Introduction
Van sales, or Direct Store Delivery (DSD), is one of the most effective ways to reach small, independent retailers (the “General Trade”). In this model, your salesperson is also your delivery driver and your stock manager. To succeed, you need a clear van sales and distributor restocking guide that ensures your team is visiting the right stores, carrying the right stock, and collecting payments efficiently.
Managing the Mobile Warehouse
The core of this van sales and distributor restocking guide is inventory visibility. A van is essentially a warehouse on wheels. If the driver doesn’t know exactly what is in the back of the van, they cannot fulfill orders on the spot. Using a digital field system like Merchio allows drivers to track “van stock” in real-time, reducing errors and ensuring that every sale is immediately recorded.
Route Optimization and Store Visit Schedules
Efficiency in the field depends on the path taken. To follow this van sales and distributor restocking guide, you must optimize your routes. Instead of letting drivers wander, use Merchio to plan the most fuel-efficient store visit schedules. This ensures your team spends more time selling and less time sitting in Malaysian traffic, which directly improves your daily sales-per-van metric.
Digital Invoicing and Cashless Payments
Moving away from handwritten carbon-copy invoices is essential for modernization. As part of your van sales and distributor restocking guide, implement digital invoicing. This allows for instant record-keeping. Furthermore, integrating payment options like Chip or Billplz allows your drivers to accept cashless payments at the storefront, making the reconciliation process much faster and safer for the team.
Bridging the Gap Between Field and Office
A modern van sales and distributor restocking guide must connect the field to the main warehouse. When van stock gets low, the system should automatically trigger a “re-load” request. By integrating your field data with your overall inventory system like Zetpy, you ensure that your entire distribution network is synced and that your “top-sellers” are never out of stock in the van.