7 Ways to Get Your Product Into Retail Stores

3 min readJun 22, 2018

Getting a product into retail stores is not an easy matter. There are many things that retailers consider before deciding to buy your product and display it on their shelves. If you are still new to the wholesale business, you need to do a lot of research and testing before approaching retailers. Here are seven ways to sell your product to retailers that you can implement right away.

1. Learn about your targeted retail stores

You need to create a list of retail stores that you are targeting, then find out the reason why you want to sell your product to them. For your initial research, you can browse through their websites to get brief information about them. After that, you can do further research by reviewing the store’s floor layout, how they display products, and their specific product categories.

Before you approach big retailers, it wouldn’t hurt if you could approach smaller ones first. You have a better chance of success by approaching local retailers than going after the big ones like Target or Walmart. If you manage to build good relationships with them, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the store’s purchasing cycle, seasonal buying patterns as well as their customer preferences.

2. Know their needs

Remember that you’re not the only one who expects profits. You need to know the retailers’ needs in order to convince them that they’ll get benefited from your product. You can also try to find out which stores that sell your competitor’s products. This will help you figure out how your competitors managed to get their products into the stores.

3. Make sure that your product is desirable

Retailers have to be assured that you can create demand and awareness for your product. Use FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to your advantage. Show your prospective buyers how well you have been selling your product. Let them see your sales growth and positive reviews related your product. Start with a few retailers first to make them feel more exclusive.

4. Nail your sales pitch

The first step you should take is to send mails to the retailers you want to approach. We recommend you send personalized messages even if you have a long list of targeted retailers. This will show that you’re particularly interested in them. Don’t forget to include a request for a meeting in your email. Continue to follow up during this stage and you can also send them samples of your product until you get the assurance to meet them in person.

5. Let them come to you

If you’ve been struggling to find a retailer willing to buy your product, perhaps it’s time for you to bring them to you. Digital marketing is the most powerful way to invite potential buyers. Make your website as attractive as possible so retailers will trust your credibility as a wholesale distributor. Optimize your campaign on search engines and social media.

Create a list of retailers you’re targeting and send them personalized messages. To make it easier for you to manage your prospects, follow up and run marketing campaigns, consider using a CRM system which has been implemented by many wholesale distributors out there.

6. Make a product demo that stands out

Before meeting your prospective buyers, make sure that you are fully prepared to demonstrate your product. You should be able to answer questions like; what benefits can you provide, why they should buy your product, how long it takes to deliver the product, and so on. Make a complete proposal that gives all the information that retailers need including the product description, pricing and ordering information, patents or other documentation that highlights the product’s appeal, customer testimonials and any other important information.

7. Build their trust

Even if you have successfully sold your product to retailers, you shouldn’t be satisfied yet. You need to make sure that you’re building long-term relationships with them. Therefore, you have to able to always meet their expectations. Use an automated solution designed to simplify the wholesale distribution process from inventory management to customer order fulfillment. A satisfied retailer will always want to keep purchasing your product and this will provide an opportunity for you to bring in more retailers in the future.