Top Tips For Successfully Pitching Your Food Product to Buyers
Seeing your product on store shelves is the goal of many small food business owners. But before your product gets onto the shelf, it has to be approved by a grocery store buyer.
Buyers are the people who decide to stock your product in the store. They are responsible for researching and selecting new store items. They also continually analyze the sales of current items, deciding whether to continue stocking or discontinue them. Large grocery chains typically have buyers who make purchasing decisions for multiple stores. Smaller stores sometimes don’t have dedicated buyers at all, with department managers deciding which products to stock.
Whatever the case, a successful buyer appointment is the first step to getting your product on store shelves. Here are some top tips to help your next meeting go smoothly.
Know your buyer
Larger stores usually have separate buyers for each category (grocery, specialty foods, prepared foods, etc.), while smaller stores may only have one buyer overall. Additionally, buyers may work for just one store (usually the case for co-ops or local markets), or for multiple store locations — Whole Foods has regional buyers for a large area of stores.
To find your correct buyer, call or visit the store. It’s also important to find out when they will be accepting new product pitches. Smaller buyers usually have a more open schedule for pitches, while larger buyers may only allow presentations during a category review, which might happen only once a year. To avoid missing out, make sure you keep track of each buyer’s presentation window!
Be concise
Buyers are busy. They often don’t have time to listen to overly long presentations. To avoid losing the buyer’s interest, make sure your presentation hits the critical selling points of your product. Including information about the price, minimum order quantity, and estimated demand will make it easier for the buyer to decide to stock your product, without requiring large amounts of research on their part.
Know your product
You may be an expert on your goods, but when presenting to a buyer, it’s a good idea to prepare for any questions they might ask. Depending on the store’s clientele, each buyer may focus on different aspects of the product.
For example, if you are presenting to a natural foods store with highly selective consumers, the buyer might be concerned with the source of the ingredients. If you are showing a baked good, they might want to know which country produces the wheat for the flour. If you use a sweetener, such as tapioca syrup, they might want to know if it’s organic. Being prepared with as much information as possible will make for a much smoother presentation.
Remember, if you are unsure of the answer to a buyer’s question, don’t try to make something up on the spot! It’s better to let them know you will find out and get back to them rather than give incorrect information.
Know the store
Before pitching a product, study the store shelf-by-shelf to find where your product would best fit. It’s also a good idea to find out what type of competition you might be facing. Being able to tell the buyer exactly where you see your product on the shelf will make it easier for them to fit in your product.
Remember, the aisle shelves are not the only real estate in a grocery store. Cash registers and deli/bakery counters can be great locations to increase the visibility of your product, as long as it makes sense. If you’re selling hummus, the cash register might not be a great fit. But if your product is chocolate bars, selling it at the register is a great way to target impulse shoppers.
Have an angle
If you have a new, innovative product, that alone will be a massive plus for the buyer to bring it into the store. But if your product already has competition, that doesn’t mean you can’t still get your product onto the shelf! Before presenting your product to the buyer, research the closest competitors. Do you use a different ingredient that makes your item unique, like a different type of oil for frying potato chips? Or does your cooking process stand out, like small batch vs. large batch? Buyers are not only looking for products that will sell, but they also want products that are unique.
Have marketing and production plans in place
Before you approach a buyer, it’s also a good idea to have well thought out marketing and production plans already in place. Even though the buyer might be intrigued by your product and your story, they are running a business. They want to know that the product will sell and that you will be able to keep up if demand is high.
Think about the last time you went to the store to buy a specific item. Odds are you heard about it through the brand’s marketing, not from the store itself. Grocery stores are a great vehicle between you and your customer. While the store may promote individual items in flyers, ads, etc., their marketing focus is the store as a whole, not any one brand. Showing the buyer that you are prepared to market your product online and offline shows you are serious about selling your product.
Buyers also want to know that you will be able to supply enough product to stay in stock. If you are presenting to a single store, it will be much easier to meet demand. But if you are meeting with a chain buyer, you will need to make sure you already have a plan for large-scale production in place.
Offer in-store support
While offering in-store support is not a requirement for presenting to a buyer, it can show them that you are serious about helping your product sell. Whether it’s demos, coupons, or passive samples (if they make sense for your product and is within your budget), offering support once the product is on the shelf can give you an advantage with the buyer over the competition. This support provides buyers a favorable impression of your brand, and help them to remember you when presenting items in the future.
Many stores also host events throughout the year, such as Earth Day or Gluten-Free Fairs. Setting up a table or booth at one of these events is a great place to boost product awareness and increase sales, which in turn will help keep your product on the shelf.
Build hype at Farmer’s Markets
Even if you’re actively talking to buyers to get your product into stores, selling your goods at a farmers market is still a great idea. Not only will you be able to earn extra income (which will come in handy when increasing the size of your business), you can start to build a customer following. Buyers are always interested in brands that already have hype since this proves the products are already a hit.
In some areas, buyers browse farmer’s markets to see what new, innovative products are out there they want to bring into their store. Having a solid product with a strong brand will make them aware of you even before you schedule a meeting.
Use a broker
Sometimes talking to buyers yourself may not be the best option. Working with a broker not only frees up your time, they often have pre-existing relationships with buyers. The primary job of food brokers is to negotiate sales between producers/manufacturers and stores. Most brokers present your product to buyers and provide follow up support to ensure the product stays on the shelf.
Finding a broker depends on the size of your business. Larger brokers tend to only work with more established brands, while smaller independent brokers will take on smaller brands. Talking to fellow business owners can help you find a broker that may be right for you.
Using an online distributor like Pod Foods can also help, whether you enlist a broker or not.. Pod Foods connects manufacturers and stores, gaining exposure for even the smallest brands while allowing buyers to pick the products that provide the best fit for their store and clientele.
