
Ask HN: What do I need to know about distributors for retail electronics? - blueshifting
We&#x27;re getting ready to launch a small electronic device for a niche market and have started being contacted by distributors and retailers. Suddenly I&#x27;m in a panic because we&#x27;ve been so busy building the thing and I&#x27;ve no idea what I&#x27;m doing regarding this part of the business!<p>What do we need to know? What margins will they expect and are fair? What do we need to consider for terms and contracts? Are there differences between brick&amp;mortar and online? We&#x27;re a US company and some of them are international - how does that work? Should we expect them to ask for exclusivity? We plan to sell the product on our own website and are still considering the whole distributor thing.<p>I&#x27;m going to go breathe in a paper bag for a bit. If anyone has some material to share or advice we&#x27;d be so appreciative.
======
danielvf
Many “distributors” are borderline scams. They often hope to lock up some
exclusive and hope you will do the marketing and they will magically make
money.

Something like McMaster-Carr, our or other giant catalogs can be good, just
don’t expect a lot of sales.

Retailers, I don’t know about, sorry.

If you can sell your product directly, then I would focus on that. In the end,
convincing people to buy your product will always end up being your job, and
the closer you can keep your initial customers, faster you will learn.

