Learn How To Work As A Stockist

In the supply chain of products to reach the consumers, the stockist plays a vital role. Stockist serves as the middle ground or a node that connects the company or manufacturer to the retailer.

Aside from its main role to “stock” the products in specific warehouses, stockists have several other duties essential to deliver the goods to the retailers. It requires some specific skills and experiences to work as a stockist.

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Check out below the duties and responsibilities of a stockist and the needed education or experience to be one. Lastly, you will also learn where to look for job openings for stockist positions. 

  • Job Description Of A Stockist
  • Super Stockist And Sub-Stockist
  • Qualifications To Be A Stockist
  • Other Qualifications To Be A Stockist
  • Stockist Job Openings
Learn How To Work As A Stockist
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Job Description Of A Stockist

Many may not be familiar with what a stockist is or what a stockist does. In the supply chain, the stockists are often overlooked by the consumers because they only have a direct transaction with the retailer where they buy the product. 

Learn How To Work As A Stockist
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Meanwhile, the consumers know a company or manufacturer as they are the ones to produce the product. Consumers tend to research the quality of the product of a company and its reputation. 

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Stockists act as the link between the company and the retailer. Their primary role is to store the products in their warehouse. They also ensure that they have enough manpower and vehicles to service the market area assigned to them.

In this case, the stockist can direct transactions for both the company and the retailer. They buy the products or “stocks” from the company to store for some time and eventually sell the products to the retailers in need in the market. 

More About The Job Description Of A Stockist

You might be wondering how does a stockist earn from this chain? They get commissions for their stored products. After buying the products from the company, they will add additional costs for the retailers’ value. 

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Ideally, a stockist stores certain products from particular companies. They cannot transact with products with competing companies. This aspect is their difference with wholesalers because they are free to deal with products from competing companies. 

Lastly, stockist plays a vital role in the supply of the products in their serviced market. When the demand for the product rise, they can easily supply their retailers. This will save the retailers time to wait for the products if they directly transact with the suppliers. 

Super Stockist And Sub-Stockist

In the supply chain, a stockist can be classified into types based on their functions. From the general definition of a stockist’s role, one stockist can be enough in the chain to bridge the supplier-company and the retailer.

Learn How To Work As A Stockist
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In some cases, a super stockist who buys the product from the company sells it to several sub-stockists who will eventually sell them to the retailers. This chain creates a hub for the super stockists with their pool of sub-stockists. 

This distribution model is suitable for rural areas as a single node in the supply chain may not provide the retailers’ the needed number of products. Also, a scattered population will not bring the economics of scale for the company or the stockist.  

In the case of having a super stockist and sub-stockist, the products will be more costly as there will be a commission for the super stockist and sub-stockist, respectively. In this sense, the more the product is stored in several warehouses, the more cost is added to its value.

Dependency On-Time, Season, And Place

Stockists also play distributors’ roles sometimes, but their difference relies on stockists’ dependency on time, season, and place. 

Since stockists store the goods or products, it is essential to choose the right stock to keep in their warehouses. The demand for these products is necessary for stockists to earn their respective commissions. 

They must note when to store a specific product because some goods are seasonal or just a particular time when it is demand. Also, the place is essential because they need to ensure that the market they service needs the product they will store and offer. 

Qualifications To Be A Stockist

The qualifications to be a stockist do not heavily rely only on the education or the finished degree but also on the necessary skills, equipment, and available resources. 

Learn How To Work As A Stockist
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It is ideal to have background knowledge on the market, and you need to know how the supply chain works. It is also necessary to have expertise in the product type and the target market.

A stockist also plays as a retailer, in a sense, because they will sell the stored products to the retailers. It is a must that they know what their product is all about. They must know the nitty-gritty details of the product, such as how to store them properly. 

It is also advantageous to have an in-depth understanding of the target market. As a stockist, you will have a clear idea of the retailers’ needs in the target market in which you plan to provide service. 

Equipment And Resources Needed

To work as a stockist, one must have the necessary equipment and resources to store products bought from a company. First, a stockist must have enough storage space. It is advisable to have space that meets the products’ needed specifications to keep them of the best quality. 

Some products require temperature control; this is a must so that the products will not be damaged or of subpar quality. If one wants to store many products, it is advisable to have a dedicated warehouse with enough space. 

It is also advisable to have the means to transport the products from the company to the warehouse or storage space and from the warehouse to the retailers or the market. Vehicles such as trucks are recommended. 

Other Qualifications To Be A Stockist

There are other qualifications to be a stockist that focuses on the skills of a person. In this case, it is the expected traits and characteristics of a stockist to be reliable and deliver quality service.

Learn How To Work As A Stockist
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A stockist transacts with the company and retailers; thus, stockists must know how to build a good relationship. Stockists rely on the supplier’s trust to store their products, and retailers trust the quality of the product they deliver.

Aside from building good relationships, stockists must know how to communicate correctly. They must be open and direct in communicating with the supplier and the retailer. For example, there is a problem with shipping the product from the warehouse to the retailer. 

The stockist must inform the situation immediately to the retailers to explain the situation. This improves the trust in you as a stockist. There is a great emphasis on the importance of communication skills and building relationships to become a great stockist. 

Quality And Ethical Compliance

Providing products to your retailers demands that the stockist deliver quality products. It is recommended to be detail-oriented to ensure the quality of the products stored in the warehouse. There must include a regular quality assurance check. 

Dealing with several companies and retailers may be hectic and confusing at the same time. A stockist must have excellent organizational skills to manage all the transactions necessary in the business. Good record-keeping skills are a must. 

Lastly, as product and service providers, stockists must comply with ethical standards in handling such products.  This is to ensure that the quality of the products and services offered to adhere to these standards. 

Stockist Job Openings

There are many job openings for a stockist. The secret is to find the best supplier-company whose product you can store and eventually sell for the retailers. 

Learn How To Work As A Stockist
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As a stockist, one must know the products of the supplier they intend to transact with. It will help conduct market research on these products in line with the demand on the target market. 

The competition among stockists happens when several stockists intend to store their products and have the same target market. So, it is a challenge for them to pitch in their best qualities as a stockist and the warehouse and services they can offer.

Specific Stockist Job Openings

But some companies look for specific job positions related to stockist, in case you cannot provide the essential services of being a product. You may apply as a staff or employee in a stockist company.

Some of these specific stockist job positions include sales supervisor and manager, warehouse or factory inventory staff, quality assurance staff, and a lot more.

If one is interested in applying for these positions, they can browse popular job posting sites such as Indeed, Glassdoor, etc. 

Conclusion

Stockists play a vital role in the supply chain in the market. They serve as nodes in the transaction with the supper or company and the retailer. They store products they bought from the company, and they will be selling them to the retailers in the target market.

To be a great stockist, they must have expertise on the product they will store and their target market. There are also several qualities that a stockist must possess, such as organizational skills and communication skills.