01 Is the distributor also the importer?
Start with who does what. Someone has to import the goods, clear them, hold the stock and deliver it to the stores. If those are four companies, you will be managing the hand-offs between them from abroad, and when something goes wrong nobody will be accountable. Ask which of these jobs the distributor does itself and which it passes on, and whether it buys your goods or holds them on consignment.
02 Who gets the product certified and labelled?
Most food products need kosher certification before an Israeli chain will list them, and the pack is adapted for the shelf and the language of the market. Both are routine for a distributor with the right relationships, and both stall a launch when they are left to the brand. So ask who applies for the certificate, and whether the wait is already counted in the timeline you are quoted.
Find out early, too, whether your product can be certified at all; if it cannot, you want to know before you sign. Our own companies work directly with the Rabbanut, Badatz and OU.
03 Which chains, and how directly?
A page of logos is easy to show. What matters is whether the distributor holds its own buyer relationships at the chains or sells through a wholesaler who does, how many points of sale it delivers to, and which channels it covers: modern trade, quick commerce, convenience, premium. Have the chains named.
A full answer looks like ours: direct buyer relationships at every major chain, and 3,000+ points of sale across the whole market. The retail partners are Shufersal, Rami Levy, Victory, Yochananof, Osher Ad, Hazi Hinam, Carrefour Israel, Spar, Tiv Taam, AM:PM, Yellow (Paz), Dor Alon, Super-Pharm, Stop Market, Wolt (Wolt Market) and Yango Deli.
04 Can it keep the product cold?
For frozen and chilled products this comes before everything else: frozen stock does not survive a break in the chain. The answer to listen for is national coverage, from a distributor that can say where the goods are held and who delivers them.
05 Who creates the demand?
A listing puts the product on the shelf. Selling it off the shelf is a separate job, and many importers leave it to the brand; a launch with no plan for demand fizzles. A good answer describes the first weeks in the stores and says who pays for them.
06 How long, and what is included?
Get the timeline in writing, from signature to the first national delivery, with a list of what it covers. A date that leaves out certification or the cold-chain set-up will slip. Ours is 3–6 months from signing to shelf, with both included.
07 What will you see after the launch?
Agree before you sign how sales will be reported, by chain and how often, and who reviews the figures with you.
08 How CGC Global works in Israel
CGC Global is a food importer and distributor in Israel through two companies of its own, KOKO Brands and N.D Delicacies, which hold the buyer relationships themselves. The route runs in five steps: scouting, import and regulatory work, logistics and cold chain, market entry, marketing and PR. The cold chain covers the country from the Tel Aviv hub. Demand is seeded on TikTok and Instagram before the product is listed, then supported in the stores with activations, planograms and seasonal campaigns. Sales are tracked by chain and reviewed with the brand every quarter.
N.D Delicacies is the exclusive distributor of Franuí in Israel. Franuí became the #1 premium frozen dessert in Israel within months, and has been the most in-demand product in its category ever since.