How to order from a route sales rep without over-buying

In Jamaica and across the Caribbean, many goods still reach small shops through distributors, and the distributor sends a rep round on a regular route. The rep might arrive in a van carrying stock to sell on the spot, or might walk in with a tablet or order book, take your order and have it delivered a day or two later.

Either way, the rep has a job to do. They have a sales target for the week, a list of products the company wants to push, and a long route with a lot of shops to see. They also know a lot: what other shops nearby are selling, what is new, and which promotions are running this month. That knowledge is useful. It just does not replace what you know about your own shop.

Many mini-marts get deliveries only once or twice a week, so the visit is a fixed point in your week. Whatever you do not order that day has to last until the next one. That makes the few minutes with the rep more important than they feel.

The shop owners who over-buy are usually the ones who start thinking about the order when the rep is standing at the counter. Ten minutes of preparation beforehand changes the whole conversation.

1. Check what you have

   Walk the shelves and the back room for that supplier's products. Count, do not guess. If your numbers are in the system or a notebook, use them, then glance at the shelf to confirm. See how to do a stock count if your counts drift.

2. Check what sold

   Look at how many of each product you sold since the last visit. A product that moved 30 units needs a different order from one that moved 3.

3. Decide what must last until the next visit

   If the rep comes every Tuesday, your order has to cover seven days of sales plus a small cushion. Write the quantity next to each product before the rep arrives.

4. Note what you are not buying

   Write a short "skip" list: products with plenty of stock, or that have been slow. It is much easier to say no when the list is already in your hand.

5. Check your cash

   Know the most you can spend on this order, and whether you are paying on delivery or on terms. See cash flow for shop owners.

If you already keep a restock list, you have most of this done. Print it, or have it on your phone, and use it as the basis for the order.

Most reps suggest a quantity, often "the usual" or a figure based on what your shop took last time. That is a reasonable guess, and sometimes it is spot on. But it is built from the distributor's history of selling to you, not from how much you will sell this week.

Compare the suggestion with your own number, product by product. Here is an example from one visit to a small mini-mart with a weekly rep.

Take the oil. You sell about 30 a week and hold 8, so you need 22 more plus a cushion. Two cases is 24, which covers it. Three cases would be 36, leaving you with 14 more bottles than the week needs, so you would be paying for stock that sits. The mackerel is the clearest case: you have a month of tins on hand, so ordering two more cases helps the rep and nobody else. The soda is the one place where the rep is right.

The new crackers show how to treat something you have no history on. Take one case, put it on a visible shelf and see what happens. Do not take four because it is new and exciting.

The rep will often mention an offer: a free unit with each case, a lower price this month, or a display stand with a bigger order. Treat each one as a maths question, not a favour. Negotiating with suppliers covers how to work out whether a price break is worth taking, and working with your distributor rep looks at which offers are worth taking.

Before saying yes, write down three things: the new cost per unit, how long the extra stock will take to sell, and what the cash would do if it were not tied up. A saving of 5 percent on a product that takes eight weeks to sell can cost you more in tied-up cash than you gain.

For new products, ask the rep two questions. Are other shops near you selling it? And can you take one case first, with the option to reorder next visit? Most reps will agree to a small trial, because they would rather get a repeat order than a case that never sells.

When the order is agreed, write it down in your own words and keep it. Many reps keep their own copy, but yours is the one that protects you.

• Date and rep's name, and the day the delivery is due.
• Each product and quantity, in cases or units, exactly as agreed.
• The price per case or unit, including any promotion, such as "buy 10, get 1 free".
• Payment terms: cash on delivery, or a due date.
• Anything promised: a replacement for something out of stock, or a credit for last week's damaged goods.

A photo of the rep's order sheet or screen is enough, as long as it shows quantities and prices. The point is that when the delivery arrives, you have something to check it against. Without it, a short delivery or a wrong price is your word against the invoice. How to receive stock deliveries shows what to do at the door, and short, damaged or substituted deliveries covers what to do when the delivery does not match.

Ordering "the usual" every time

The usual was right in March. By October sales may have gone up or down. Check the numbers each visit.

Ordering from memory

You think you are low on something you have three cases of in the back. Count first.

Saying yes to be polite

A good relationship with the rep is valuable, but it does not depend on buying every suggestion. A rep who knows you order carefully will usually respect that.

Not checking the delivery against the order

If you do not have a record, you cannot dispute anything. The record is only useful if you use it when the boxes arrive.

Letting the visit day set your stock-outs

If the rep comes Tuesday and you run out on Sunday, the fix is a better quantity next time. See planning stock around delivery days.

Shopkeepa keeps a restock list of the products that have fallen to their minimum, with a suggested order quantity for each one. That gives you a number of your own to hold up against the rep's suggestion. Sales reports show your best sellers and slow movers, so you can see which products deserve a bigger order and which should be skipped.

When the delivery arrives, Stock In records what actually came in and what you paid, so your stock and costs match reality. Learn more about low-stock reminders. Shopkeepa does not place orders with suppliers. You still talk to the rep and decide. It is in development, and early access shops will help shape it.