Cracking the Retail Code: How to Get Your Products on Store Shelves (and Keep Them There)

Breaking into retail is a game-changer for emerging consumer brands. But landing on store shelves is only half the battle—staying there is the real challenge. Retailers want products that sell; without a strategic approach, brands risk being delisted before gaining traction. Follow these 6 steps to get your products into retail and ensure they stay in demand.

Step 1: Understand What Retailers Want

Retail buyers want products that fill an unmet need, align with consumer trends, and deliver strong margins. To position your brand as a must-have, focus on:

• Market Differentiation: Ensure your product stands out from competitors and articulate how and why it’s unique and different.  

• Sales Velocity: Demonstrate your product’s track record driving consistent sales and turns.

• Profitability: Develop your pricing structure to provide attractive margins for you and the retailer.

• Consumer Demand: Show proof of traction through e-commerce sales, social media engagement, or regional success.

Step 2: Perfect Your Retail Pitch

It’s important to note that a “retail pitch” isn’t the same pitch you’d give to an investor, and it’s fundamentally different from the pitch you’d deliver in a contest or on Shark Tank. A “retail pitch” is much more substantive than entertaining, but it still needs to capture the buyer's attention – and quickly.  A compelling pitch is essential to convince buyers to take a chance on your brand. Your pitch should include:

• A clear value proposition: Explain why your product belongs on their shelves – do your homework by touring their stores, checking out the products they currently carry, and outlining what makes your product different so you’re confident and informed.

• Sales data and consumer insights: Show evidence of demand and share insights on the purchase behavior of your customers.  This should include what your customers buy, how often they make purchases, and why they purchase your products over other brands.

• Marketing and promotional support: Outline how you’ll drive awareness and foot traffic to their stores.  This is where your social media followers become relevant and valuable.  Your marketing plan should include programs and promotions you plan to execute in their stores and outside of their stores.

• Competitive pricing strategy: Ensure your pricing aligns with category expectations while maintaining profitability.

Step 3: Choose the Right Retail Partners

Retailers are not created equally, therefore not all retailers are the right fit for your brand. Focus on partnering with stores that align with your brand positioning and have an audience that matches your ideal customer profile. Consider:

• Independent retailers and regional chains: These are great options for getting started as they are generally more flexible and can provide key insights on your launch strategy before scaling nationally.

• Category leadership: Retailers who excel in your category or who align with key attributes of your product  -- think organic or better for you, etc. -- can provide valuable exposure.

• Retailer expectations: Some retailers require slotting fees, promotions, or marketing contributions—when planning, factor these into your budget and go-to-market strategy.

Step 4: Execute a Strong Retail Launch

A successful launch requires more than just getting on shelves. Your brand also has to get off of shelves and into carts – physical carts or digital carts.  Plan for strong sales out of the gate to gain momentum.  Drive sell-through with:

• Retailer-specific promotions: Partner with your retailer to offer discounts, BOGO deals, or in-store coupons to encourage trial.

• Sampling and demos: Engage customers with tastings, demonstrations, or influencer activations in-store or near the store.

• Digital and in-store marketing: Leverage paid ads, social media, and retail media networks to boost visibility along your customer’s path to purchase.  This includes pre-shopping awareness, in-store media at the point of purchase, and post-shopping reminders.

• Retailer relationships: Maintain strong communication with buyers and store managers to optimize in-store placement and restocking schedules.  The department manager for your product’s category should be your best friend!  You should also be proactive in communicating challenges, slow item movement, and remedies to stimulate sales.  

Step 5: Monitor Performance and Adapt

As mentioned earlier, the real work begins once your products hit shelves. Retailers expect consistent performance that’s in line with category expectations and competitive performance, so track key metrics such as:

• Sales velocity: How quickly your product moves off the shelf.

• Inventory levels: Prevent stockouts or overstock situations with good demand planning processes.

• Promotional effectiveness: Assess which marketing efforts are driving sales.

• Consumer feedback: Use reviews and social listening to refine your product and marketing approach.

If a product underperforms, don’t wait for the retailer to tell you about it or worse, delist it— proactively adjust pricing, swap out slow-moving SKUs, or introduce limited-time promotions to drive incremental sales.

Step 6: Expand and Scale

Once you prove success in one retailer, leverage that data to scale into additional accounts – preferably other retailers in the same markets and trading areas as your existing distribution to maximize efficiency. Use case studies and sales data from your launch to pitch new retailers with confidence. Before you expand and scale:

• Optimize distribution: Ensure your supply chain can handle growth.

• Expand SKUs strategically: Introduce complementary products to increase shelf space.  Fill voids in existing stores with items that are selling well elsewhere.

• Strengthen your brand story: A compelling narrative helps differentiate you in a crowded market, which can make the difference between shoppers purchasing your brand vs the competition.

Conclusion

Cracking the retail code requires strategic planning, strong execution, and ongoing optimization. By understanding retailer needs, delivering a strong pitch, and actively supporting your products post-launch, you’ll secure shelf space and ensure your brand remains a top performer in stores.

Need expert guidance to navigate the retail landscape? A fractional CMO can help you build a winning strategy, strengthen retail partnerships, and accelerate brand growth. Let’s connect!