Approaching retail stores to stock your products....

Approaching the store owner directly, like you did, is the way to do it for the types of stores you were targeting.

Some other stores, like certain chain stores, will also take on a product under a similar situation - consignment. And will often deal with "distributors."

If you have a Pet Product, for instance, you can approach the pet shops directly and do what you have done. Or, you can call the supplier of any non-competitive product and ask who the distributor is (the pet industry in Australia only has two major distributors who handle just about all pet products), or ask the pet store owner who the distributor is. Then contact the distributor and ask them to handle your product.

Want a publication in the newsagent stores... same thing - approach each agency directly or contact a distributor (ask the agents - some distributors are small and can be known to be unreliable if your publication doesn't sell in large volume).

Frozen foods... same thing.

Either way, the distributors may want the product to already have proven sales within an area, or at least accompanying marketing materials. It all depends on WHO the distributor is and what the product is. And they will want you to supply them with plenty of stuff to distribute - although, in the beginning, they'll most likely use a sample to generate sales, or leave some behind with the store owner for testing. (One distributor I know will stock your goods in their warehouse and want proven sales and proven marketing materials before even looking at your product. And after that, you pay them for doing the distributing. But they have the established network so it worth whatever they charge to use them leverage your sales.)

If you are thinking along the lines of Department stores... you have to call them on the phone and ask to speak to their buying department of the type of product you want them to stock. Then ask them for their Guidelines. Each department has different guidelines and procedures for submitting products for their consideration.

And they will mostly want exclusivity.

So if you have found a product, try and get an exclusive before approaching a major department store. This protects you if they do research to find who your source is.

Even after following their guidelines, there is no guarantee they will stock your product.

And just because they don't want it at the moment doesn't mean they won't want it in six month's time, or a year later. Fashion, tastes, and what people want change all the time. What is not hot may be hot this time next year. Unless you keep submitting your product the buyer will forget about you.

The buyers are quite friendly and they encourage you to send stuff their way (at least in my experience dealing with them). Makes their job easier, I suppose.

Michael Ross


Learn more about using Leverage