Your retail shelf space shouts empty, though you’ve invested in your physical product development and designed top-notch marketing strategies.
Therefore, you must prioritize other things apart from creating a high-quality and innovative product.
Retailers will appreciate your product design, but you need more than that. What you need from your ideal retailer is to pick up their phone, dial your number, and tell them that they believe your product will be a game changer for their stores. They want to see your high-quality product in their stores and are eager to know how to bring it in.
Do you wish to get a similar response from your ideal retailer?
Then, follow our fail-proof step-by-step guide to get your physical product into retail stores.
Step 1: Research and Analyze Your Product Category
Researching and analyzing your product category must be the first thing on your list. While you visit stores, take your notepad with you to make notes about the following:
- What products do they have on shelves?
- How do the packaging and pricing of products happen?
- Discover the empty spaces to place your products.
This research will help you understand what these stores want. It will also help you decide where your product will find or can stand out.
For example, if you make deodorants, study all the deodorants in big and small grocery stores. Notice which ingredients and scents are missing. Your lily-apple deodorant will fill the gap!
Step 2: Select Potential Retailers
Now, list 10-15 stores you find a perfect fit for selling your product. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Stores with buyers interested in your product
- Locations close to your manufacturing points to make the distribution process quick and easy
- Both large chains and small boutiques
Having a mixture of retailers means an opportunity to maximize your sales. Mom-and-pop shops will order in bulk once your product does well for them—the target audience for your deodorant places like parlors, gyms, yoga studios, and boutique gift shops.
Step 3: Actively Contact Buyers of Each Store
The next thing on your list must be reaching out to the potential retailers from your list. Check out the “Contact Us” section on their website or directly call the store to get information about your product’s buyers.
Start sending the buyers a professional email including the following:
- Briefly explain your product.
- Photos of your product packaging and branding
- Your recommended wholesale price and the minimum order you can deliver.
- Offer them a free sample!
Thus, allow buyers to use your product and follow up 2-3 times if you don’t get a response instead of losing heart.
Step 4: Follow up Offering Free Samples and Sell Your Sheets
Getting a response is huge! Now wow them by sending:
- Several free samples of all products for their staff
- Your professionally designed sell sheet containing product details such as sizes, ingredients, photos, pricing tiers, customer service contact info, company branding, and wholesale account setup process.
- A follow-up message is a friendly note to encourage them to get in touch with any questions after the evaluation.
Witnessing your product into buyers’ hands is like a dream come true. They experience its high quality and see if your customers give feedback after using the sample.
Your sell-sheet provides buyers with significant details required to place bulk orders to fill their empty shelves.
Follow up again via phone or email in two weeks and be ready to answer their questions. Moreover, gently remind them that being their partner will be a pleasure. Once you nurture your relationship, you will start getting results.
Step 5: Complete the First Orders Quickly and Accurately
Once a retailer agrees to carry your line, complete your first order accurately and quickly.
- Double-check your inventory beforehand to complete the order and avoid delays.
- Before you promise, check whether you can fulfill all requirements of their minimum order quantity.
- Add easy reorder forms along with your account rep’s contact information.
After you ship, follow up to ensure 100% satisfaction. The retailers will start trusting you once you overdeliver on your first few orders. The retailers only want reassurance that your products will fill their empty shelves and gain their confidence with your customer service.
Step 6: Invest in Marketing and Retail Displays
Your job as a supplier doesn’t end after you land shelf space!
Two more areas need your investment:
- In-store marketing
- Provide coupon samples, run demos, or ask them to promote your product in their digital/print ads.
More shoppers will buy your products once you increase customer awareness.
Attractive merchandising
- Ensure your items are visible and neatly displayed.
- Offer retailers that you can provide extra stock.
- Suggest how display stands, shelf signs, or end caps will highlight your line.
Pay extra attention to marketing and retail displays to boost your sales. When your products sell well, retailers will reorder them again and again.
Final Thoughts
You require patience and persistence while strategically planning to get your physical products into retail.
Remember that it takes time, but making sales at multiple stores is a reward you’ll get for your efforts.
Follow this 6-step guide to launch your physical product into stores and build relationships with retailers.
Start implementing it and be ready to receive a call from a retailer regarding reordering your product in bulk.
