Got a question for retail buyers that you’re too shy to ask? Promo Edge’s Retail Research Center polls buyers nationwide with your questions, and we print their answers. Supermarket, drug, mass merch – choose your channel and fire away. E-mail questions to Promo Edge care of [email protected], or fax them to (507) 645-9504.
Q: How can I get retailers to accept a new product, and what do they want me to leave behind after a sales presentation?
A: Brands spend an average of $5 million per SKU to introduce a new product, and most retailers will give a product only one chance and, at most, three months to make it.
Retailers often require unknown brands to apply for new-vendor status and follow the procedures in the store’s vendor manual. You must prove why your product is unique enough to warrant stores changing their existing assortment. Encourage the buyer to try the product.
Give proof of consumer demand, such as test-market results. Discuss your anticipated profitability and sell-through, merchandising plans, media support, and pricing. Don’t forget the “Wow Factor”: If your introduction is pegged to the Super Bowl, impress buyers with the fact that you’re running spots during the game.
Show samples or photos of P-O-P, and be flexible with what you offer – if it’s a seasonal item or the chain hasn’t decided to slot it yet, offer shipper displays so retailers don’t have to alter their shelves.
Most retailers prefer a one-page leave-behind and samples. (Some buyers can’t accept sales-kit premiums.) Keep CD-ROM or diskette presentations short, and include a hard copy. The buyer may forward your sell sheet to a new-product committee, which decides whether to give you that coveted shelf space. n
Promo Edge is a manufacturer of in-store promotional products and a division of Menasha Corp., Neenah, WI. Its Retail Research Center conducts consumer and trade research through a database that includes 90 top supermarket chains and the leading 15 drugstore chains, as well as mass merchandise, C-store, and specialty retailers.
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