How to Get Your Product into Stores

Hey everyone! I’m Karen Waksman, the founder of Retail MBA. Today I’d like to discuss five tips, for companies aiming to sell their products to US retail chains. So if you have a product but reside outside the United States be it in the UK, Canada, India or anywhere else and you’re eager to break into retailers like Walmart, Home Depot or Macys in the US market then this is for you. I want to offer some insights on how you can succeed as a company in selling to US retail chains.

5 Tips

It’s crucial to understand your target market. Packaging and labeling that are important, in your home country might not carry the weight in the US market. It may sound simple. Its a mistake I’ve seen happen time and time again—failure to adapt and translate effectively. To avoid this pitfall consider finding someone based in the US who can review your information and ensure it aligns with the preferences of consumers and meets the standards expected by US buyers.

It’s crucial to maintain an appearance that appeals to the target audience. There’s no room, for compromise when it comes to meeting the preferences of your customers.

Moreover if you plan on targeting the market in the United States it’s important to consider including images and elements that resonate with women on your packaging. Understanding and catering to the US target market requires support and adjustments. Just like in Canada where French is included on packaging it won’t be the same in the US. You may need to modify your packaging and focus intently on meeting those requirements.

Another aspect to keep in mind is that directly contacting US retailers from your home country is often not advisable if you want to maximize your chances of success. Let me explain this further using an example; Lets say you’re based in the UK and interested in selling products through Home Depot. It would be more effective to explore strategies than simply making direct calls, from overseas.
The thing is, when you’re overseas buyers usually don’t call you back unless you’re dealing with a division that handles markets. Most of the time buyers are quite busy. Have a lot on their plate. They won’t go out of their way to call at time zones unless you establish contact, with the department within their organization that supports international trade.

There are a couple of ways to sell to retailers in the US. One option is to have a presence in the United States even if you’re living in the UK. This involves setting up an LLC or similar entity in the US and running your business from your home country while having someone based in the US who can interact with buyers on your behalf. This gives them an impression that you also have operations, in the US making it easier for them to reach out and get in touch.

Alternatively another approach is to reach out to them from your home country and become part of a group that includes other international suppliers.So basically the key difference, in whether you can make millions of dollars or not is whether you are willing to have someone based in the United States to interact with buyers and set up an office there. This simple setup would allow for back and forth communication. Ultimately yield a higher return on investment. Alternatively if you choose to sell from your home country you’ll find yourself competing in the market where customers primarily seek cost effective commodity based products.

Of course it’s common for people to sell from countries as well. However my suggestion is that considering the opportunity it might be worth opening an office in the United States. This way your representative can directly engage with you. Provide a personalized experience. It’s important because without this presence getting callbacks might become challenging. Otherwise you will be limited to the market which tends to involve processes and puts you among numerous other international companies.

To sum up having a local presence, in the United States could significantly impact your success by allowing for customer interaction and avoiding being lumped with other international businesses.
So basically you’re, under pressure to negotiate prices and such because otherwise they could easily purchase those products within the United States. I hope that makes sense.

One common struggle for companies is their reliance on unfamiliar third parties. They end up working with them simply because they don’t have a network in the United States. Unfortunately this can lead to consequences. For example lets say you hire a sales representative who claims they can assist you. They are based in the US. You don’t know them well. You’re in a rush because you’re eager to establish a presence in the United States. However this decision often backfires.

To avoid harm to your business it is crucial to take your time when selecting a partner since you heavily rely on third party support. I’ve witnessed instances where international clients have struggled due, to individuals who made promises but failed to deliver much of anything. Therefore investing time and effort into understanding these people is essential.
You should make an effort to visit and communicate with them as it can lead to outcomes in the run. Although it’s not mandatory taking it seriously increases your chances of success and finding partners for your business.

Many international companies face challenges when selling to the US market especially when it comes to understanding the avenues, for profitability. It’s understandable since you don’t reside here and may not be familiar with retailers and their operations. Many US residents are unaware of the diverse money making strategies available. For instance there are 20 approaches you can take to sell your products at Home Depot or similar retailers. Each retailer has divisions, such as sales and physical stores with numerous buyers responsible, for different product categories. This often results in missed opportunities that people overlook.
If you’re planning to enter the US market I highly recommend seeking guidance from a coach or an expert who specializes in the US market. It’s important to gather data and explore options to save time, money and avoid unnecessary complications.

Many international companies face losses due, to simple mistakes caused by a lack of understanding about the market and effective money strategies when selling to US retailers. There are revenue opportunities and we’ll soon be sharing videos on our YouTube channel discussing different money strategies. Keep an eye out for those. However it’s crucial that you thoroughly comprehend all the strategies and avenues for generating revenue before diving into the US market. This knowledge can make all the difference between achieving millions of dollars in sales or not.

Another challenge in markets is effectively communicating with buyers, about your product. It’s essential to master this aspect
It may seem like a thing. The truth is that in the retail market of the United States they pay close attention to how you communicate about your specific product. I’m not referring to accents; rather I’m talking about the choice of words you use to convince buyers that your product will sell well in stores. Their primary goal is to make money and generate sales so they have their language. It’s important not to assume that being a salesperson guarantees success, in the United States.

To succeed in this market it’s crucial to grasp their language through education, coaching and other forms of support. Otherwise there’s a risk that buyers will reject your product of giving it a chance. This is something we definitely want to avoid. Our objective is for buyers to say yes and believe that our product will thrive on store shelves. Fortunately there are strategies, for conveying this message to US buyers. They are particularly attentive when it comes to choosing the words— so than any other industry I’ve worked in before.
Anyway these are the five tips, for selling to chain stores if you’re located overseas. The key thing to understand is that the US retail market offers opportunities for gain. All you need is an education. You’ll be just fine. If you’re interested in learning more about selling to US retailers we have a 90 minute webinar available for you to sign up below. The link is provided down below simply click on it. Alternatively you can also visit retailmba.com/free to gain access to it. During the webinar we will guide you through the process of selling to US retailers at a pace. Address any questions or concerns that may arise. Additionally there is an option to watch a replay of the webinar well.

If you found this information helpful and would like content from us please show your support by liking our page subscribing and leaving comments below. We constantly update our content with material. I’m Karen Waksman, founder of Retail MBA. I genuinely hope that this information has been beneficial, to you. Thank you much.