{"id":1994,"date":"2026-02-20T08:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T07:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redparalela.eu\/?p=1994"},"modified":"2026-02-20T08:05:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T07:05:25","slug":"profitability-of-delivery-routes-in-horeca-distribution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redparalela.eu\/en\/profitability-of-delivery-routes-in-horeca-distribution\/","title":{"rendered":"Profitability of delivery routes in HORECA distribution"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1992″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”flipInX” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The route that invoices the most can make you lose money (and you don\u2019t even know it)<\/strong><\/h1>\n

There\u2019s a question that almost no HORECA wholesaler asks themselves honestly:<\/p>\n

Do I really know how much money each of my routes makes or loses?<\/p>\n

Most answer quickly: \u201cYes, of course. That route sells a lot\u201d.
But selling a lot doesn\u2019t mean making money.<\/p>\n

And this is where the problem starts.<\/p>\n

In many distributors, routes are analysed by turnover. As if volume were a guarantee of profitability. It isn\u2019t. Especially in coastal areas, where seasonality masks reality for several months a year.<\/p>\n

The only serious way to measure a route is to calculate its real net margin. Every month.<\/p>\n

What is a route\u2019s profitability, really?<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s not the commercial margin.
It\u2019s not growth.
It\u2019s not the number of customers.<\/p>\n

The formula is this:<\/p>\n

Real net invoicing
\u2013 real cost of goods
\u2013 direct route costs
\u2013 allocated indirect costs
= real net margin<\/p>\n

If this calculation doesn\u2019t exist, the business is making decisions blind.<\/p>\n

\n

the first common mistake: using gross invoicing<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Profitability is calculated using real net invoicing minus:<\/p>\n

\u2013 discounts
\u2013 rebates
\u2013 credit notes
\u2013 returns<\/p>\n

\n

the second mistake: forgetting what it costs to serve<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A route doesn\u2019t only cost fuel.<\/p>\n

It costs:<\/p>\n

\u2013 driver\u2019s salary
\u2013 social security contributions
\u2013 maintenance
\u2013 vehicle lease or depreciation
\u2013 insurance
\u2013 tolls
\u2013 per diems<\/p>\n

And it also consumes overhead:<\/p>\n

\u2013 warehouse
\u2013 picking
\u2013 traffic \/ warehouse manager
\u2013 administration
\u2013 sales organisation
\u2013 inventory financing cost
\u2013 shrinkage<\/p>\n

\n

If these costs aren\u2019t allocated, profitability is accounting fiction.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Seasonality distorts everything<\/h2>\n

For coastal distributors (very typical in Spain), it\u2019s even more critical.<\/p>\n

In summer:<\/p>\n