A Big Catalog, Limited Time, and Tools That Couldn’t Keep Up

Snowball Distribution operates in a fast moving, non-traditional space, selling alternative and trend driven products to convenience stores, smoke shops, liquor stores, and specialty retailers. Their catalog is large, constantly evolving, and built around products that often need to be seen to be understood.

As Snowball grew, that catalog became both an advantage and a challenge.

Orders were still largely manual, which slowed things down and left room for errors. Sales reps had limited time at each stop, making it nearly impossible to show customers everything Snowball carried. As a result, most retailers were only familiar with a small portion of the catalog, even though Snowball had hundreds of SKUs across emerging categories.

The team explored enterprise tools like Salesforce, hoping it could help bring everything together. Instead, it added friction. Implementation stretched into months, required significant technical effort, and made it hard to get internal buy in. Even after all that work, it still did not solve the most basic problem: making ordering easier.

Snowball needed something different. They needed a tool that supported growth without slowing them down, simplified ordering for both reps and customers, and made it easier to sell the full catalog.

An App That Fits the Way Snowball Sells

Snowball partnered with Pepper to launch a mobile first ordering platform designed to work with their business, not against it. Instead of replacing existing workflows or introducing another heavy system, Pepper fit alongside Snowball’s operations and removed friction where it mattered most.

Implementation felt completely different from past experiences. Pepper was quick to roll out and came with hands-on support throughout onboarding. Snowball started by using the app internally, giving sales reps time to learn the flow, understand how orders moved through the system, and feel confident before introducing it to customers.

“Salesforce took me a year to implement and was miserable every day,” said Jennifer Collins, Marketing Leader at Snowball Distribution. “This has been night and day different. It’s easy to use, easy to get buy in, and the Pepper team has been incredibly responsive from the start.”

Because Pepper is app based and visual, it also works well for Snowball’s diverse customer base. Retailers can scroll through products, see images, understand pricing, and place accurate orders without long conversations or going back and forth. This has been especially helpful for customers with language barriers or limited time during store visits.

Better Discovery, Better Catalog, and a Scalable Growth Engine

Sales Reps Got Time Back

By shifting routine ordering into the app, Snowball’s sales team can focus on higher value work. Larger accounts, new opportunities, and expansion into new markets get more attention, while smaller accounts can self-serve without losing access to Snowball’s full offering.

The app has also reduced friction caused by rushed store visits, miscommunication, and language barriers. Orders are clearer, more consistent, and easier for everyone involved.

Expansion No Longer Requires Immediate Infrastructure

Pepper has become a key part of how Snowball approaches growth. Instead of immediately investing in trucks, warehouses, or full sales coverage in every new market, the team can now lead with a digital catalog.

“Pepper is a lot more time efficient. One of our main goals here is to get more of our customers utilizing the app, so we can spend time going after new opportunities, bigger business and taking care of our top tier customers - Pepper helps us accomplish that” – John Swanson, Sales Director

Retailers can see the full product lineup, place orders, and start building demand before Snowball commits physical resources. That flexibility allows Snowball to test new markets, learn quickly, and expand with far less risk.

Customers Started Discovering More Products

With customers previously familiar with only an estimated 25% of Snowball’s offerings, Pepper has opened the door to new SKUs, emerging trends, and first-time purchases.

Sales reps now rely on order guides for speed while customers explore the full catalog on their own, creating a balance between efficiency and discovery that wasn’t possible before.

What Comes Next

For Snowball Distribution, Pepper is not just an ordering app. It has become a practical part of how the business grows. By replacing manual workflows and overly complex systems with a simple, mobile first experience, Snowball has improved product discovery, streamlined sales operations, and opened the door to new markets.

As more customers adopt the app and move beyond order guides into the full catalog, Snowball expects the impact to continue building.

“This is one of the easiest tools we’ve ever rolled out,” said Amy Koluch, COO. “It helps our customers, helps our reps, and helps us grow without adding unnecessary complexity.”

With Pepper now embedded into how Snowball sells, the team is positioned to scale faster, sell smarter, and stay ahead of the trends they bring to market.