Getting your product on grocery store shelves is the ultimate goal for most small food businesses. And with a little bit of time, effort, and work, taking your product from unknown to a grocery store success is possible.
Perfect your packaging
With vast amounts of competition in the food industry, having attractive, functional, and FDA compliant packaging is crucial to getting a store to say yes.
If your business is still in the early stages and your packaging isn’t yet perfected, don’t panic! While it’s a good idea to make sure the look of your product is spot-on before introducing it to stores, branding is not set in stone. In fact, rebranding in the future is not only possible, but it’s also something nearly every business goes through.
For more on how to package your product for sale, check out this article.
Name your price
Pricing products for wholesale distribution can be tricky. While lower pricing can draw in more sales, it can also result in lower profits for both you and the store.
To figure out your ideal price, first, look at the cost of everything that goes into making your product. From ingredients to packaging to distribution costs, the final price needs to not only cover your expenses, but it also needs to include a healthy profit margin.
Check out this article to learn more about how to price your product for wholesale.
Intro pricing
Discounts and deals can be a great way to encourage stores to bring in your items. Before you present, create an enticing offer that will excite buyers and bring in orders.
If a store has never stocked your line before, consider offering half off the initial cost or a buy one case get one case free deal. Additionally, if the store already carries several of your products on their shelves, presenting an exclusive offer on new products can be the encouragement they need to expand their offerings.
Focus on the pitch
Having a winning sales pitch can be just as important as the product itself in getting stores to say yes. To get buyers interested make sure you take into consideration the following:
How would the product fit into the store? Which shelf would it be displayed on? Are there similar products already for sale? How is yours different?
Does the store attract your ideal customer? Would current customers already be familiar with your product (or type of product) or would they need to be educated?
What support can you offer the store? Will you be able to supply demos if needed? Does your product come with samples to entice new customers?
Selling to a buyer is a huge task. Instead of winging your next presentation, use these tips to make sure you’re ready for whatever is thrown your way.
Make distribution easy
Getting a store to stock your product is exciting for any small business! But once you’ve gotten the yes, make sure you’re ready for what comes next.
If you’re a growing business still finding your traction, self-distribution can be an easy way to get your products delivered while also forming relationships with store employees. But once you get into the expansion phase, self-distribution can become too time-consuming a task.
If you’re looking for a way to get your products delivered while finding new opportunities for expansion, consider working with a distributor.
PodFoods is reinventing distribution, making it the perfect option for emerging brands to enter the saturated food marketplace. By connecting stores with a wide variety of companies and products, PodFoods makes it easy to gain exposure while also taking care of orders and order fulfillment.
To learn more, click here!
Stay in touch
Offering continued support and contact is one of the best ways to ensure future orders and grow your reputation in the food industry.
Even if your business is too large to cultivate one-on-one relationships with stores, it’s still important to offer support where you can.
If you’re large enough, think about hiring sales reps to perform monthly or quarterly store visits to check on product placements, educate employees, and address any questions or concerns that might pop up. Especially when releasing new products, in-store education, samples, and support is a great way to get stores excited and ready to sell your brand.
If you aren’t ready to hire reps or aren’t sure if that’s the right fit for your business, there are other ways to build relationships with stores. Samples are always welcome, particularly if the store is planning on hosting an event such as an Earth Day promotion or a monthly health fair. If your product is ideal for demoing, make connections with demo companies that you trust that you will be able to refer the stores to if the topic comes up. Shelf talkers and coupons are also a great way to build interest in your products (and bring in those sales!)
