Broker & Independent Rep Jobs

The word “broker” can mean many different things in various industries. In the natural channel, brokers are typically independent sales agencies. They can range from a one-person operation to quite large national and even international corporations.

A proficient food broker is knowledgeable about their category(s) as well as the wholesalers and retailers in their respective region(s). After becoming familiar with a supplier’s product, the broker recommends what stores and markets one should target first in order to grow sustainably and successfully. Depending on the type of product that a supplier is producing or marketing, a food broker may recommend starting exclusively in natural / specialty food stores, conventional food stores, or both. For example, if a supplier’s product is free-range eggs, the food broker may recommend that they grow their sales volumes in a natural food store, like Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Bi-Rite Market, before moving into conventional grocery stores.

Once a plan is in place, the broker’s services include sales, merchandising, setting promotions and managing the marketplace for which they are contracted. 

Careers with brokers have a broad range of positions, including sales jobs, analytical jobs, category management jobs, administrative jobs, executive jobs and more. Geographically, brokers are virtually in every market.