Transcribed Image Text: Case Study: Alice's Dressings
Distributions ys tems may evolve over time as abusiness grows and changes. Consider
a small one-store family res taurant named Alice's, with delicious, unique, homemade
salad dressings (e.g., Pomegranate Vinaigrette, Rum-Rais in-Orange Ranch, Bhue
Cheese Catalina). Initially, the dressings were only availab le to customers eating at
Alice's. Then cus tomers begin requestingbottles to buy. Initial sales and distributionof
Alice's Salad Dressings were from the res taurant to walk-in cus tomes. The product
was packaged in a 32-ounce canning jarwith a handmade label.
New distribution channeks cause packaging and pricing changes. Then Alice's
Dressings were sold to a local grocerystore at a discounted wholes ale price, 28
percent less per ounce than the retail res taurant price, packaged in asmaller, 26-ounce
bottle. As local demand grew, Alice decided to have the dressings made in an
independent packing facility and sold to other s tores in the area, which initially rais ed
the costof making the dressings. Alice's lusband, brothers, and asister-in-law divided
up initial sales res ponsibilities to callonlocal and regionalstores in their s pare time.
The popularity of Alice's Dressings caused Alice to consider the possibility of selling
large pallet quantities to dis tributors in other s tates. The dis tubutors needed another 25
percent dis count fromwholesale price, alongwith free s hipping. Sales brokers were
also recommended, at 5 percent commis sionon netdistributors ales, since the family
could no longer call oneveryone. A separate companywould have to be setup to
market the s alad dressings; an enterprise requiring full-time management.
Distribution channeks are ley to pricing and packaging decisions. In this case, a
separate business, new dis tribution chamels and sales representation grew outof
Alice's initial one-store restaurart. Alice's restaurantwas initially able to sell the salad
dressings at $5.00 per 32-ounce jar (15.6cents perounce) directly to customers.
However, once adecisionwas made to sell Alice's Dressings as ashelf-s table item in
grocery s tores, the bottles changed to astandard 26-ounce size to compete with other
dressings sold in this size.
Alice was concemed that grocery consumes, unfamiliarwith the restaurant, would not
pay over $3.99 retail per 26-ouncebottle when competing brands ranged from $1.29 b
$2.69 for the same 26-ource size. Wholes ale prices were 28 percert less than retail, at
$2.89 perbottle. However, the costof ingredients was substantially more than
competing brands, at$1.00 perbottle, and packaging and processing costs added
another $0.50 perbottle. Profits were reduced from restaurants ales perbottle, butstill
acceptab le (i.e., from $3.50 abottle, or 11 cents per ounce, to $1.39 perbottle, or five
cents perounce), since the total amountofsales and profits were expected to be
substantially greater through grocery s ales.
Further researchwith marketing experts in the industy and sales brokers indicated a
further 40 percent reduction in delivered distrībutor price (inchudingbrokeage
commissions and shipping costs). Alicewould net $1.73 perbottle at delivered
distrībutor price withbrokerage commissions of 5 percent, leaving anunacceptable