Pillsbury has one manufacturing plant for each of their products. Which of the following would they utilize in order to get a mixture of their products to individual stores?
A. Distribution centers
B. Public warehouses
C. Private warehouses
D. Freight forwarders
E. Air distribution
Answer: (A) Pillsbury needs a distribution center to get their desired mix of products to each of their individual customers. A public warehouse (B) or a private warehouse (C) refer only to the ownership of the warehouse (i.e., a private warehouse is owned by the company while a public warehouse has an independent owner), and would not help to redistribute Pillsbury's products. Freight forwarders (D), while they do combine shipments, perform that function for different firms or companies, not for the same company. Air distribution (E), although a potential mode of transportation, is a poor answer because it has nothing to do with product mixture.