Smarter Sales for F&B Distributors and Wholesalers with SugarCRM & sales-i
If you’re in the business of getting food and drink products into the hands of restaurants, retailers, or hospitality customers, you know what a balancing act it is. One late order, one missed upsell, or one customer who quietly stops ordering, and suddenly you’re behind.
Wholesalers and distributors in the food and beverage industry face constant pressure to move fast, keep margins tight, and retain relationships across hundreds of accounts.
But as many of our customers have found, the right sales tools can take that pressure off, and help you grow.
Here’s how SugarCRM and sales-i are helping F&B wholesalers and distributors work more efficiently, sell more strategically, and keep customers coming back.
From Manual Reporting to Instant Sales Insights
Customer highlight: Bancroft Wines, Wine importer and distributor
Before using sales-i, Bancroft’s sales team had to dig through massive Excel files just to figure out what was selling, and what wasn’t. That meant delays, missed opportunities, and reps relying on other departments for basic info.
Now, every salesperson has real-time access to their own account data—whether they’re in the office or on the road. Reports are fast, visual, and easy to pull.
That access helped one National Account Manager secure a €30,000 purchase order during their slowest sales month of the year—all by identifying gaps and timing her follow-up perfectly.
“Everyone can unlock the data themselves… sales-i is undoubtedly a vital tool for our salespeople to perform to the best of their ability.”
—Georgina M., National Accounts, Bancroft Wines
Stopping Lost Sales Before They Happen
Customer highlight: Country Fare Foodservice, food & beverage wholesaler
Country Fare delivers 12,000 food items daily to restaurants, cafés, and caterers across Southern England. When you deal with fresh produce and dairy, any delay or misstep doesn’t just hurt sales, it can lead to spoilage and waste.
With sales-i, they can now spot when a customer’s buying behavior shifts — and step in before they lose the business. They’ve used that insight to grow existing accounts by 40%, increase total company growth by 21%, and save one full day per week that had previously been spent building reports.
“Much of our sales success is due to sales-i. It’s become so ingrained in our daily work that working without it would be like a construction worker missing a hammer or screwdriver.”
—Gareth R., Account Manager, Country Fare
Making Life Easier for Lean Sales Teams
Customer highlight: Kimbo Coffee UK, coffee distributor
Even with a small team, Kimbo UK was growing, but their outdated systems made it hard to get the sales data they needed. Reps spent hours pulling reports or waiting on updates, which slowed down every part of the business.
Today, Kimbo uses SugarCRM’s sales-i to access everything in one place. The system is simple, visual, and built for teams on the go, whether at a desk or out on the road. In just three months, they increased their invoice count by 23% and saw 17% more customers placing orders.
“… thanks to sales-i, it’s made data access so quick and easy. We always have an eye on our figures, whenever and wherever.”
—Damon W., Commercial Manager, Kimbo UK
Smarter Forecasting for Growing Portfolios
Customer highlight: Global Brands, beverage brand owner & distributor
With a wide portfolio of drinks, including RTDs, spirits, and soft drinks, Global Brands needed a smarter way to manage accounts and identify upsell opportunities. They turned to SugarCRM’s sales-i to give their team the sales visibility they were missing.
Now, their salespeople get proactive alerts, while leadership gets full transparency across accounts. They can forecast better, focus on the right customers, and drive more value from their existing data, all without extra admin work.
“All the intelligence it gathers is integrated into an intuitive CRM tool which is flexible enough to meet our changing needs. We couldn’t recommend sales-i enough.”
—James T., Former Sales Manager, Global Brands
Built for the Way F&B Distributors and Wholesalers Sell
Whether you’re supplying fine wine to grocers or delivering produce to local restaurants, your job depends on timing, relationships, and quick decisions. We designed SugarCRM and sales-i to help wholesalers and distributors like you:
- See where sales are slipping, before they’re lost.
- Uncover upsell opportunities from your current accounts.
- Give reps the tools to act fast and sell smarter.
- Keep your data clean, easy to access, and always up to date.
Want to see what this looks like for your team? Watch a Demo!
