Identifying the top retail chains in Qatar 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.
Qatar, a small country in the Middle East, has a population of about 2.8 million as of 2023. It is known for its wealth from natural gas and oil reserves, as well as its modern capital, Doha.
With one of the highest GDPs per capita in the world at around $64,000 USD in 2023, Qatar’s economy is heavily dependent on the oil and gas industry. The country is diversifying its economy through investments in areas like finance, education, and sports.
The UAE, particularly Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has become a global tourism hub. Dubai is renowned for its luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture, and a lively nightlife scene. The city is home to landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa, the Palm Islands, and the Dubai Mall.
The real estate sector, particularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has seen significant growth, with the construction of skyscrapers, luxury residential areas, and commercial properties. This sector has attracted investors from all around the world.
The UAE is a major trading hub. Its strategic location between Asia, Europe, and Africa makes it an important logistics center. The ports of Dubai and Abu Dhabi are among the busiest in the world.
Almost every country or trade block in the world has its own detailing on the international HS-code list. With our report you strongly reduce the risk on misclassifications, delays and higher custom duties than expected.
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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: