Материал: 4892

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изделия, изделия лёгкой промышленности, промышленные товары широкого потребления и т.д.); по способам складирования и переработки: грузы открытого и

закрытого хранения, тарно-штучные (генеральные – по терминологии морского транспорта), длинномерные, крупногабаритные и тяжеловесные, самоходные машины; по типу и параметрам упаковки и транспортной тары: без упаковки и

тары; в жёсткой, мягкой, полужёсткой упаковке; в ящиках, обрешётке, картонных коробках, мешках, бочках, флягах, бидонах и т.д.; по типу и параметрам грузовых транспортных единиц: в связках,

пачках, отдельными штучными местами в транспортной таре, в транспортных пакетах на поддонах 1200х800 мм или 1200х1000 мм.

Штучные грузы характеризуются следующими основными параметрами:

-размеры отдельных мест грузов (длина, ширина, высота), мм;

-масса отдельных мест грузов, кг;

-объемная масса грузов, т/м3;

-форма грузов (наиболее часто встречающиеся – прямоугольный параллелепипед, цилиндр, кольцо, лист, сложная или неправильная форма);

-характер и свойства тары и упаковки (жёсткая, твёрдая или мягкая, упругая, податливая, сминающаяся и т.д.);

-число наименований грузов (в упаковке, грузовой транспортной единице, транспортной партии);

-число мест в транспортной партии и общая её масса, кг.

Следует отметить, что сыпучие, жидкие и газообразные грузы, затаренные в некоторую тару (мешки, бочки, барабаны, баллоны и т.д.), рассматриваются как тарно-штучные грузы с позиций их транспортирования, перегрузок и складирования.

Вопросы упаковки тарно-штучных грузов регламентируют примерно 100 государственных стандартов. Согласно ГОСТ 17527-86 «Упаковка. Термины и определения», упаковка – это комплекс защитных мер и материальных средств по подготовке товаров к транспортированию,

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хранению и использованию. Упаковка – это более широкое понятие, чем тара и включает в себя потребительскую и транспортную тару, средства пакетирования и контейнеры, прокладочные, амортизирующие и вспомогательные упаковочные материалы.

8. Read the case and answer the questions.

How to find Proper Distribution Channels for your Products: A Case Study of Chongqing Beer

Factors to be considered in finding proper channels

In order to deliver products promptly into customers and obtain instant feedback from them, proper channels should be found for the products. Chongqing Beer (briefed as CQ Beer) is taken as an example. The following factors should be taken into consideration if the beer enterprise is to find proper channels for distribution of its products:

1. Convenience

- In order to enable customers to access CQ Beer easily, the beer enterprise should emphasize on convenience.

2. Closeness

-The closeness of distribution channels should be in conformity with quantity demanded of CQ Beer target market.

-It may cause some inconveniences to its customers as the number of distribution channels are too few, while too many distribution channels may increase its operating cost.

-It is difficult for the customers to search the locations of CQ Beer retail stores in a region because the distance between each single retail store is very far. In contrast, there is a keen competition on business performance in each store when there are too many CQ Beer retail stores in a region.

-It increases its operating cost as more and more CQ Beer retail stores are

established in a region. It does not align with its existing marketing strategy and brand identity.

3. Methods of Product Distribution

-Methods of product distribution usually include franchise, sole agent and eCommerce.

-Sole agents of beer products in China provide different kinds of services and their service quality is tremendous. Not only brand identity of CQ beer is

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affected by sole agent' services but also the management of beer enterprise. It is difficult to confirm if the sole agent promotes its beer products in its expected way or not.

-The eCommerce has not been fully developed in China. It remains at the stage of webpage promotion of products or services. Customers cannot do any virtual transactions through internets or the networks of e-Business. It slows down the development of proper distribution channels of CQ Beer.

-CQ Beer may franchise its distribution channels, not only to increase its incomes, but also to minimize its operating cost and unify its operation mode

so as to enhance its brand identity. 4. Location

-There are two principles of selecting favorable locations or areas: the first is to determine suitable locations or areas before searching for its target customer groups; the second is to seek the target customer group before determining suitable locations or areas.

-As CQ beer enterprise is going to expand its market, it is better for the enterprise to search its target customers of different quality of products before searching for the most suitable areas to locate the retail stores.

I would like to illustrate the relationship between different consumption levels of customers, their buying behavior and product positioning as well as selection of distribution channels in the following table (Table 1).

Table 1 Relationship between different consumption levels of customers, their buying behavior, the selection of channels and product positioning of CQ Beer

Distribution Channels of China Beers

Distribution channels of beer products are usually divided into the following categories:

1. Night time channels

-The channels are KTV, night clubs, discos, bars, Chinese restaurants, bathhouses and Western restaurants

-More young beer consumers stay at night places. The volume and profit

making of selling beer products are improved. 2. Instant drink channels

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-The channels are big restaurants, chain hot pot restaurants, Chinese restaurants of hotels, small restaurants, sidewalk night snack booths, mobile booths, etc. These are the main channels of selling beer products.

-Beer enterprises usually spend a lot of money on the following ways: entrance

fee, buy-off fee, open-bottle fee, fee for locating promoters and fee for playing lottery or providing free gifts to the consumers, etc.

3. Day time channels

-The channels are shopping malls, chain supermarkets, convenient stores and retail stores, etc.

-Different kinds of beer products of the same product brand are displayed in the supermarket.

-Nowadays, some consumers prefer to buy their favorite beer products in small retail stores such as stores managed by couples or families. Their importance in retailing is considerable but influence little in the total sales and promotion of brand names.

Then, what problems will come up with different structures of channels. Please read the following analysis.

Problems come up with different structures of channels

The first problem is that the beer enterprises have to spend a lot of money on product promotion.

-Using CQ Beer as an example, in order to display its beer products at prominent places on the shelves of supermarket, marketers should provide shop managers of chain supermarkets with many favorite terms of supply and payment, even they may have to pay the fees for putting their products on shelves.

-Furthermore, marketers have to provide the person in charge of bars and restaurants refrigerators as free gifts and they pay fees for power supply, land occupation and also deposit payment for quality assurance. If marketers recruit and station promoters on the sites, they have to pay not only the fees for buying off its products but reserving the whole site for promotion, and the management expenses.

-If marketers promote its products to the restaurants of the hotels, they have to pay hotels the fees for opening bottles and personal marketing. Its products will be withdrawn if the sales performance is poor. Under this circumstance,

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CQ Beer has to spend a lot of money to conduct promotional activities on its products so as to increase its sales volume.

The second problem is that the beer enterprises have to monopolize the instant drink channels

If CQ Beer enterprise is the sole supplier of wines and beverages to the restaurants of hotels, these restaurants will be the only channels for promoting its beer products. It can squeeze out other brands of beer products out of this market.

Variations on Structures of Distribution Channels

As the above mentioned problems are in the existing channels, causing drawbacks in the China beer market competition, we find three variations on structures of distribution channels are shown as follows:

1.Change the Distributors conflict with the breweries on profit earning because they monopolize the distribution channels.

In addition to expensive costs of retailing and product promotion, big beer enterprises prefer to distribute their products by multiple channels or their own channels, such as CQ chain bars and CQ 24-hour convenient stores.

2.Integrate the distributors' resources rather than utilize their resources

-Some new domestic beer enterprises still rely on distributors to develop their markets. As some rich distributors are strong in their financial strength and market influence, they put a lot of pressures on new enterprises.

-As the new beer enterprises refuse to accept the pressures from distributors, they request the distributors to pay cost and freight for them only. They take

up the duties of sales management, market development and promotion by themselves.

3. Interflow of Information through Electronic Networking

-Many distributors send their requests to beer enterprises on delivery, human resources allocation, capital investment and governance by internet. The beer enterprises need to install information systems to provide distributors reliable backup services.

-In order to understand the changing market environment and flows of distribution, beer enterprises should enhance the communication between the distributors and them by setting up the electronic network. As more information will come through the electronic network between beer market