How to get retailers to stock your products

Landing your product in John Lewis, Tesco or Selfridges can skyrocket your sales, build your credibility and transfer their reputation onto your brand.

Consumers like convenience. That means that if they need a product they may prefer to go to their local retailer whether this be online or in-person. Having your product in one of these retailers means you could pick up these convenience shoppers and make them your customers.

Get in front of the decision-makers

Bob’s your uncle is a very British term. But do you know it was coined in 1887 when the Prime Minister appointed his nephew as Minister for Ireland who then referred to his uncle (the PM) as uncle Bob? An unfair part of life is that knowing someone often opens many doors for you. The same can be said for a brand when the brand is known to a key retail decision-maker.

You can have retailers chasing you, and wanting to sell your product. But first, you need to get seen by them. You need to be featured in key trade titles read by the decision-makers. Some think this is where you need to stop. Unfortunately, it takes a number of times before a decision maker will remember your brand and want to take action. This means you need to take a 360 approach. Reach them through each piece of media they’re consuming: the trade titles at work, their favourite magazine on the weekend, the podcast they listen to at the gym, the paper they read on the train, and the TV they have on after work. Limiting your media approach limits the impact you can have.

Communicate your USP

Even if you’re the first of your kind, it’s likely you’ll have competitors in the same industry as you. Retailers are being approached by tonnes of your competitors weekly. You need to show them how you differ. What is your USP?

It’s all well and good putting this in your investment pitch but first, you need to get the pitch. You need to communicate your USP and its value before this. Reviews by impartial journalists plus press campaigns that demonstrate your positive principles help to showcase your value.

Make it impossible for them to miss you

If a retailer is looking for a new type of product they will conduct research. Make it easy for them to spot you by optimising your SEO to ensure you will feature at the top of searches. We doubled one client’s domain authority within one year of working with us. PR grows SEO by building links and brand mentions on high-ranking websites.

Let your sales do the talking

Your sales will prove the demand for your product and show retailers that they could share in your success. PR drives sales. One review sold £15k of product for a client. Another made £6,657 in the first month one of its products was included in a round-up. With one piece of coverage, you have already made a significant ROI on your investment in PR.

The bigger the better

When winning retailers, it helps to showcase yourself in the best light possible. PR coverage maximises your value to prove your worth and gets you into the retailers you want and need to be sold in.

Do you want to secure listings in major retailers? You can sign-up for a free PR Strategy Audit here. We assess your strategy and see what may need adjusting for you to reach your goals.