When an ambitious Australian company wanted to expand the distribution of its successful range to the UK and, potentially, other EU markets, it commissioned Prowse & Co to investigate and provide details of importers/distributors in the automotive, toy, gift and newsagent channels.

Our research services included a mix of desk and primary research.  Distributors were ranked according to a number of criteria, including:

• Overall positioning and product focus/fit.
• Reach: were they able to cover the whole UK market? Did they also distribute to other EU markets?
• Channels: did they have strong relationships with major national chains and/or independents in one or more of the required channels?
• Size: were they large enough to carry weight within the channels, yet not too large to focus on the company’s important product range?
• Sales/marketing activity: did they support lines with strong sales and marketing activity?

The client was delighted with the report and intelligence, which enabled them to quickly progress European expansion plans.