If you’re thinking about handing your range to a sales agent, the practical questions come quickly. How does the agent get paid? Who sends the stock? What happens if a store wants to return something? What do they need from you?
I’ve written separately about what a travelling agent does for your range. This piece is about the working arrangement itself: how it usually fits together, and what to sort out before you start.
Agent or distributor?
It helps to be clear about the difference first. A distributor usually buys your stock, holds it in a warehouse and sells it on. An agent doesn’t.
Rose Agencies holds no stock. I present your range to stores, take their orders and pass them to you. You stay in control of your product, your pricing and your relationship with each store. Who invoices, delivers and handles returns depends on the brand, and we agree that at the start.
How I’m paid
In most cases I work on commission, and my arrangements are non-exclusive. The details depend on the brand and the buyer, and we agree them privately before I take a range on the road.
I won’t go into figures here, because every arrangement is different. What I can say is why commission tends to suit this trade:
- It ties my work to results. I’m paid when your range sells, so we both want the same thing.
- It suits a growing brand. You’re not carrying the full cost of a salaried rep travelling the country.
- It keeps things simple for stores, who order your range through me as they would any other.
Non-exclusive means neither of us is locked out of other arrangements. I represent several brands at once, currently Local Bloke, Kato Designs, Sundowner Souvenirs and Souvenirs Australia, and the ranges sit alongside each other in the same stores. Whatever we agree, it’s set out clearly between us first.
Who does what
A clear split of jobs saves a lot of trouble later. Broadly:
| I usually look after | The brand usually looks after |
|---|---|
| Presenting the range to suitable stores | Holding and dispatching stock |
| Taking orders and passing them on | Pricing, catalogues and samples |
| Range advice for each store | Supplying reorders on time |
| Passing back what buyers say | Invoicing and returns, unless agreed otherwise |
The exact arrangement varies from brand to brand. The point is to agree it up front so stores always know who to call.
What I need from a brand
To represent a range well, I need:
- Good product information: photos, codes, pack sizes, wholesale and recommended retail prices
- Samples I can put in a buyer’s hands
- Realistic minimum orders that suit small, owner-run stores
- Honest lead times, and stock available when the season arrives
- A simple ordering process, whether that’s an online platform, email or phone
- Quick answers when a store has a question or a problem
Reliable supply matters most of all. I can open the door to a store, but reorders depend on you. I’ve written about what retail buyers look for in a new range, and nearly all of it comes back to this.
Where your range would go
I cover all of Australia for every brand I represent. My current client base is 227 stockists across 132 towns and suburbs, in 46 tourism destinations across six states and territories. They include pharmacies, newsagencies, gift and souvenir shops, visitor information centres, boutiques, surf shops, post offices and attractions. You can see every town on the stockist map.
Questions to ask any agent
Whether you work with me or someone else, ask these before you agree anything:
- Which stores will you actually call on with my range?
- Do my products suit those stores and their customers?
- How are you paid, and is the arrangement exclusive or not?
- Who handles orders, invoicing, delivery and returns?
- How will you report back on what stores are saying?
- What other brands do you carry, and do they compete with mine?
A good agent will answer all of these plainly. If a range doesn’t suit the stores I work with, I’ll tell you so.
If you make or import a product
If you’d like to talk about representation, send me your product details, prices, minimum orders and where your stock is held. I’ll give you an honest view of the fit, and if it works we can agree the details from there.
See how representation works, or get in touch about your range.
If you run a store
For stores, working through an agent means one person to talk to for several brands. You can book a visit, order by phone or email, or ask for catalogues and trade pricing, and I’ll help you choose lines that suit your customers and your space.
Book a visit, ask for range advice or see the products I can bring you.