In today’s competitive retail landscape, efficient procurement is critical to sustaining growth and maintaining profitability. A globally recognized convenience store brand faced a major challenge: sourcing high-quality coolers and gondolas/queuelines at competitive prices across multiple countries. That’s when Dragon Sourcing stepped in with a structured, phased sourcing approach that delivered impactful results in just 10 weeks.
Project Objectives
The client—a prominent international convenience store brand—sought to:
Identify qualified suppliers for coolers and gondolas/queuelines
Explore supplier bases in China, Turkey, Mexico, Spain, and Vietnam
Receive detailed deliverables including:
A validated supplier database
NDAs, RFI/RFQ templates
RFI/RFQ analysis reports
Supplier profiles and rankings
Dragon Sourcing’s Methodology
The project followed Dragon Sourcing’s proven two-stage process:
Stage 1: Supplier Pre-Qualification
Demand Analysis: Understand product specifications and sourcing keywords
Supply Market Analysis: Build an extensive supplier longlist using the GSP platform
Telephone Pre-screening: Qualify potential suppliers based on client-defined criteria
RFI/RFQ Development & Administration: Send and evaluate detailed questionnaires
Scorecard-Based Evaluation: Rank suppliers based on multiple performance metrics
Stage 2: Selection & Contracting (Optional)
Supplier audits
Sample development and testing
Contract negotiation and final selection
This process was managed using Dragon Sourcing’s proprietary Global Sourcing Platform (GSP), which centralizes supplier data, communication, and documentation.
10-Week Timeline to Execution
The project was tightly managed on a week-by-week basis:
Weeks 1–3: Demand and supply analysis, pre-screening
Weeks 4–7: RFI/RFQ creation, dispatch, and collection
Weeks 8–10: Analysis, shortlisting, and reporting
Global Supplier Coverage
Dragon Sourcing identified 276 suppliers for coolers and 232 for gondolas across five countries. The pre-screening phase filtered this pool down to:
120 suppliers for coolers
93 suppliers for gondolas
Following the RFI/RFQ evaluation:
34 suppliers each for coolers and gondolas completed both RFI and RFQ forms
Top scoring suppliers achieved up to 91 points for coolers and 95 points for gondolas on the evaluation scorecard
Key Rejection Insights
During the qualification process, a number of suppliers were rejected due to:
Lack of CE certification
Inability to meet technical specs
Export limitations (e.g., not exporting to Europe)
Being traders or importers (not manufacturers)
Low production capacity or unwillingness to engage
These rejections helped the client focus on truly viable manufacturers.
Top Recommended Suppliers
For Coolers:
Dragon Sourcing recommended 10+ suppliers, mainly from Guangdong, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Shanghai
Most had ISO certifications, strong export track records, and served top brands like PEPSI, Unilever, and Walmart
For Gondolas:
The top suppliers were primarily based in Jiangsu
Notable clients included TESCO, Walmart, Metro, Aldi, and Carrefour
These suppliers showcased solid manufacturing capabilities, competitive pricing, and adherence to international standards.
What Made the Project Successful?
Centralized Technology: Dragon Sourcing’s GSP platform enabled smooth coordination
Data-Driven Evaluation: The structured RFI-RFQ scorecard ensured objective supplier rankings
Transparency: Comprehensive reporting helped the client make confident decisions
Speed: From kick-off to recommendations, the project concluded within 10 weeks
Final Thoughts
This case study is a testament to Dragon Sourcing’s strategic, tech-enabled approach to global procurement. By systematically identifying and qualifying manufacturers for coolers and gondolas, the team empowered a global retailer to scale efficiently and cost-effectively across markets.
Looking to streamline your own sourcing strategy? Dragon Sourcing has the expertise, tools, and global reach to help.
