How to get your products in stores? You’ll need to prepare for distribution success. I remember when I first started my business, I had no idea how to get my products in stores. It was a daunting task and one that I wasn’t sure if I could accomplish. But with the right preparation and mindset, anything is possible!

Here are some tips on how to get your products in stores:

1. Do your research – know who your target market is and what type of store would be the best fit for them.

2. Create a professional-looking product – this will help increase the chances that buyers will take you seriously.

3. Have all of your ducks in a row – have everything from packaging design ready to go before approaching potential retailers.

4. Get creative with marketing – think outside the box when it comes time to promote both online and offline.

5. Follow up after initial contact – once you’ve made that first step towards getting stocked by reaching out or sending information about your product, make sure to follow through!

How to Get Your Products in Stores

There are a few ways to get your products in stores. One way is to approach store owners or managers and ask if they would be interested in stocking your products.

Another way is to exhibit at trade shows that are related to your product.

You can also try to get in touch with buyers who work for stores and see if they would be interested in your products.

If you’re an entrepreneur with a product, getting it onto store shelves is probably a dream of yours. So, how does one go about making this happen?

We spoke with 9 entrepreneurs who have managed to get their products into stores. Here are their tips on how to get your product into retail.

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1. Find Good-Fit Stores

Getting your products into retail stores is every entrepreneur’s dream. But, how do you go from having a few products in your garage to having them in a major store? First, you have to find the right store. Start by narrowing down which types of stores and which chains would be a good fit for your brand. Then, you have to go after them. For us, we sold a product that was best suited for a female audience, so we chose to focus on that demographic. Next, we attended The Indie Beauty Expo, a trade show that allowed us to meet face-to-face with retailers and pitch our products. 

-Stephanie Schull, Kegelbell 

2. Build a Credible Online Sales History

The ongoing decline of brick and mortar stores during the coronavirus outbreak has made it increasingly difficult to get your products into those retailers. Many surviving retail chains are cutting the number of vendors and, as a result, are choosing only to work with companies that are already successful at selling their products on their own. So, as it has been for some time now, your focus should be on building a substantial online business. Having a successful track record of sales on your website will make your business a much more attractive proposition to larger chains that are carrying your line of products.

-Jeff Williams, Bizstarters

3. Establish Distribution Relationships

For Laughin’Man Coffee, getting Keurig to acquire them was their best path to achieving their goal of getting their organic, fair trade, and kosher-certified coffees into Costco. This may seem like an unlikely path for a startup to take, but in some cases, acquiring a company is the only way to gain access to the distribution you need.

-Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

4. Make Second Degree Connections

Regardless of the size of your city, networking is the best way to connect with people, make connections, and find job opportunities, references, non-profits, a sitter, and, yes, even a potential date. I’ve lived in small towns, and while there may not be as many businesses, the ones that are there are often tight-knit and work together. By playing “trades” and offering a service for free or at a discounted rate, you can open the door to a great business relationship. Introduce yourself, offer your cards, and see if there’s a way you can support their business.

-Annika Ehrig, Whiteboard Geeks

5. Get Your Brand Out There

Before you pitch your products to retailers, you need to get your brand out there. You can do this by pitching your stories to media outlets that appeal to your target audience. Then, you can work on getting your products into the stores.

-Joe Flanagan, VelvetJobs

6. Network Local

Start talking to local businesses and encourage them to sell your product. Also, ask your current customers to push your products to their friends.

-Loren Howard, Prime Plus Mortgages

7. Earn Endorsements

The strongest way to sell a product is to earn an endorsement from a business owner who already sells something similar. However, be careful about choosing which business owners you approach. If you try to sell CBD oil to a pet shop, for instance, it will likely be a hard sale.

-Amy Feind Reeves, JobCoachAmy

8. Attend Trade Shows

Attending a tradeshow is the most reliable method of finding and connecting with buyers. While this isn’t an option for everyone, you can still connect with potential partners and customers through online events.

-Ahmed Mir, Nature and Bloom

9. Pitch In Person or on LinkedIn

The best way to get your product into a retail store is to pitch in person. Also, avoid dealing with all the red tape of big businesses by pitching to decision-makers directly via LinkedIn.

-Peter Babichenko, Sahara Case

Benefits of Getting Your Products in Stores

Business owners who want to sell products in physical stores will often choose to do so in retail locations for the convenience of their customers.

Here are the main benefits of selling in a brick-and-mortar location.

Increased Sales

One of the most important ways for business owners to increase sales is by having their products in retail stores. Authorized retailers have already established relationships with customers and have experience marketing similar products, which can give your product a boost in visibility and sales.

Wider Geographical Reach

Selling products through retail stores is a great way to expand your product’s geographic range. You can sell your items just about anywhere, depending on the scale of retailers where you place your merchandise. This is an effective way to get your brand out there and increase your sales.

You can reach new markets without the cost and effort of opening stores in new locations. This can help you to expand your business without a lot of upfront investment.

Opportunities for Business Growth

Retail stores provide numerous opportunities for businesses to grow and succeed.

If you’re an entrepreneur who has successfully sold your products in smaller retail stores, you can quickly get documentation for sales proof. This will help you immensely when it comes to seeking out new opportunities for business growth.

If you can provide proof that you have contracts with legitimate companies to sell your products, it will be much easier for you to secure deals.

Retailers and grocery stores can provide customers with expert advice on increasing sales, such as how to increase product visibility or improve packaging.

Low Operation Costs

One of the biggest benefits of getting your product in retail locations is that it reduces your cost of operations. Since customers get the product straight from the retailer, you don’t have to pay for shipping. This increases your profit margins!

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on marketing campaigns to get exposure for your products.

Convenience

While having multiple customers can be good for business, it’s much easier to deal with just one customer, a retail outlet, than with several individual ones.

If a customer wants their product as soon as possible, it is much more convenient for the small business owner to have the product in a store where customers can easily access it. This allows the business owner to focus on delivering their customer’s product without worrying about arranging for multiple delivery attempts.

Easy to Market and Sell products

When businesses get their products into stores, they entrust the salespeople there to sell them.

Providing incentives and promotional materials to retail stores can help increase the sale of your products. Training the stores’ employees about the products in your store will also increase their sales.

Lastly, providing excellent customer service will encourage your clients to buy more products from you and to refer their friends and family.

How to Prepare Your Product for Distribution Success

Getting your products into stores can be complicated, depending on the types of retail stores you are selling to. Each type of store, from supermarkets to convenience stores, has its own supply chain.

No matter what type of products you are trying to sell, your company will always need a wholesaler. They have the trust, connections, and resources of the businesses they deal with, making them essential for getting your product on the market.

Although it will cost you some money, their strong relationships with retailers will be beneficial for your business.

Working with a wholesaler can help you streamline your payment processes. This leaves you free to focus on other areas of your business and leaves the payments to the experts.

Sales opportunities that you might not have considered can be provided by them.

Having your products in physical stores is hard work. You need to do a lot of legwork to get retailers to stock your merchandise.

Before you make that all-important sale, you must have a plan for getting your product to retailers and fulfilling your contract. This is not something you want to wait until after the sale to start working on.

Conclusion

How to get your products in stores? If you follow these tips, you’ll be well on your way to getting your products in stores and achieving distribution success. Just remember to stay focused and don’t give up – anything is possible with the right mindset!