returns level, not in the data itself. So share it here, in order to get the right attention.
Distributors are risk averse, they know the portfolio they have and tend to be happy with it. They can’t just add a product or service to their range, since it will cannibalize on others: