Sales and distribution, in plain words.

A

AI order suggestions (smart cart) Analytics & AI

AI order suggestions are product and quantity recommendations generated for each outlet from its own order history and the buying patterns of similar outlets nearby. A rep opening the order screen at a kirana store sees the items it usually buys and the lines it is likely missing, which helps raise lines per call. See Lines per call (LPC)

AI sales assistant Analytics & AI

An AI sales assistant is software that answers questions about sales data in everyday language, without the user building a report. A regional manager can ask which outlets stopped ordering this month or which distributor is short of a focus product, and get an answer in seconds. See Sales intelligence

Anomaly detection Analytics & AI

Anomaly detection is the automatic spotting of sales or activity data that breaks from normal patterns. Examples include a sudden drop in orders from a busy outlet or a rep checking in far from the store, flagged early so managers can act before the month closes. See Geo-tagged check-in

Area sales manager (ASM) Field sales

An area sales manager (ASM) is the manager responsible for sales, distributors and field teams across a defined area, usually a group of towns or districts. In Indian FMCG, the ASM reports to the regional sales manager and oversees several sales officers and their reps. See Sales hierarchy

Asset tracking Retail

Asset tracking is recording where brand-owned equipment placed in shops is located, what condition it is in and how it is being used. Beverage and ice cream brands track visicoolers, freezers and display racks so they can confirm each asset is in the agreed outlet and stocked with their products. See Visicooler

Average order value Field sales

Average order value is the total value of orders divided by the number of orders over a period. Field sales managers track it per rep, beat and outlet type, because raising order value at existing outlets is often cheaper than adding new ones. See Productive call

B

B2B ordering app Retail

A B2B ordering app is a mobile app that lets retailers place orders directly with a brand or distributor at any time, without waiting for a rep's visit. A kirana owner can reorder fast-moving items on a Sunday evening, see current schemes and track delivery from the phone. See Wholesale ordering portal

Batch number Distribution

A batch number is the code a manufacturer prints on products made in the same production run, linked to their manufacturing and expiry dates. Distributors of medicines, dairy and packaged food record batch numbers so they can sell older stock first and trace a recall to specific outlets. See FEFO

Beat Field sales

A beat is a fixed group of outlets a rep visits on a given day, repeated on a weekly or fortnightly cycle. A Monday beat might cover the kirana stores and chemists along one market road, so every shop knows when to expect the salesman. See Beat plan

Beat plan Field sales

A beat plan is the schedule that assigns each rep a fixed set of outlets for each day of the week, so every outlet is visited at the right frequency with the least travel. Larger outlets may be visited weekly and smaller ones fortnightly, with workload balanced across reps. See Route optimisation

C

Collections Schemes & money

Collections are the payments received from retailers or distributors against invoices raised on credit. In Indian general trade, reps often collect cash, cheques or UPI payments during store visits, so showing outstanding dues before each new order helps keep credit under control. See Retailer ledger

CPG vs FMCG Retail

CPG (consumer packaged goods) and FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) are two names for everyday packaged products such as food, beverages, toiletries and household items. CPG is the more common term in the US, while FMCG is standard in India and the UK. See General trade

Credit limit Schemes & money

A credit limit is the maximum amount of unpaid dues a retailer or distributor is allowed to carry before new orders are held. Setting a limit and credit days per outlet, and blocking orders over it, protects distributors from bad debts in general trade. See Collections

Credit note Schemes & money

A credit note is a document that reduces the amount a buyer owes, issued for returned goods, damages, price corrections or scheme benefits. A distributor might issue a credit note to a kirana store for expired biscuits taken back, adjusting the store's ledger balance. See Sales return

D

Daily sales report (DSR) Field sales

A daily sales report (DSR) is a rep's end-of-day summary of visits, orders, collections and issues. When it is generated automatically from the day's activity in a field sales app, managers see it the same evening instead of waiting for paper or WhatsApp updates. See Field sales

Direct store delivery (DSD) Distribution

Direct store delivery (DSD) is a distribution model in which the brand or its distributor delivers products straight to stores, often stocking shelves too, instead of shipping through a retailer's warehouse. It suits perishable or fast-turning goods such as bread, milk, snacks and soft drinks. See Van sales

Dispatch Distribution

Dispatch is the step in which confirmed orders are picked, packed, invoiced and sent out from a warehouse or distributor godown for delivery. A distributor typically groups the day's retailer orders by route and dispatches each vehicle with its invoices and delivery list. See Loadout

Distributor Distribution

A distributor is an independent business that buys products from a brand, holds stock and sells and delivers to retailers in an assigned territory. In Indian FMCG, distributors usually also extend credit to shops, collect payments and pass on the brand's trade schemes. See Distributor management system (DMS)

Distributor claim Schemes & money

A distributor claim is a request from a distributor to the brand for reimbursement of money spent on the brand's behalf. Claims cover schemes given to retailers, damaged or expired stock, price drops and promotional costs, and must be checked against invoices and scheme rules before settlement. See Scheme leakage

Distributor management system (DMS) Distribution

A distributor management system (DMS) is software that distributors use to run inventory, order processing, dispatch, invoicing, claims and accounts while sharing sales and stock data with their brands. It gives brands visibility of secondary sales and distributor stock, which they otherwise rarely see. See Secondary sales

E

E-invoicing Schemes & money

E-invoicing is the system under India's GST rules in which businesses above a set turnover register each B2B invoice on the government's Invoice Registration Portal to receive a unique reference number and QR code. Distributors need billing software that generates these invoices without manual re-entry. See GST invoice

F

FEFO Distribution

FEFO (first expired, first out) is a stock rotation rule in which products with the earliest expiry date are dispatched first, regardless of when they arrived. It is essential for medicines, dairy and packaged food, where selling near-expiry stock late leads to returns and write-offs. See FIFO

Field force management Field sales

Field force management is the planning, tracking and measurement of a mobile workforce's daily work. For consumer brand sales teams it is another name for sales force automation, covering beats, attendance, visits, orders and reporting. See Sales force automation (SFA)

Field sales Field sales

Field sales is selling done in person at the customer's location. In Indian consumer goods, field reps visit kirana stores, chemists and other outlets on planned beats to take orders, check stock and displays, run schemes and collect payments. See Outside sales rep

FIFO Distribution

FIFO (first in, first out) is a stock rotation rule in which the oldest stock received is dispatched first. Distributors of products without critical expiry dates, such as detergents or toiletries, use FIFO to stop old stock ageing in the godown. See FEFO

Fill rate Distribution

Fill rate is the share of ordered quantity that is actually delivered. If a retailer orders ten cases and receives eight, the fill rate on that order is lower than planned, which means lost sales and a frustrated shopkeeper. See OTIF

Focus product Field sales

A focus product is a SKU the brand asks reps to push harder during a period, such as a new launch, a high-margin item or a slow mover. Reps often earn extra incentive for selling focus products, and managers track their outlet coverage separately. See SKU

Free goods (buy X get Y) Schemes & money

Free goods, often written as buy X get Y, are a trade scheme in which a retailer receives extra units free when buying a set quantity. A common example is one free pack of a new flavour with every twelve packs of an established one. See Trade scheme

G

General trade Retail

General trade is the network of small, independent shops, such as kirana stores, chemists, paan shops and corner stores, served through distributors and field reps. Reaching these shops efficiently is a core job for any consumer brand's sales team in India. See Modern trade

Geo-tagged check-in Field sales

A geo-tagged check-in is a visit record that captures the rep's GPS location and time when they arrive at an outlet. It gives managers proof that a store visit really happened, especially when combined with geofencing around each outlet. See Geofencing

Geofencing Field sales

Geofencing is setting a virtual boundary around a location so an app can detect when a device enters or leaves it. In field sales, a check-in may only be allowed within a short distance of the outlet, which helps prevent fake visits. See Geo-tagged check-in

Goods receipt note (GRN) Distribution

A goods receipt note (GRN) is the document a distributor or warehouse creates when it receives stock, recording what arrived against what was ordered. Short, damaged or wrong items noted on the GRN become the basis for claims and stock corrections. See Stock reconciliation

GST invoice Schemes & money

A GST invoice is a tax invoice that meets India's Goods and Services Tax rules, showing details such as GSTIN, HSN codes, taxable value and the tax charged. Distributors must issue GST invoices to retailers so both sides can account for tax correctly. See E-invoicing

J

Journey plan compliance Field sales

Journey plan compliance is the share of planned outlet visits a rep actually completed in a period. A low figure points to unrealistic beat plans, poor route design or weak discipline, and is one of the first numbers a field sales manager checks. See Beat plan

K

Kirana store Retail

A kirana store is a small, family-run neighbourhood grocery shop in India selling everyday food, household and personal care products. Kirana stores are the core of general trade, usually ordering from distributor salesmen and buying on short credit. See General trade

L

Lines per call (LPC) Field sales

Lines per call (LPC) is the average number of different SKUs in each order a rep takes. A higher LPC means reps are selling more of the range at each outlet rather than just the two or three items the shop always reorders. See Productive call

Loadout Distribution

A loadout is the stock loaded onto a delivery vehicle or sales van at the start of a route, recorded item by item. At the end of the day, the loadout is reconciled against sales, returns and the stock brought back to the godown. See Route accounting

M

Modern trade Retail

Modern trade is organised retail, such as supermarket chains, hypermarkets and convenience chains that buy centrally and run their own supply chains. Brands usually serve modern trade through key account teams and separate terms from general trade. See General trade

N

National sales manager (NSM) Field sales

A national sales manager (NSM) is the senior leader responsible for a brand's sales targets, teams and distribution across the whole country. The NSM sets national plans and schemes and manages the zonal sales managers below. See Sales hierarchy

Numeric distribution Distribution

Numeric distribution is the percentage of outlets in a market that stock a product, regardless of how much each outlet sells. A brand present in half the kirana stores of a town has a numeric distribution of fifty per cent there. See Weighted distribution

O

Offline-first app Field sales

An offline-first app is a mobile app designed to keep working without an internet connection, saving data on the phone and syncing when a connection returns. It matters for field reps in rural areas, basements and crowded markets with patchy mobile signal. See Field sales

Order-to-cash Schemes & money

Order-to-cash is the full business flow from taking a customer's order to receiving the payment, covering order entry, credit check, dispatch, delivery, invoicing and collection. Delays or re-typing at any step slow down cash flow for both brand and distributor. See Collections

OTIF Distribution

OTIF (on time, in full) is a delivery measure counting orders delivered on the promised date with the full ordered quantity. Brands use it to rate distributors, and modern trade chains often use it to rate their suppliers. See Fill rate

Outlet coverage Field sales

Outlet coverage is the number or share of target outlets that a brand's reps visit or that buy from it in a period. Widening coverage in towns and villages is one of the most direct ways for FMCG brands to grow secondary sales. See Numeric distribution

Outside sales rep Field sales

An outside sales rep is a salesperson who sells face to face by travelling to customers rather than selling by phone or online. The term is common in the US, while India and the UK more often say field sales rep or salesman. See Field sales

P

Perfect store Retail

A perfect store is a brand's checklist of what ideal execution looks like in an outlet, such as range stocked, shelf share, display, pricing and promotion material. Reps score each visit against it, so execution can be compared across outlets and territories. See Retail audit

Planogram Retail

A planogram is a diagram that shows exactly where and how products should be placed on a shelf or display. Brands share planograms with chemists and modern trade stores, and reps photograph shelves to check that they are followed. See Perfect store

Primary sales Distribution

Primary sales are sales from the manufacturer or brand to its distributors or super-stockists. They are easy to measure but can hide real demand, because distributors may be holding stock that has not yet reached shops. See Secondary sales

Productive call Field sales

A productive call is a store visit that results in an order. Managers compare productive calls with total calls each day, because a rep who visits many outlets but books few orders has a selling problem, not a coverage problem. See Strike rate

R

Regional sales manager (RSM) Field sales

A regional sales manager (RSM) is the manager responsible for sales and distribution across a region, often one or more states. In a typical Indian FMCG hierarchy, the RSM reports to the zonal sales manager and leads several area sales managers. See Sales hierarchy

Retail audit Retail

A retail audit is a structured check of what is happening in a store, covering stock availability, pricing, shelf placement, displays and competitor activity. Reps often complete short audits with photos during visits, giving brands evidence of in-store execution. See Perfect store

Retailer ledger Schemes & money

A retailer ledger is the running account of a shop's invoices, payments, credit notes and outstanding balance with a distributor. When reps and retailers can both see the same ledger, disputes over dues are settled quickly at the counter. See Credit limit

Route accounting Distribution

Route accounting is the tracking of stock loaded, sales made, returns, cash collected and final settlement for each delivery or van sales route per day. It shows whether every unit and every rupee that left the godown has been accounted for. See Loadout

Route optimisation Field sales

Route optimisation is ordering a rep's outlet visits to cut travel time and distance. A better route lets a rep cover more outlets per day in dense city markets, or reach scattered village outlets without wasted trips. See Beat plan

S

Sales analytics Analytics & AI

Sales analytics is the analysis of sales data to report what happened, such as sales by product, outlet, rep, distributor or region over time. Common views include target versus achievement, product mix, outlet coverage and scheme performance. See Sales intelligence

Sales force automation (SFA) Field sales

Sales force automation (SFA) is software that digitises the daily work of a sales team, including visits, orders, routes, attendance and reporting. Managers see field activity as it happens, and reps spend less time on paperwork and phone calls. See Field force management

Sales forecasting Analytics & AI

Sales forecasting is estimating future sales by product, outlet, distributor or region using past sales, seasonality, promotions and trends. Good forecasts help brands plan production and help distributors stock up before festivals without overloading their godowns. See Sales analytics

Sales hierarchy Field sales

A sales hierarchy is the reporting structure of a sales organisation from field reps up to national leadership. A typical Indian FMCG hierarchy runs sales representative, sales officer, area sales manager, regional sales manager, zonal sales manager and national sales manager. See Sales officer (SO)

Sales intelligence Analytics & AI

Sales intelligence is the use of data and analytics to guide selling decisions, such as who to visit, what to sell, which promotions work and where sales are being lost. Unlike plain reporting, it recommends a next action, often with the help of AI. See Sales analytics

Sales officer (SO) Field sales

A sales officer (SO) is a first-line sales supervisor who manages a small team of reps and their distributors in a town or territory. The SO makes joint visits, checks beat discipline and reports to the area sales manager. See Area sales manager (ASM)

Sales representative (SR) Field sales

A sales representative (SR) is the field salesperson who visits outlets on a beat to take orders, check stock, apply schemes and collect payments. In India, SRs may be employed by the brand or by the distributor, and are often simply called salesmen. See Beat

Sales return Distribution

A sales return is stock sent back by a retailer to the distributor, or by a distributor to the brand, because it is damaged, expired, near expiry or wrongly supplied. Returns must be recorded against the original invoice so credit notes and claims are calculated correctly. See Credit note

Sales scorecard Analytics & AI

A sales scorecard is a short set of key measures used to rate a rep, team, distributor or territory against targets. A rep's scorecard might show productive calls, lines per call, focus product sales, new outlets and collections for the month. See Target allocation

Scheme leakage Schemes & money

Scheme leakage is trade scheme money that does not reach its intended purpose, for example discounts never passed to retailers, benefits claimed on ineligible orders or inflated claims. It wastes trade spend and is easiest to stop when schemes are applied and claimed from actual transactions. See Distributor claim

Secondary sales Distribution

Secondary sales are sales from distributors to retailers. They reflect real market demand better than primary sales, so brands use them to plan production, schemes and coverage, and to spot distributors who are overstocked. See Primary sales

SKU Retail

A SKU (stock keeping unit) is a unique code for one specific product variant, such as a particular flavour in a particular pack size. A shampoo sold in sachets, small bottles and large bottles counts as three SKUs, each tracked separately for stock and sales. See Lines per call (LPC)

Slab scheme Schemes & money

A slab scheme is a trade scheme that gives bigger discounts at higher order quantities or values. For example, a retailer might get a small discount above ten cases and a larger one above twenty-five, encouraging bigger orders. See Trade scheme

Stock reconciliation Distribution

Stock reconciliation is matching the stock recorded in the system with physical stock and with what was bought and sold. Distributors do it to find losses, data errors, damages or unreported sales before they turn into disputed claims. See Goods receipt note (GRN)

Stock-out Retail

A stock-out is a situation in which a product is unavailable at an outlet or distributor when a customer wants to buy it. In FMCG, a shopper facing a stock-out usually buys a competing brand, so the sale is lost rather than delayed. See Fill rate

Strike rate Field sales

Strike rate is the share of a rep's store visits that end in an order, calculated as productive calls divided by total calls. A falling strike rate can signal stock problems at the distributor, unattractive schemes or poorly planned beats. See Productive call

Sub-stockist Distribution

A sub-stockist is a smaller distributor that buys from a main distributor or super-stockist and serves retailers in outlying towns and villages. Sub-stockists extend a brand's reach into rural markets where a full distributor would not be viable. See Super-stockist

Super-stockist Distribution

A super-stockist is a large distributor that buys directly from the brand and supplies smaller distributors or sub-stockists across a region. The model is common in India, where it helps brands cover many towns without managing each distributor directly. See Sub-stockist

T

Target allocation Field sales

Target allocation is splitting a company's sales target down the hierarchy to regions, distributors, territories and individual reps. Fair allocation starts from each territory's past sales and potential and adjusts for seasonality and new outlets. See Sales scorecard

Territory management Field sales

Territory management is dividing a market into areas with balanced potential and workload, and assigning reps and distributors to each. Well-designed territories stop reps overlapping, leave fewer outlets unserved and make targets easier to compare. See Beat plan

Tertiary sales Distribution

Tertiary sales are sales from retailers to end consumers. Brands rarely see them directly in general trade, so they rely on secondary sales, retail audits and market research to estimate what shoppers are buying. See Secondary sales

Trade promotion management (TPM) Schemes & money

Trade promotion management (TPM) is the planning, running and measuring of the discounts, schemes and incentives brands give distributors and retailers. Its goal is to get the most incremental sales for the trade spend and to settle related claims accurately. See Trade scheme

Trade scheme Schemes & money

A trade scheme is a promotional offer a brand gives distributors or retailers to drive orders, such as free goods, slab discounts, price-offs, combo offers or display incentives. Schemes work only when reps and retailers know about them and they are applied correctly on each order. See Slab scheme

V

Van sales Distribution

Van sales is a selling model in which a rep travels with a stocked vehicle, sells to outlets from the van and invoices on the spot. It is common for dairy, bakery, beverages and rural FMCG routes, where order and delivery happen in the same visit. See Route accounting

Visicooler Retail

A visicooler is a glass-door refrigerator that a beverage, dairy or ice cream brand places in a shop to chill and display its products. Brands expect it to stock only their products, so reps check its placement, condition and purity during visits. See Asset tracking

W

Weighted distribution Distribution

Weighted distribution is a measure of product availability that weights each stocking outlet by its share of total category sales. Being stocked in a few high-selling stores can count for more than presence in many small ones. See Numeric distribution

Wholesale ordering portal Retail

A wholesale ordering portal is a website or app where retail buyers place B2B orders with a brand, distributor or wholesaler themselves, without waiting for a rep. It lets shops reorder between visits and see prices, schemes and order status. See B2B ordering app

Z

Zonal sales manager (ZSM) Field sales

A zonal sales manager (ZSM) is the senior manager responsible for sales across a zone, such as North, South, East or West India. The ZSM leads the regional sales managers in that zone and reports to the national sales manager. See National sales manager (NSM)