Dabur India on Wednesday said it intends to work closely with general trade stockist partners to ensure their return on investments are protected and enhanced. This comes at a time when there is growing discontent among general trade channel partners for losing out business to quick commerce and e-commerce channels and they have been demanding a level-playing field from FMCG companies.
Dabur India said that it has reiterated commitment to the general trade stockists, acknowledging them as the true backbone of its distribution ecosystem. The company’s top officials held a meeting withthe All-India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF), where both sides exchanged views on the evolving market landscape and strategies to tap the emerging opportunities,” the statement added.
“Our general trade stockist partners are not just channels of distribution, they are our growth partners, our frontline ambassadors, and the reason brand Dabur reaches every corner of India. Their entrepreneurial spirit, agility and deep market understanding have helped us navigate challenges and seize opportunities across decades. As we roll out our new vision strategy, we intend to work with these partners to not only tap the emerging opportunities but also ensuring that their RoI is protected and enhanced,” Dabur India Limited Chief Executive Officer Mohit Malhotra said.
The company said it will also invest in tools and programmes to empower the stockist partners, ranging from predictive analytics for demand planning to simplified onboarding and claims processing systems.
Dabur had recently unveiled its refreshed strategic vision to achieve sustainable double-digit CAGR in both topline and bottomline by FY 2027-28. “Our renewed strategy is designed to harness the strength of our core while unlocking future-ready engines of value creation. It represents a fine balance between stability and disruption, scale and agility, and heritage and modernity. With new product formats, enhanced supply chain capabilities, and a renewed focus on customer-centricity, we are confident that our general trade partners will continue to thrive alongside us as we steer Dabur into the next growth orbit,” Malhotra added.
Last year, Dabur India had decided to do a one-time inventory write-off in general trade stockists channel in a bid to address changing channel dynamics, with e-commerce and modern trade channels growing at higher clip than general trade.
In March, AICPDF had written an open letter to all FMCG companies urging them to ensue fair play and a level playing field for the general trade. It had also flagged concerns of the general trade ecosystem being “systematically undermined by deep discounting and predatory pricing practices, which threaten our survival and distort market parity“.