Q&A - What is the role of “place” in the marketing mix?

Place (or its more common name “distribution”) is about how a business gets its products to the customers. The objective of distribution is clear. It is to: to make products available in the right place at the right time in the right quantities. Distribution matters for a business of any size – it is a crucial part of the marketing mix.

It is one thing having a great product, sold at an attractive price. But what if:

• Customers are not near a retailer that is selling the product?
• A competing product is stocked by a much wider range of outlets?
• A competitor is winning because it has a team of trained distributors or sales agents who are out there meeting customers and closing the sale?

You can see from the above that getting distribution right is a key part of being competitive.

Distribution is achieved by using one or more distribution channels, including:

• Retailers
• Wholesalers
• Distributors / Sales Agents
• Direct (e.g. via e-commerce)