International suppliers; before you launch products in the UK

We recommend that you don’t assume the market is the structured in the same way as your home industry. Differences may include:

Consumer shopping habits
Consumer buying trends
The economic climate and its impact on this market
The Distribution/Supply Chain
Purchasing habits
Margins
The market structure of customers – pharmacy, health food, online, supermarkets, competitive factors and more
Packaging/branding styles

Force of nature can advise you on all of the above and provide the kind of market intelligence crucial to a successful launch.

The UK is littered with failed international based launches as suppliers take up to two years of wasting funds, energy and time to discover what they should have found out beforehand. Stuart Jackson’s real life industry expertise can be utilised to save you time and ensure that you launch with an informed distribution strategy, just look at what Garden of Life had to say:

“When Garden of Life began to consider UK and European business activities, we tried to find market-savvy, well-connected people who could help us learn what we needed to know. By far, Stuart Jackson has been the most helpful of all organisations and individuals that we engaged. We found Stuart by referrals from the US Embassy and through numerous people in the health food industry once we got on the ground in the UK. He was repeatedly recommended as someone who knew the market and was respected by both retailers/practitioners and manufacturers/distributors. We were thoroughly pleased with Stuart's work. We would not be anywhere near ready to launch our UK operation without the benefit of the relationship we have with Stuart Jackson and Force of Nature.

- Gary O. Giles, President, International Division, Garden of Life, Supplier

Stuart is well connected and respected by many of London’s trade embassies including Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America where he is consistently approached for opinion and advice.
In 2005, The New Zealand Trade Commission flew Stuart to New Zealand for 10 days to lecture at their health conference and take a whistle stop advice tour of 24 of their natural product supply companies.
Stuart has conducted video linked seminars on behalf of Austrade to audiences in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

An example day with Stuart would include:

1. De-Briefing from you on your business & customer base so far.
2. How the UK Natural Product Industry “works” .
3. The UK Natural Product Industry and its relationship with other linked industries such as Pharmacists, Direct Mail and Supermarkets. How these markets and supplier involvement is viewed by the retail buyer.
4. A definition and explanation of the various margins and distribution strategies involving manufacturers, brand owners, wholesalers, distributors and agents including “Competitor Strategies”.
5. A definition and explanation of a very specific and in industry terms, recent competitive margin strategy that some companies are adopting to gain competitive advantage over other companies that apply industry standard tactics.
6. An in depth explanation of all the main Industry margin & marketing structures, this is needed to truly understand your market position, its advantages and disadvantages. We are all competing for the same shelf space.
7. Discount structures for retailers, how the big boys & the corner shops operate and what they want in discount, margin and service from the supply chain.
8. How to present your company correctly to the independent retailer.
9. The EU Directives and their commercial implications for supply and retail.
10. Who are the key Wholesalers and what do they want from suppliers
11. Selling to the retailer and meeting their needs.
12. The different Packaging required in the retail, pharmacy and practitioner market.
13. Credit Control.
14. Deciding on a way forward for your business.
15. Analysis of your company’s strategy and assessment of the most favourable position to adopt in the future with regard to the sale and distribution of the products.
16. Questions and general wrap up reviews.

Subject to:
∑ Any other business advice required.
∑ Specific needs brought up at the meeting.