Nestle Waters North America is a corporation based in Greenwich, Connecticut, that manages 12 bottled water brands including Nestle Pure Life, Ice Mountain, Arrowhead, Calistoga, Perrier, Ozarka and San Pellegrino. Their waters are sold in hotels, restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores throughout the United States and Canada. Becoming a distributor for Nestle Waters involves developing an established distribution company and making an arrangement with Nestle to sell one or more of their brands of bottled water.
Pursue a business degree at a four-year or community college. Enroll in classes that discuss wholesale manufacturing and running a small business.
Contact Nestle Waters and inquire about the wholesale prices for their various bottled water brands. Decide which brands of Nestle bottled water you want to distribute. Since Nestle water brands include low-end brands like Ozarka as well as high-end sparkling water brands like Perrier, you will need to decide which type of market you are going after. Decide whether you want to sell/supply water to restaurants or businesses like convenience stores and offices or hotels with vending machines.
Compare Nestle’s wholesale costs with retail prices for the water brands you are interested in distributing. Consider brands with the highest profit margin and select the option that offers you the most potential profit. Remember to include shipping and administrative costs into your profit determination.
Create a business plan that maps out what waters you will sell, who you will sell them to and how you will transport them from Nestle’s distribution centers to the business you contract with.
Obtain startup funds from a small business loan at your local bank. Consider your own credit history and realize that poor credit will make it more difficult for you to obtain a loan. Ask Nestle if they offer any loans to distributors interested in selling their waters.
Use marketing materials provided by Nestle Waters like their door-hanger campaign targeted at hotels. These materials provide a ready-made selling tool to potential clients.
