#distributors

[gomtotemeal]

Let’s say I operate a frozen pea factory and we run out of peas. I’d tell the workers, “Just fill the bags up with anything you can find for now and I’ll deal with it later.”

"Anything?"

"Yep. Anything that adds weight.”

But of course I totally forget so when I get a phone call about it later I haven’t prepared well enough to defend myself.

"Calm down," I say. "Start with telling me what was in the bags."

"What the fuck does it matter what was in the bags!?" shouts the distributor. "They sure as shit weren’t filled with peas!"

"John. Listen to me.”

"No, YOU listen to ME dammit!"

As he continues on about lawsuits and damage estimates, I take a moment to daydream about a shipment of peas that arrives just minutes before John confronts me in person to close down my factory.

"You’re lucky," he tells me.

"And you’re not," I say, pulling out a tiny pistol that uses frozen peas or soybeans as ammo.

I fire several times, peppering John’s face and midsection, but even in my dream the pea gun is a useless novelty item incapable of inflicting any real damage. Stunned, he charges at me and we wrestle on the floor of my office until I snap out of my daydream.

Of course, in reality when John finally does show up at my office, I don’t actually try to kill him with a pea gun. Instead, I hide by the door and smash a vase over his head.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Middlemen without enshittification

I'm on tour with my new novel The Bezzle! Catch me next in SALT LAKE CITY (Feb 21, Weller Book Works) and SAN DIEGO (Feb 22, Mysterious Galaxy). After that, it's LA, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and more!

Enshittification describes how platforms go bad, which is also how the internet goes bad, because the internet is made of platforms, which is weird, because platforms are intermediaries and we were promised that the internet would disintermediate the world:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle/#ich-bin-ein-bratapfel

The internet did disintermediate a hell of a lot of intermediaries – that is, "middlemen" – but then it created a bunch more of these middlemen, who coalesced into a handful of gatekeepers, or as the EU calls them "VLOPs" (Very Large Online Platforms, the most EU acronym ever).

Which raises two questions: first, why did so many of us end up flocking to these intermediaries' sites, and how did those sites end up with so much power?

To answer the first question, I want you to consider one of my favorite authors: Crad Kilodney (RIP):

https://archive.org/details/thecradkilodneypapers

When I was growing up, Crad was a fixture on the streets of Toronto. All through the day and late into the evening, winter or summer, Crad would stand on the street with a sign around his neck ("Very famous Canadian author, buy my books, $2" or sometimes just "Margaret Atwood, buy my books, $2"). He wrote these deeply weird, often very funny short stories, which he edited, typeset, printed, bound and sold himself, one at a time, to people who approached him on the street.

I had a lot of conversations with Crad – as an aspiring writer, I was endlessly fascinated by him and his books. He was funny, acerbic – and sneaky. Crad wore a wire: he kept a hidden tape recorder rolling in his coat and he secretly recorded conversations with people like me, and then released a series of home-duplicated tapes of the weirdest and funniest ones:

https://archive.org/details/on-the-street-crad-kilodney-vol-1

I love Crad. He deserves more recognition. There's an on-again/off-again documentary about his life and work that I hope gets made some day:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/09/free-sample/#putrid-scum

But – and this is the crucial part – there are writers out there I want to hear from who couldn't do what Crad did. Maybe they can write books, but not edit them. Or edit them, but not typeset them. Or typeset, but not print. Or print, but not spend the rest of their lives standing on a street-corner with a "PUTRID SCUM" sign around their neck.

Which is fine. That's why we have intermediaries. I like booksellers (I was one!). I like publishers. I like distributors. I like their salesforce, who go forth and convince the booksellers of the world to stock books like mine. I have ten million things I want to do before I die, and I'm already 52, and being a sales-rep for a publisher isn't on my bucket list. I am so thankful that someone else wants to do this for me.

That's why we have intermediaries, and why disintermediation always leads to some degree of re-intermediation. There's a lot of explicit and implicit knowledge and specialized skill required to connect buyers and sellers, creators and audiences, and other sides of two-sided markets. Some producers can do some of this stuff for themselves, and a very few – like Crad – can do it all, but most of us need some help, somewhere along the way. In the excellent 2022 book Direct, Kathryn Judge lays out a clear case for all the good that middlemen can do:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/12/direct-the-problem-of-middlemen/

So why were we all so anxious for disintermediation back in the late 1990s? Here's a hint: it wasn't because we hated intermediaries – it was because we hated powerful intermediaries.

The point of an intermediary is to serve as a conduit between producers and consumers, buyers and sellers, audiences and creators. When an intermediary gains power over the audience – say, by locking them inside a walled garden – and then uses that lock-in to screw producers and appropriate an ever larger share of the value going between them, that's when intermediaries become a problem.

The problem isn't that someone will handle ticketing for your gig. The problem is that Ticketmaster has locked down all the ticketing, and the venues, and the promotions, and it uses that power to gouge fans and rip off artists:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/20/anything-that-cant-go-on-forever-will-eventually-stop/

The problem isn't that there's a well-made website that lets you shop for goods sold by many small merchants and producers. It's that Amazon has cornered this market, takes $0.51 out of every dollar you spend there, and clones and destroys any small merchant who succeeds on the platform:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/25/greedflation/#commissar-bezos

The problem isn't that there's a website where you can stream most of the music ever recorded. It's that Spotify colludes with the Big Three labels to rip off artists and sneaks crap you don't want to hear into your stream in order to collect payola:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/09/12/streaming-doesnt-pay/#stunt-publishing

The problem isn't that there's a website where you can buy any audiobook you want. It's that Amazon's Audible locks every book to its platform forever and steals hundreds of millions of dollars from creators:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/07/25/can-you-hear-me-now/#acx-ripoff

The problem, in other words, isn't intermediation – it's power. The thing that distinguishes a useful intermediary from an enshittified bully is power. Intermediaries gain power when our governments stop enforcing competition law. This lets intermediaries buy each other up and corner markets. Once they've formed cozy cartels, they can capture their regulators and commit rampant labor, privacy and consumer violations with impunity. That capture also lets them harness governments to punish smaller players that want to free workers, creators, audiences and customers from walled gardens. It also hands them a whip-hand over their workers, so that any worker who refuses to aid in these nefarious plans can be easily fired:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle/#ich-bin-ein-bratapfel

A world with intermediaries is a better world. As much as I love Crad Kilodney's books, I wouldn't want to live in a world where the only books on my shelves came from people prepared to stand on a street-corner wearing a "FOUL PUS FROM DEAD DOGS" sign.

The problem isn't intermediaries – it's powerful intermediaries. That's why the world's surging antitrust movement is so exciting: by reinstating competition law, we can keep intermediaries small and comparatively weak, so that creators and audiences, drivers and riders, sellers and buyers, and other groups seeking to connect will not find themselves made subservient to middlemen.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/19/crad-kilodney-was-an-outlier/#intermediation

[distributorschannel1]

Bharat Ka Distributors

Welcome to Bharat Ka Distributors:

Bharat ka Distributors is a premier B2B platform designed to serve small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as distributors. It brings together manufacturers, traders, distributors, brand owners, and others on a unified platform to facilitate business growth and support. The Distributors Channel enables users to discover a wide range of trade opportunities, linking companies in search of reliable distributors with distributors looking for trustworthy business partners.

Who Are We? 

Bharat ka Distributors is crafted to simplify the business experience for distributors, channel partners, and manufacturers. Our goal is to build a strong network where business needs are transformed into profitable opportunities. We assist distributors in finding suitable brands within their comfort zone, recognizing that securing distributorship in Indian towns is a challenging task. To support this, we host thousands of brands on our platform, offering distributors the flexibility to select based on their preferences. We take on the responsibility of negotiating with manufacturers, generating business opportunities, preventing fraud, and meeting the needs of distributors. Our core mission is to provide expert guidance to help distributors enhance their success, including access to credit facilities and the momentum needed to drive their businesses forward. With a community of 17,000 manufacturers and 197,000 distributors across India, Bharat ka Distributors is more than just a platform—it's a family. Join us as we continue to make an impact in the industry by leveraging the power of distribution networking. At Bharat Ka Distributors, we make the distributorship process simple!

Our Vision:

Bharat Ka Distributors is dedicated to providing a straightforward and transparent platform for entrepreneurs, nurturing the development of a robust and dynamic business network.

Our Mission:

Our aim is to boost product sales and distribution using innovative online marketing strategies. We are committed to modernizing traditional markets by embracing digital transformation, leading to increased profitability.

Our Expo:

Bharat ka Distributors successfully hosted expos in Delhi, Noida, Lucknow, Gujarat, and various other cities, attracting a diverse array of manufacturers and distributors. The event was a significant success, offering an ideal platform for networking, product showcases, and discovering new business opportunities. Attendees had the chance to connect with potential partners, discuss industry trends, and establish valuable relationships. The high turnout and positive feedback underscore the expo's role in promoting business growth and collaboration. Distributors Channel continues to be dedicated to organizing impactful events that drive innovation and reinforce connections within the industry.

[go4distributors01]

Go4distributors presents distributorship for Shagun Papad. Join our network for tasty opportunities. Expand your business with premium snacks.

Visit:- Shagun Papad

[hemantgoel]

Kilolab equipment | Glass Pilot Plant | manufacturer & suppliers | Goel Scientific | Canada

We serve best Kilolab equipment, Kilolab equipment price, best glass pilot plant, glass pilot plant equipment price, Assemblies Over Glass Lined Reactor Manufacturers, in canada

[g04distributors]

Go4Distributors offers profitable furniture and supply distribution possibilities. A wide variety of superior items are available for distribution, catering to the needs of aspiring businesses. Distributors may serve a wide range of markets and customers with a complete catalog that includes furniture and other accessories. In order to guarantee its partners' success, Go4Distributors provides strong support networks and resources. A vibrant and fruitful career in the furniture and supply business may be had by joining Go4Distributors.

Visit:-https://www.go4distributors.com/brandlist/furniture-and-supplies

[hutchcodisplays]

We travel well, take up little space, pop up quick, and fold down flat when done! Who are we? Letter size 8.5 x 11 Easel Back Sign Holders HUTCHCO.COM

[possumsattwilight]

Happy to announce my distribution switch from Amuse to Distrokid! This is something that's been a long time coming, and when I was finally sent a renewal bill from Amuse, I decided that it was time.

Look out for new announcements and releases soon! Also if you're following on my existing pages on stores and such, don't worry. It may look a bit weird at some points while I'm processing all of my releases, but it should be relatively smooth with no issues (fingers crossed!)

[lilithsaintcrow]

"In its email to publishers last week, SPD said all of its 300,000 books had been transferred to either Ingram or Publishers Storage and Shipping (PSSC) warehouses—but that publishers would have to contact Ingram or PSSC themselves to get their books back."

[finddistributors99]

Steps To Start Your Hair Oil Distributorship Business

A hair oil distributorship can be a financially rewarding endeavor, especially considering the market's constant demand for high-quality hair care products. For people of all ages and genders, hair oil is a necessary grooming product, which makes it a lucrative market for would-be business owners. We have included a thorough guide with all the necessary steps to launch a hair oil distributorship business to assist you in getting started.

[sarasbooksonline]

Creative Industries Critical readings set of volume (I,II,III,& IV)

DM for Order #sarasbooks65

Contact : +91-9958491228

[raihantex-blog]

The Rise of Business Polo Shirt Distributors in Italy: Trends and Insights

[snehasingh797]

The Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry is one of the most competitive and fast-paced markets worldwide. With millions of products being sold daily, ensuring your brand reaches the right audience efficiently is crucial for success. Choose the right FMCG distributors can significantly impact your brand’s reach, sales, and overall reputation.

Check:- Fmcg Distributors

[go4distributors01]

To guarantee a seamless and fruitful collaboration, a number of important considerations should be made when choosing for Bakery cookies distributors. Every factor matters when evaluating a distributor's viability, from product quality and dependability to market reach and customer service.

Visit:- What Factors Should I Consider When Choosing Bakery Cookies Distributors?