The Hidden Cost of Distributing Brands You Don’t Own
Thin margins hide a larger loss: lifetime margin leakage, dependency risk, and suppressed exit
value. Distributing brands you don’t own transfers risk without capturing upside.
NA Pillar 3
How Distributors Quietly Become Brand Owners (Without Breaking Their Business)
Ownership transitions that endure are structured around existing demand, channel fit, and
reversibility. The risk is not execution — it is locking in dependency before judgment is complete.
You Don’t Have a Margin Problem. You Have an Ownership Problem
Distributors with volume but thin margins don’t have an execution issue. Margin erosion is
structural. Contracts, dependency, and lack of ownership cap upside long before negotiation or scale
can fix it.