It’s never been easy to be a small brewery in a wholesaler’s vast book. In the past few years, however, a host of factors have combined to make this positioning even more challenging:
- Distributor consolidation has shuffled the landscape.
- Bud Light’s struggles left Anheuser-Busch InBev–aligned houses reeling.
- A slowdown in craft sales has meant that wholesalers’ attention focuses elsewhere.
- Wholesaler portfolios have been growing ever bigger amid the growth of hemp-derived beverages, energy drinks, canned wine, and RTDs.
Then there’s staff turnover—a broader industry trend, and distributors have not been immune. It’s a trend that can have major ripple effects on small supplier partners, who often feel like they barely have the ear of their wholesaler to begin with.
“I certainly have had experiences where we established a great relationship with a craft-brand manager, they leave, and then you’re left wondering, ‘Who should I talk to?’” says Michelle Forster, sales director at Black Tooth Brewing in Sheridan, Wyoming.