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How To Get Your Product Into Stores UK

If you’re a new business owner who relies on product development and getting those products into retail stores to sell, then you should be aware of how challenging this can be. However, with the right strategy, ensuring your product is ready, branding and marketing strategies, and through building strong relationships with retail buyers and local retailers, you can increase the likelihood of your products making it on to their shelves.

In order to get products in stores, you can’t just approach retail stores unprepared. Instead, consider the following:

ensure your product is ready for the shelves
apply for IP rights
reduce manufacturing and production costs to increase profit margins
focus on your target audience and making products that they want and marketing those products in a way that speaks to them
identify retailers and distributors you can sell to
create a sakes pitch that impresses
approach store owners – including smaller, local stores and online stores if you don’t want the hassle of opening and running your own online retail store
partner with brands and businesses for greater exposure

Below we’ll explore these steps in greater detail to give you the best chance of your products flying off the shelf space at retailers both local and national. From prep to pitch, we’ll guide you through everything you need as a wholesale business owner developing products for retailers.

Table of Contents

1. Getting Your Product Ready For Shelves

Making sure your product is actually ready to market is the key to a successful product launch. Really test your product, and have plenty of other people do the same – preferably members of your target audience to see if it truly works for them in a real world scenario. If there are issues with design or durability, fix them before product launch.

There are stages to product testing that will ensure a thorough test. Follow these steps:

first test the design and conduct quality control to ensure products made on mass are still fit for purpose and work as intended
trial your product with members of your target market when you’re sure the product will achieve what you want
conduct customer surveys and focus groups with non retail wholesale customers, individuals who will use the product, and retailers to find out how the product has been received at all stages
test the production process to ensure products can be manufactured reliably and in the quantities you need to take the product to shelves

Depending on your product, you might also need to have your product tested and approved by governing bodies and health and safety regulators. Products such as food, drink, skincare, and beauty products are all likely to need additional tests to satisfy regulations and ensure they’re safe to be sold on shelves for customers. Without certificates to say your product is good, retailers won’t stock your product to protect their own reputation from damage.

2. Get Intellectual Property Protections

Whilst it’s much rarer nowadays considering how connected the world is and how advanced human thinking and technology has become, the single best way to reduce competition and ensure you dominate the market is to create a completely unique product that meets the needs of your customer base, and then securing the appropriate legal protections such as trademarks, copyrights, or patents. These types of protections will give you the sole right to produce and sell your product so that nobody else is able to hijack part or all of your idea without consequence. Own brand products tend to sell better, so work on your brand, too, making your business a household name for the product youy have protected and potential retail partners will be queuing up to stock your products – even larger retail chains if you’re lucky.

You may need help from an IP solicitor if this applies to you. It’s important, not only because it protects your design, but also because retailers are less likely to take up new ideas which already exist elsewhere on store shelves. If they have an own brand range of the product you’re offering, you’ll face challenges trying to convince them to stock your product as a competitor of theirs.

When it comes to products, patents are usually the most important type of intellectual property. In the UK there are two main types of patents; utility patents and design patents.

Utility patents are the most valuable as they protect how something works which is crucial if your product offers some kind of unique functionality to customers. This will help with selling directly to the customers you made the product for, as your product will likely solve a unique problem of theirs and by protecting your product in this way, you’ll be their best option when it comes to buying.
Design patents provide protection for your product’s distinct visual appearance, which isn’t always essential if your design is relatively simple or doesn’t have a major aesthetic component. But it can be worth doing if you’re concerned people will create a similarly designed product that could confuse your customers at the shelves.

3. Bring Down Manufacturing Prices

Retailers love a product sell sheet, where you explain the key benefits of your product and explain how they can order from you. Chief amongst your product sell sheet benefits ought to be the cost. If your product gives the retailer larger profit margins, then you’ll almost certainly grab their attention.

You’ll be selling at a wholesale price to retailers, and generally they look for a 2x or 3x markup on that when selling on the shelves or online marketplaces. Remember your manufacturing costs should still leave you with a profit when offering your wholesale price, so consider how you can reduce the manufacturing cost as much as possible.

Some retailers may also require minimum order quantities (MOQs) which must be met before an item will go onto store shelves. This means that if you cannot reach MOQ levels within 12 months, most big retailers won’t take up your offer anyway because they know you’ll struggle with inventory management over time if your product starts selling fast.

Creating your product as quickly as possible in the most cost effective way is the secret to really getting in retailers good books.

4. Build A Recognisable Brand

One of the main things a consumer will look at when buying products is their respectability. You need to build a recognisable brand that others can get to know and get the word out there about. Creating a brand identity that others can relate to is the key to increasing online sales or getting your product in with major retailers.

A brand identity is made up of the following things, and all of them should be consistently telling the same story:

brand values
label
packaging
website
communications
and more

Get your brand story right, set yourself apart as a respectable name in the industry, and you’ll give customers an idea about what they get when they work with you.

Selling wholesale requires a strong brand story so you can stand out to retailers who buy from you. With complex branding, you lose the interest of your customers easily. When you approach retailers yoiu should do so with a stand-out brand that others can’t ignore.

5. Get To Know Your Target Market

Local businesses and retailers will depend on you knowing your target market so you can create a product that satisfies the end user, keeping them coming back for more. This will also allow you to approach retail stores that are most likely to sell your product based on their typical customer base.

Knowing your target market will also allow you to tailor promotional materials and marketing techniques to generate more sales. It’s important you find your customers before you even get the products into stores. The better you know your customers – however niche it might be – the better chance you’ll have of getting products into stores and making a real name for yourself.

Part of knowing your customers is knowing the products they’re already using. Retailers won’t want to stock another product if there’s already lots of them on their shelves. Fill a gap in the market based on your potential customers’ needs, and you’ll make a real success of your new product launch.

6. Work On Sales And Marketing Strategies

To start, you have to know how your target demographic is likely to shop. Will they be in stores or online? Do they prefer unique independent brands that might charge more rather than mass produced household names with a lower price point?

What are their buying habits and what marketing avenue is likely to resonate with them? Social media is an obvious choice for Gen Z, but young children will likely look for new products during traditional marketing opportunities, like adverts on children’s TV channels.

Digital marketing is a great way to reach customers, but you should know what’s best for them. Social media, emails, blogs, traditional press release pieces, etc. Knowing the content your customers consume is key if you want to reach them where they’re at – the main goal of any marketing strategies.

Build a strong customer base that wants to buy your product, communicate with them effectively through marketing campaigns, and you’ll notice an increase in sales. Having a customer base before approaching retails will also show them that there’s an appetite for your product that will make stocking it in their stores worthwhile.

7. Build Relationships With Distributors

Most retailers will prefer to deal with a distributor rather than the business who is actually creating a product. Find the right distributor who specialises in your product area or target audience and build a relationship.

Distributor reputation is just as important as your brand’s when you’re working with an external business, so look into a distributor before you agree to any deals. If you’re not sure how to work with a distributor effectively find an employee who has experience. This is invaluable as they’ll have previous relationships and know which distributors can deliver what they say they can.

Hiring someone with experience will also mean you’re compliant with all legal requirements regarding distribution such as safety certificates. It’ll also help if you’re importing/exporting overseas. Look at what standards are set in your industry and work to ensure you product meets all necessary requirements to remain compliant.

Your relationship with your distributor can make or break your product launch – it’s that important, so make sure you find a distributor you can work with.

8. Create A Winning Pitch

Retailers need convincing that a product is worthwhile stocking at their store, so you’ll need to work on a sales pitch that shows why your product is something they ought to put their time and money into.

A winning pitch should be comprehensive – covering every point that makes you stand out from competitors whilst also addressing why your product will sell so well (focus on the problem your target audience has that your product addresses and then show the enthusiasm for the product from future potential customers).

As well as being comprehensive, a winning sales pitch ought to be compelling, too. A compelling pitch will wow retailers with both the delivery and the numbers. Show them your calculations, profit margins, deliverable quantities and supply times. Fulfilling wholesale requests is important so explain how you can meet what they need.

You have to know the numbers to convince retailers of your product’s worth. Success for you means success for them, too, so explain how saleable your product is and the benefits for both of you as part of your pitch.

9. Know Where Your Product Fits

The best retailer for your product isn’t always the biggest. Your retail strategy has to focus on retail stores that match your USPs and brand reputation. It’s not about just focussing on the biggest retailers because, despite their reach, they might not be the best fit for your product and your product might not sell near as well as it might in a smaller store with a retailer that’s really passionate about selling your product.

Find a retailer that offers the right mix of passion and potential. As much as it’s your job to pitch your product to them, it’s their job to pitch to you and explain how they can meet your goals. Finding the right retailer will ensure a steady stream of sales and income, even if you start in smaller stores that can really push your product because of how it fits with their goals and desires for their store.

10. Consider Small Businesses

Independent retailers are a great thing to consider. They’re often the hub of a community and if you have a very specific customer in mind for your product, you might find that you’re more likely to find them in smaller retailers with a strong local presence.

Building brand awareness is also more easily achieved through smaller retailers because they’re more likely to push your product and explain its unique value, helping your product and brand grow much faster.

Starting small in most cases will yield more sustainable results in the long term. Often the most competitive pricing can be found with smaller retailers too, so it’s definitely a path to consider.

11. Visit Trade Shows

Trade shows are a great way to meet potential buyers, network with retailers, and also check out what the competition is doing. If you’re exhibiting at a large trade show then there are likely to be many buyers from different retailers in attendance so it’s a great way to get your products in front of them. This is also an opportunity for you to meet and impress some influential industry figures, which could prove very valuable later down the line when it comes time to negotiate deals or expand your business.

If you are planning on taking your product to a trade show, here are some important things to consider:

Make sure your stand looks professional and well designed – It’s important to make a good first impression so you need to have branded banners, business cards and uniforms.
Be prepared for tough questions – If your product is new then you may have to be open about the fact that it’s not selling very well yet. This means that you need to be ready to whip out your sales pitch on-demand multiple times over the course of the trade show.
Prepare samples of your product – If you have a physical product then it’s important to be able to show people what you are selling. Make sure your samples are finished and look professional so that the buyer can easily see their potential.

12. Partner With Brand And Companies

If you are confident in your product, but struggling to find buyers then this is another option available to you. By partnering with other brands and companies that already have established relationships within the industry, you can offer them a percentage of sales or profit from each sale made through their distribution channel.

This type of partnership usually works best if it’s between complementary products rather than competitors trying to sell direct-to-consumer through the same retailer channels. For example, an accessory company looking for new customers could partner up with a fashion brand selling similar styles at different price points. This will give both parties access to more consumers without stepping on each other’s toes.