Distribution cost is the easiest place to cut without cutting a customer
Most distributors facing a slow quarter start by trimming which retailers they still serve. That's the wrong first move — it costs a customer relationship to save on fuel. The cheaper fix is almost always in how the deliveries themselves are run, not who gets one.
Group deliveries by route, not by order date
Filling orders as they come in means a van sometimes drives the same street twice in a week for two separate small orders. Batching orders by geography and running each route once or twice weekly, instead of whenever an order lands, cuts fuel and driver hours without changing what any retailer receives.
Set a minimum order value per stop
A stop that costs the same in fuel and driver time whether it carries 5kg or 50kg needs a floor. A minimum order value per drop — enforced politely, with a standing offer to combine a small order into the retailer's next scheduled delivery — keeps small accounts served without every stop losing money.
Fewer, larger deliveries beat frequent small ones
Retailers with stable weekly demand rarely need twice-weekly top-ups; a fortnightly delivery at double the volume usually works just as well for them and halves the distributor's route cost. Ask regular clients if their storage can take a slightly bigger, less frequent delivery before assuming they need the current schedule.
Track cost per delivery, not just cost per order
An order's margin can look fine on paper and still lose money once the delivery cost to reach that particular retailer is counted in. Working out an approximate cost-per-drop by route, and comparing it against what each stop actually orders, shows which accounts are worth a dedicated trip and which are better folded into a shared route.
Grade and pricing reference for planning order sizes is in the Medjool pricing guide and the local vs imported kurma guide. Retailers wanting to review or adjust a delivery schedule can contact us directly.