Distributor, partner or direct: choosing your ANZ go-to-market model
Distributors are fastest to revenue but cap your margin and customer intimacy; direct entry is slower and heavier but essential for enterprise, regulated and post-sales-intensive products.
Overview
The distributor-versus-direct question is the single most consequential go-to-market decision you'll make for Australia. It sets your unit economics, your customer relationships and your ability to change course later.
When a distributor makes sense
Commoditised or high-volume physical goods where an established Australian distributor already has relationships with the retailers or resellers you need — Bunnings, Officeworks, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman for consumer; Ingram Micro, Dicker Data, Synnex for tech; Sigma, Symbion for pharma. Expect to give up 25–45% margin and most of the customer relationship in exchange for revenue in weeks rather than quarters.
When a channel partner is better
SaaS, professional services and industrial equipment often work best through a smaller number of specialist channel partners who bundle your product with implementation. Structured well, this preserves 60–80% of your margin and keeps you close to the customer.
When direct entry is the only real option
Complex enterprise SaaS, medtech and any product with heavy post-sales requirements almost always need a direct presence. Australian enterprise buyers — especially banks, insurers, health services and government — expect a local account team, local implementation, local escalation and an Australian entity on the contract.
The hybrid model
Most successful ANZ entries end up hybrid: direct sales into the top 50–200 named accounts, distributor or channel coverage of the long tail. Design for that from year two, even if year one is single-channel.
Get a matched shortlist of Australian distributors and channel partners for your category.
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