Topic

Business & Retail

Profit, channels, supply chains, and retail structures—and the mechanisms that truly create value and cash flow.

10 essays

Core questions in this topic

  • Why does sales growth not necessarily create profit?
  • How will the value of channels and intermediaries change?
  • How should retail and supply chains be reorganized?

Most Salespeople Don't Understand Retail

In an era of shrinking demand, sales can no longer just chase distribution coverage — it must shift from shelf-space thinking to understanding store scenarios, assortment logic, and real sell-through.

Selling More Doesn't Mean Earning More: How to Calculate True Gross Margin

Sales revenue and book gross margin cannot tell you whether a deal is worth doing. Only by factoring in direct operating costs can you see the real operating contribution a product actually leaves behind.

What Kinds of Businesses Are There?

Re-understanding the underlying structure of different businesses through four dimensions: product evolution, customer accumulation, core assets, and revenue compounding.

The Evolution and Future of Intermediaries in the Third Consumer Era

A comparative study of FMCG in China, the United States, and Japan to understand how intermediaries evolve in the third consumer era.

The Logic and Direction of Channel Transformation in FMCG

Understanding FMCG channel transformation through power, efficiency, and the division of roles.

An Abstract View of China’s Consumer-Goods Retail Channels

Moving beyond individual formats to understand China’s consumer-goods retail channels as a broader structure.

Six Things a Product Needs to Achieve Sell-Through

Six business questions a company must answer before a product can achieve real sell-through.

Ten Theoretical Foundations for Understanding the FMCG Industry and Its Channels

Ten theoretical foundations for understanding FMCG, channel structures, and the value of distributors.

What U.S. Supply-Chain Transformation Reveals About China’s B2B Path

What the history of U.S. supply-chain evolution reveals about the path and limits of B2B in China’s FMCG market.

The Underlying Logic of Internet Transformation for Distributors

Internet transformation changes more than tools for distributors: it changes efficiency, connection, and value creation.