Identifying the top retail chains in Spain 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.
Spain is a vibrant and diverse market where you have good chances of introducing a new product. As of the latest data, Spain has a population of approximately 47 million people. According to the World Bank, Spain’s GDP per capita was about $30,370 in USD as of the last reporting year.
The Spanish supermarket sector is dominated by several key players. The top five supermarkets are:
Each of these supermarkets has a distinct market presence, catering to various consumer needs and preferences.
In the drugstore sector, the three biggest names are:
These chains dominate the market, with a significant share in pharmaceutical and health product sales.
The clothing retail sector in Spain is vibrant, with several major chains:
These chains vary in market share and number of shops, each catering to different fashion segments.
When approaching these retail chains or distributors in Spain, it’s important to understand the local business culture. Relationships and trust are key in the Spanish market. Businesses often prefer to work with partners who demonstrate a long-term commitment to the market and an understanding of the local consumer preferences. Additionally, flexibility and adaptability to the Spanish way of doing business, which can include lengthy negotiations and a focus on personal relationships, are crucial for success.
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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: