Wholesalers buy in bulk from distributors or direct from the manufacturer and sell in smaller quantities to retailers. Only 49 of the 1,286 published plans we analyzed name wholesalers as eligible for co-op, usually alongside distributors and retailers, and often with proof-of-purchase strings attached.
Manufacturers often use “wholesaler” and “distributor” interchangeably, and their plans reflect it: when a plan lists both, it usually means any middleman in the chain qualifies. The practical difference is where the retailer's proof of purchase comes from. A retailer who buys from you cannot show the manufacturer an invoice from the manufacturer. They show yours. That puts you in the paperwork path whether you asked to be or not.
| The old way still the industry standard | Co-Op Managers |
|---|---|
| Retailers who buy through you mail your invoices to the manufacturer as proof of purchase. | Your sales to each retailer are on record in the system. Proof of purchase is automatic. |
| You are asked to assemble and forward retailer claims, unpaid. | Retailers claim in the portal against funds allocated to them. Nothing to assemble. |
| Whether you qualify for co-op yourself depends on a line in a PDF. | Eligibility by tier is configured in the program. If wholesalers earn, your balance shows it. |
| You cannot see which retailers used the brand's money. | Tier-level reporting shows the local activity that flowed through you. |
Tell us which lines you carry and whether their co-op reaches you or skips you. Wholesalers stuck in the proof-of-purchase path are one of the clearest cases we can bring to a manufacturer, because the fix helps the brand, the wholesaler, and the retailer at once.
We will tell you whether we manage any of their programs, and what you can do with the ones we do not.