ALPHARETTA, Ga., Dec. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the world of commercial foodservice, where schools, healthcare systems, and other institutions feed millions of people each day, the sales landscape is shifting. Traditionally, manufacturers have leaned heavily on distributor sales representatives to open doors and introduce them to operators. But in today’s highly fragmented and digital-first market, that approach often leaves manufacturers at arm’s length from the very customers they most want to reach.
The answer, many manufacturers are discovering, is not to replace distributors, who remain vital partners, but to complement them. By adopting a hybrid sales model that blends inside sales with field representation, manufacturers can build direct, meaningful relationships with operators while still keeping distributors central to the transaction. The result is improved visibility, enhanced retention, and accelerated growth.
The Challenge of Fragmentation
Few markets are as complex as the commercial foodservice industry. Between contracts, distributors, and local operators, the channel encompasses millions of end-users, each with unique menus, purchasing habits, and compliance requirements.
Even when parent organizations approve certain products, compliance at the operator level can vary. A school district, for example, might approve a product, but that doesn’t guarantee every cafeteria manager will buy that product. Similarly, a hospital system may use a product for patient feeding but require different contracted products for this purpose.
For manufacturers, this fragmentation creates two challenges:
- Visibility. With so many end-users, it’s challenging to understand who is buying, why they are making a purchase, and how products are being utilized.
- Access. Distributors carry thousands of products from multiple manufacturers. Competing for a distributor sales rep’s time and attention often means fighting for a slice of limited mindshare.
What It Means to Champion End-Customer Relationships
In this environment, manufacturers are increasingly seeking ways to establish a direct relationship with operators while driving sales through distributors. Championing the relationship doesn’t mean bypassing distribution; rather, it means working through the distributor. It means engaging directly with operators, understanding their pain points, workflows, and preferences so that manufacturers can position their products as the best fit. These conversations build trust: when operators feel directly cared for by the brand, they are more likely to adopt products, expand their menus, and provide feedback that fuels innovation.
This operator-centric engagement also helps ensure that sales through the distributor are maximized across contracts, operators, and locations.
The Hybrid Sales Model in Action
This is where inside sales plays a critical role. In a hybrid model:
- Field sales teams focus on top accounts, trade shows, and managing distributor relationships. They are essential for building high-level partnerships, troubleshooting logistics, and handling technical sales.
- Inside sales teams manage a broader swath of the market, covering rural or mid-tier accounts that don’t justify a field visit but still represent meaningful volume. They can engage operators more frequently, maintain consistent messaging, and ensure no account is overlooked.
Together, the two functions drive reach and responsiveness. For example, while a field sales team might generate leads at a trade show, inside sales can follow up quickly while the interest is still top of mind, ensuring a higher return on the manufacturer’s investment.
Inside sales can cover the long tail of operators that are often overlooked by field teams. Xpand Demand, a partner to foodservice manufacturers, specializes in this type of coverage, typically managing 1,000–2,000 accounts per year per representative. Their teams help extend brand reach, deliver consistent messaging, and capture opportunities that might otherwise be missed.
Achieving Stronger Channel Balance
Distributors remain critically important. Every order still flows through distribution. However, a hybrid approach enables manufacturers to introduce products and maintain direct relationships with operators. Successful manufacturers establish and maintain direct relationships with scaled operators to insulate their business from changes in distributor sales representatives, charges, operator distribution shifts, and purchases across contracts.
Distributor sales reps juggle dozens of product lines and thousands of SKUs. Manufacturers who rely solely on them often struggle to gain attention, especially for new or niche products. That leaves a gap in education, product knowledge, and personalized support. One that inside sales teams like Xpand Demand can fill on behalf of manufacturers.
The Business Impact
When manufacturers build direct operator relationships through inside sales, the benefits ripple throughout the business:
- Higher Retention. Operators have a direct point of contact for questions, ordering issues, or substitutions, making them more loyal to the brand.
- Menu Expansion. Direct conversations open opportunities to place additional products on menus—not once a quarter, but as often as daily.
- Better Feedback Loops. Inside sales provides a steady stream of intel: competitive activity, operator needs, and early signals of market shifts. This is the “canary in the coal mine” effect—manufacturers learn about changes faster than they would through distributor reports alone.
- Increased Volume. When operators feel supported, they tend to consolidate purchases with brands they trust, driving higher throughput for distributors and manufacturers alike.
A Balanced Approach
For manufacturers, the key is balance. Field sales teams remain essential for relationship management at the distributor level and for tackling high-value accounts. Inside sales extends the brand’s reach, ensuring consistent engagement with thousands of operators who might otherwise be overlooked.
Together, the two functions divide and conquer: field reps manage the top five to ten percent of accounts and strategic distributor relationships. At the same time, inside sales builds the long tail, scaling personalized conversations across a fragmented market.
This hybrid approach is one that Xpand Demand has built its model around—blending inside sales expertise with field collaboration to support manufacturers in a fragmented foodservice market. As Amber McElwaine, Director of Inside Sales, explains:
“Manufacturers don’t want to bypass their distributors—they want to support them by building stronger operator relationships. Inside sales makes it possible to create those touchpoints at scale while keeping distributors central to the transaction. That balance is where growth happens.”
The Future of Commercial Foodservice Sales
The commercial foodservice market is only becoming more complex. Digital ordering platforms, evolving contract compliance, and shifting operator expectations are transforming the way products are bought and sold. In this environment, manufacturers who rely exclusively on distributor relationships risk losing visibility, control, and influence. Those who adopt a hybrid sales approach, on the other hand, can ensure their brand message reaches operators consistently, thereby strengthening both customer loyalty and distributor partnerships.
A Path Forward
The future of foodservice sales isn’t about choosing between distributor support and direct operator engagement. It’s about blending both, leveraging the scale and insights of inside sales with the relationship-building strength of field teams.
For manufacturers, the payoff is clear: stronger customer relationships, faster feedback, and sustained growth in one of the most fragmented markets in the supply chain. For manufacturers seeking to strengthen their end-customer relationships while leveraging distributor alignment, exploring hybrid inside and field sales models is a crucial next step. Learn more at Xpand Demand’s website.
About Xpand Demand
Xpand Demand brings unrivaled inside sales expertise perfected over decades and proven in the marketplace. In essence, we become an extension of your brand, amplifying exposure to drive greater demand while expanding your reach and removing barriers to market.
About Forward Solutions
Forward Solutions is the engine behind a national portfolio of outsourced sales and service brands — including Avision®, C3Team™, Curate®, Electris360™, OneSolution™, PJ Boren, RelyPak®, StruXur®, and Xpand Demand™. We handle back-end operations and connect customers to multi-channel sales models, providing a smarter, more scalable path to growth.
Media Contact:
Rachel Schell, Marketing Manager
Rachel.Schell@Forward-Solutions.com
This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.
