Presell and van sales aren't rivals — they're tools. The distributors who win pick the right one per route, and increasingly run both from the same system.
When presell wins
Presell shines when orders can be planned: predictable demand, tight truck space, or products picked to a specific stop. It lets you load precisely and keeps drivers focused on delivery, not selling.
When van sales win
Sell-from-the-truck is unbeatable for high-frequency, impulse, or perishable categories where the buying decision happens at the shelf. One visit sells, invoices, and delivers.
Why the model is now a setting, not a rebuild
Modern route software lets a distributor run presell on some routes and van sales on others — even mix them — without separate systems. The rep's app adapts; your books don't care which model produced the invoice.
Key takeaways
- Presell fits planned, space-constrained routes; van sales fit impulse and perishables.
- The best operators run both, matched to the route.
- With the right software the model is a configuration, not a separate system.
See also: Presales software · Direct sales and van sales software · What is Direct Store Delivery?
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