Designing and manufacturing a great product is crucial to your business being a success, however, it’s only half the battle. In order for your business to make significant sales and generate real profit that will allow your company to grow and evolve moving forward, you need to ensure that your product is easily accessible and is put in front of as many eyes as possible. For many retailers, the best way to achieve this is to get your product into the stores of the big-box retailers.
While reaching the shelves of a big-box retailer might seem like a pipe-dream, especially as a small business, the truth is that with the right approach, you can get there. Nowadays, there are many different avenues that you can take and strategies you can implement to help you get your product into the big retail chains.
You will need to ensure that you focus on your product packaging so that your product stands out against the competition.
Regardless of which industry you are in or what types of product you are selling, you will need to ensure that you focus on your product packaging so that your product stands out against the competition. Maintaining consistency with your branding, choosing the right packaging materials, displaying important information, and using appropriate imagery are all critical to your product's success on the shelves of big-name retailers.
Let’s take a look at some tips to help you get your products into stores so you can increase sales, generate more revenue and improve brand recognition and credibility.
Before bringing your product to the big retailers, it’s crucial that you understand what makes your product unique from your competitors. Big-box retailers will already have a comprehensive inventory of products and a range of additional businesses, just like yours, vying for that coveted shelf space. It’s crucial that you give them a reason to choose your product.
Before bringing your product to the big retailers, it’s crucial that you understand what makes your product unique from your competitors.
Through your packaging design, you can showcase your offerings in a way that truly makes them shine and highlight what makes them unique. Big-box retailers are always on the eye out for the next innovative product that will bring more traffic to their website and customers to their stores. To ensure you are in the running to be added to their list of suppliers, be sure to shine the light on what makes your product special.
While visiting trade shows and hiring a sales rep to get your product into stores can be extremely effective, it can also be expensive. For many small businesses, it can be cost-prohibitive to hire a team of company reps to visit trade shows around the country on your behalf. However, instead of taking this approach, you can opt to be brave, bold, and direct.
Get in touch directly with the Big-Box retailers by phone, send them an email, or better yet send them a sample of your products. Reaching out directly shows your commitment to your business and your future success. Big-box retailers will appreciate your dedication and will recognize your will to work hard, which can give points in your favor.
When you are drafting your email or letter, be sure to include a subject line that will really grab their attention. You should also ensure that your product packaging is well-thought-out and that you put some time and effort into getting it right before sending your product samples, to ensure that you make the best first impression possible.
Getting your product onto the shelves of one of the Big-Box retailers can take some time and it’s important not to get discouraged. If your product isn’t accepted, take another look at your product design to see where you can make improvements.
You may also want to examine your product packaging to ensure that it is doing the best possible job of informing the buyer about your product and your brand, that it is showcasing the product in the best possible light, and that the product packaging is providing adequate protection for your offerings. After making any necessary improvements, you can resubmit your product for consideration.
Getting your product onto the shelves of one of the Big-Box retailers can take some time and it’s important not to get discouraged.
The key to getting your product into the big stores is to be consistent in following up. Sending that first email, letter, or product sample is a big step. However, it won’t count for much if you don’t follow up.
Big-box retailers are busy and it’s your responsibility to follow up on your initial outreach. Wait about five days and then give them a call or send an email to confirm they received your product sample and ask for their thoughts. This is a great way to get instant feedback and to address any questions or queries they might have about your product.
Nowadays, there is a range of different avenues you can take to get your product onto the shelves of the Big-box retailers. Before you choose which direction to take, it’s important to do your research to find out which retailer will be the best match for your brand and your offerings. As every business is different, you need to take the time to ensure that you choose the right big-name retailers to approach to maximize sales moving forward.
Below is a quick overview of some of the more popular options available to business owners and marketers:
Walmart welcomes pitches for innovative and niche products that are made, assembled, or grown in the United States. Now in its eighth annual Open Call, Walmart invites entrepreneurs to send in an application to be in with a chance of meeting with Walmart Buyers with a view to getting your product on their shelves.
With more than eleven thousand Walmart stores around the world and 4,769 stores in the United States alone, this is a huge opportunity for any business owner to get their products in front of more consumers than ever before.
Getting your product into Costco is notoriously difficult, however, with the right approach to your pitch, you have every chance of getting your products on their shelves. While many entrepreneurs focus on their profit margins when they are pitching to a Big-box retailer, this is the wrong tack to take with Costco.
To have a chance of getting your products on the shelves of Costco, you must focus on the uniqueness of your product and the value you can offer their customers. Because Costco makes the majority of their revenue from memberships, price, value, and exclusive product bundles are much more important in getting your product into their stores.
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Instead of contacting retailers directly, you can also choose a product discovery platform to showcase your products where retailers can easily discover them. Platforms such as RangeMe, allow business owners to showcase their products to thousands of potential buyers helping you to increase your brand profile and connect with retailers who are interested in your offerings.
These platforms come with a range of tools designed to make it easier than ever for you to showcase your products and get them into stores. Before signing up for your account, make sure that you have high-quality professional images of your product and packaging to display on the platform. With an eye-catching packaging design and quality images, you can significantly improve your product’s chances of being discovered.
If you want to have a positive relationship with big-box retail buyers, it’s essential that you put some time into developing the relationship. It’s important to keep in mind that your relationship with the buyer is a two-way street. Too many business owners are focused solely on their own needs, failing to recognize what the retailer requires. Showing some understanding of their position can go a long way to beginning your relationship on the right foot and this one simple acknowledgment should never be overlooked.
Just as you work hard to maintain strong relationships with your customers, staff, investors, partners, suppliers, and other entities associated with your business, you must also work to build a robust relationship with possible vendors.
Aim to connect with buyers on a personal level, whether you are communicating with them by email or by phone.
Making small talk, chatting about the weather, asking about their weekend plans, congratulating them on their recent promotion, and being friendly and polite will help you to make a connection from the outset.
Over time, this relationship can grow and when there’s an opportunity for you to present a new product, marketing strategy, or negotiate a better deal, you will be glad of having an advocate of your brand on the other side of the table.
Getting your products onto the shelves of a big-name retailer is not always easy. In fact, for some small local businesses, getting your products onto the shelves of any retailer can be challenging. To ensure you have every chance of securing a spot on the shelves of a big-box retailer, it’s crucial that you make the right impression with your product from the very beginning.
Begin by creating packaging for your product that highlights its USP and showcases your product in the best light possible. Reach out to retailers with samples of your perfectly packaged product and work on fostering positive relationships with the big-box retailers to get your product onto their shelves and in front of a bigger audience than ever before.
Additional blog articles that may interest you:
Tips for Packaging Expensive Products
Why Brand Credibility and Package Design Are So Important
How To Measure Your Product For A Custom Box [with Video]