Strategies That Can be Effective in Securing Major Retail Distribution for New & Existing Brands

Leverage celebrity partnerships/investments: Having a well-known celebrity believe in the brand, whether through an equity investment or public endorsement, gives retailers confidence that the brand has marketing power and pop culture relevance.

Pilot shop-in-shops: Launch the brand in a dedicated temporary space, like a kiosk area, in high performing stores. This low commitment test run by retailers proves if the brand drives incremental sales before expanding range/space.

Offer generous payment terms: Most retailers require payment within 30 days. Offering 90+ days before remittance encourages trials by alleviating the risk of carrying inventory that doesn’t sell quickly.

Supply compelling consumer data insights: Share analytics proving audience interest, such as who frequently browses site and abandons carts. This convinces buyers the brand understands its target demographic.

Negotiate incentives for high placement: Slotting fees are one-time compensation for shelving brands. You can also provide ongoing funds for staff training, signage that sweeten the deal to secure premium aisles over obscure back racks.

Emphasize ease of merchandising: Uniform fixtures, clearly labeled products are user-friendly for busy stores. Low SKU counts, modular designs ease setup. This reduces hassle of managing a new brand.

Target popular retailers in adjacent segments: E.g. launching makeup at Target before Sephora minimizes risk by continuing sales momentum in familiar chains serving the same customers.

Seek regional distributors: Distributors’ networks give access to major chains too large individually. Testing through a few distributors and their retailer partners expands reach.

The goal is mitigating perceived risk through proven consumer pull, optimized in-store execution and financial incentives that outweigh logistical hassle of shelving a newcomer. Compelling brand stories and sales data get retailers on board.

Email Pitch Template:

Subject: Exclusive Sneak Peek: [Brand Name] Launching Nationwide

We’re reaching out with an exclusive opportunity for [Retailer]. As you may know, [Brand Name] has experienced explosive growth online and with our direct customers over the past year. We’re now ready to take the brand nationwide and sincerely believe [Retailer] is the ideal retail partner based on brand alignment and customer overlap.

Attached is our one-page brand overview detailing our story, product assortment and customer insights. I’d love to hop on a call next week to discuss a potential test partnership, either through a Shop-In-Shop rollout or on an exclusive launch basis. We’re confident that with [Retailer]’s marketing support and prime real estate placements, [Brand Name] can drive significant new revenue and customers for your stores.

Let me know your availability to further discuss this exciting possibility and how we can make it mutually beneficial partnership. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Pitch Deck Template:

Introduction of brand story and positioning

Consumer data/market research on target demo

Sales performance to-date – notably 3rd party verified numbers

Distribution channel overview – emphasis on current strategic partners

Proposed partnership structure – customized to retailer needs

Marketing support package from brand side during launch

Ambitious yet achievable sales projections for launch period

Financial incentives proposal – profit sharing, advertising funds etc.

Compelling reasons for strong fit with retailer from brand’s side

Next steps for piloting the partnership

Closing with commitment to crafting a customized proposal