Sale-to-order selection

What is Alko’s sale-to-order selection?

The products in the sale-to-order selection come from a variety of domestic importers and producers. Alko does not keep these products in stock. The seller is the importer for sale-to-order products and the seller needs to have valid permits required for the respective activities (e.g. wholesale license number). These products are available for customers in the Alko Online shop. Alko shops can order these products from the suppliers to the shop’s assortment according the demand.

Alko’s sale-to-order selection is an agile and convenient channel for listing your product, even on a fast schedule.

Sale-to-order selection’s two different categories

The sale-to-order selection has two different categories. The sale-to-order selection products will be offered either to category T1 or to category T3:

• normal sale-to-order selection products (T1)
• locally available sale-to-order selection products (T3): Category T3 is for microbreweries (annual production maximum 15 million litres) and other small producers (annual production maximum 100,000 litres), who can offer their products to this category for local distribution. This selection can only be offered with the delivery terms "Deliveries from Finland to Alko's shops".

How to offer products to the sale-to-order selection?

The sale-to-order products can be offered to the sale-to-order selection at any time. These products do not have a search procedure. You can offer the products to the sale-to-order selection independently and without charge in Alko's Partner Network or by using the Listing Service (a handling fee of 100.00 euro + VAT and a possible fee of photographing 40.00 euro + VAT). Before offering please read the instruction leaflet carefully "Listing procedure and retail sale of alcoholic beverages" document, which contains the principles of product listing and trade.

Self-service listing to the sale-to-order selection

In the self-service listing you offer the products to the sale-to-order selection independently and without charge in the Partner Network. Once the offer has arrived, the listing of the product will take about two weeks. This schedule is possible if the offer contains all the required information, a possible registration to the recycling system is valid and an image following Alko’s specifications is attached to the offer. If you wish, Alko can also photograph the offered product for a fee.

Listing Service to the sale-to-order selection

You can also use Alko’s Listing Service when offering a product to the sale-to-order selection. In this case the offer must be submitted in Alko’s Partner Network or by using the newest offer forms via email or mail.

Ways of delivery

In the sale-to-order selection you can offer the products with the delivery terms of either “DDP unloaded in the warehouse, Incoterms 2020” or with “DDP unloaded in the store’s warehouse, Incoterms 2020”. Deliveries require the use of Alko's network EDI application (supplier-web). Seller who deliver the products directly to Alko shops can also use Alko’s EDI message flow. Suppliers of T3 category products may for special reasons apply for exceptional delivery terms.

1. Deliveries from Finland to Alko's shops (delivery terms DDP unloaded in the store’s warehouse, Incoterms 2020)

Offering products to Alko's shops requires the supplier (direct distribution) to have the valid licenses for the operations. A direct distributor must have such capabilities for entire message flow of an electronic order-delivery process that are tested and approved by Alko.

2. Deliveries from Finland to Alko's central warehouse (delivery terms DDP unloaded in the warehouse, Incoterms 2020)

Offering products to Alko's tax-free central warehouse requires the supplier to have a duty-free warehouse in Finland and the valid permits required for the activities.

Please remember to choose the right form type corresponding the terms of delivery you will be using. A supplier who is acting as a seller needs to choose the same delivery terms and the same supplying warehouse for all their supplied products.

Please notice when filling in the offer form

An authorization of the producer or the owner of the trademark must accompany each offer of a new product. Authorization is not required, if the product is the offeror’s own brand or manufacture. The analysis certificate of informed analysis values needs also to be attached to the offer form.

Product samples of listed sale-to-order products do not need to be delivered unless those are separately requested by Alko.

For products listed in T3 category the producer can choose the shops (1-10 shops) to which the product can be delivered. In addition to the aforementioned, the producer may choose Alko Online shop for deliveries as well. Please notice that sale-to-order products in T3 category cannot be transferred to Alko’s general selection on the basis of sales monitoring.

Listing of products to the sale-to-order selection and availability

New products can be listed to the sale-to-order selection weekly. Sale-to-order selection’s listing date is on every Thursday and the sale begins on Monday. If a product offered to the sale-to-order selection has a limited availability, the seller needs to announce the availability in sales units in the offer. The product must be delivered according to the offer either to Alko’s central warehouse within three working days or to Alko shops within five working days from the receipt of order.

Sale-to-order selection products in Alko shop’s selection

Shops can supplement optional products in their selections with an unrestricted amount of sale-to-order selection products of their choice as long as the shop’s entire selection quantity stays below the maximum limit, which has been given to it because of capacity reasons. The sale-to-order selection products included in the shop selection are either local specialties or products that complement the general selection. Sale-to-order selection products cannot be in the special display of the shop.

Product transfer from the sale-to-order selection to another selection

Transfer from the sale-to-order selection to the general selection is possible in two ways. A sale-to-order product can participate in a general selection product search and may be purchased to the general selection. A T1 category product can transfer to the general selection on the basis of sales monitoring. A sale-to-order product in T3 category cannot be transferred to the general selection on the basis of sales monitoring. When transferring the product to the general selection on the basis of sales monitoring, it will be characterized, analyzed and included in the quality control program. There will be a charge of 350.00 euro (+ VAT) for the transfer. Sale-to-order selection product can also be offered to the specialties or seasonal product tenders.

Whom can you contact if you need help?

Purchasing coordinators will help when needed purchasinghelp@alko.fi.