The goal of this project work was to create a suitable international distribution strategy for SWISS Gate AG’s CBD and hemp products. As a consequence, this international distribution strategy shall give SWISS Gate AG the opportunity to internationalize its products through adequate distributors.

After initially conducting research that was focused on data of international markets, the research was broken down to one market, being the Colombian market. As a first step, three relevant points from a PESTEL analysis were put into focus: Political, Economic and Legal. Afterwards, a SWOT analysis of SWISS Gate AG itself was conducted and possible international competitors were analyzed. To finalize the research for the created matrices presented in the report, international distribution strategies from other Swiss companies were also taken into consideration.

As a result of our conducted research and implementation of our findings into a suitable international distribution strategy for SWISS Gate AG, this report presents a possible “Market Selection Criteria” for the selection of adequate markets abroad as well as a so-called “Wholesaler Evaluation Matrix” that should help SWISS Gate AG find suitable distributors for potential business partnerships. By the end of this report, SWISS Gate AG should have a comprehensive understanding of the best approach to distribute its hemp-based products internationally, the most suitable regions for expansion and the most effective partnership selection criteria. This will help SWISS Gate AG to make informed decisions and to develop a successful international distribution strategy enabling the company to reach its vision of providing high-quality hemp products to customers around the globe.