Sales professionals share their opinions and experience getting your products into retail stores. With the millions of products and the many ways to get your products into stores, every article on the subject is valid!
The article on Medium, 10 Secrets for Getting Your Product Into Retail by Abound Retail is geared towards landing larger retailers.
Below are some of the wonderful points from the article.
Abound Retail’s 10 Secrets for Getting Your Product Into Retail
1. Hire a manufacturers’ rep. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can get
into retail without a professional. … If you go to a buyer without professional sales and distribution expertise, you’re unlikely to get an order, and if you do, you may end up agreeing to terms that can bankrupt your business. …
2. Beware of Direct-to-Buyer Spam Traps. The internet is all about cutting out the middleman, right? So why not take a shortcut and find a website that promises to show your product directly to all the big retail buyers? … no one will see your brand on the direct-to-buyer websites. …
3. Retailers will judge a book by it’s cover. It’s incredibly common for entrepreneurs to skimp on product packaging, assuming that the product will speak for itself. …Packaging is not only important for luring consumers to your product, but also for convincing buyers it can efficiently fit into their scarce shelf space. …
4. Build a polished website and a press kit. If you’re trying to build the next great consumer brand, there is absolutely no excuse for not having a website. … and offer a press kit on the “About” page of your website. …
5. Data and buzz sell products. If you’re a new brand, you’ll need to convince retailers that you have a budding consumer fanbase. … Crowdfunding campaigns and direct e-commerce sales from your website can be helpful for getting some early momentum. …
6. Know your product’s value proposition. Just like a screenplay writer you’ll need a good elevator pitch for your product. … As a result, your product has to fill a need for the retailer with a unique “value proposition”. …
7. Make sure your product is retail-ready. You’ll need to make sure your product is UPC/EAN compliant and you should be prepared to connect with an EDI system. …
8. Know your category and target customer. … Do your research and make sure you understand which consumer category your product belongs in and what types of customers you are going after.
9. Trade shows are still necessary. Trade shows were once the only way to meet the gatekeepers of retail, but with sites like Replogic this is not the case anymore. With that said, trade shows can still be a helpful way to hear about the latest industry and retail scuttlebutt …
10. Be prepared to scale production. If you follow all of the tips listed above, your chances of landing a retail order are very high. With that said, this is meaningless unless you can meet wholesale demand for the product. …
Read the full article (you may need to set up a free account in Medium to access the article)