How to Get Your Product Into Retail Stores

If you’ve designed a product and are happy with the result, great. You’re already several steps ahead of hopeful entrepreneurs who never bring their ideas to fruition. But now that you’ve got your product, you might be wondering what your next steps are.

Of course, you should always have an ecommerce component to your business—but you might want to get your product on retail shelves, too. A retail strategy can help catapult your business to the next level. With that in mind, here are five tips for getting your product into retail stores:

Pitch the store

One of the first things you’ll want to do is craft an email to the appropriate point of contact. Usually you can find contact information on their website, or at the very least, be able to reach someone who can point you in the right direction. Be sure to learn as much about the store as you can. Pay attention to the brands that they display, and research those brands and their product lineups.

Take note of the store’s layout, seasonal purchasing patterns, and their buying cycles. By honing in on what a retailer offers, you can better craft your pitch to make it as personalized as possible. Keep it short, and be sure to explain how your product will benefit its customers.

If you have a noteworthy track record or sales, note this as well. Keep in mind that you may want to get your feet wet by approaching boutiques and smaller local businesses before you try to reach out to big-box retailers like Target or Walmart.

Create a sell sheet

A sell sheet is a one or two page document that contains all the information about your company and product that the retailer needs. This includes a short description of your product and its benefits, pricing and ordering information, any documentation (such as a patent) that highlights the appeal of your product, and illustrations and photographs.

Customize each sell sheet so that it fits the needs of the particular retailer you approach. Remember, the goal of a sell sheet is to sell the product; you want decision makers to be able to reference this sheet long after you’ve walked out of a meeting. Copy should be simple and persuasive, with strong titles and subheadings. Take a look at this example of a sell sheet for more information.

Pitch In person

Cold emails alone won’t do your strategy justice. To get your product in stores, you’ll need to knock on a few doors—and be persistent.

“I just started knocking on doors, literally, and setting up meetings with people in the Bay Area,” says Priscilla Tsai, CEO of Cocokind. “At that time we were still focused on regional brands, so I basically went door to door, stopped by so many stores, and dropped off samples because they had buyers in each store.

I made sure to leave them with products, and describe what we were doing and why.” Tsai was eventually able to get her organic skincare line in stores like Whole Foods and GNC.

Each time you approach a retailer in person, you should be prepared to tell a tailored story. Explain what makes your product different, and why the retailer’s customers would be inclined to purchase it. When you’ve perfected your product, it’s easier to be confident about your pitch.

Think about distribution

Product distribution is the process of putting your product on the market. It comprises several different steps, from transportation to packaging to delivery. To help you get an overview of every step you need to take through distribution, it helps to visualize it by creating a business process map.

For instance, you’ll need to have a through understanding of your distribution channels. What is the process that occurs between the manufacturer and the end consumer?

According to Lucidchart, “A process map is a planning and management tool that visually describes the flow of work. Using process mapping software, process maps show a series of events that produce an end result.”

Once you can visualize the flow of your distribution, you can better understand what you need from a distributor. A distributor will purchase your product, store it, and distribute it to retailers on your behalf—ultimately serving as an intermediary between you and retailers where you hope to have your product shelved. The right distributor can help boost your boost, providing you with increased leads and opportunities.

Attend trade shows

Trade shows are a great way to connect with retail buyers who are looking for innovative and new products. They’re seeking the next best thing, and are attending trade shows to discover them. Don’t be overly concerned about being new in your industry. Attendees will be excited to see a new product, and eager to take the first leap. Do some research to determine the right shows for your business, based on your industry and/or niche.