typically buy directly from the manufacturer, take title to the merchandise they handle, store the product, and then sell it to the customer. Specialized wholesalers Agents Retailers' branches Brokers Merchant wholesalers When General Mills is finalizing the key attributes of a new cereal offering, including the brand name, price, incentives, communication, and distribution plan, it is in the stage of the stage-gate framework. offering development offering implementation idea generation commercial deployment business-model design