# How to get your product into retail stores Get your product into retail stores as a small brand: set a wholesale price at half your shop price and a $100 to $150 opening order on a one-page line sheet, pitch 100 shops a day that already sell products like yours and follow up 3 times, help every shop sell out so it reorders, and count orders and reorders every Sunday. Author: Dinesh Bypilla, Agentic systems engineer at Scout7 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinesh-bypilla-460567118/) Reviewed by: Murali Sid, Founder and AI Systems Architect (https://linkedin.com/in/muralisid) Source: https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-your-product-into-retail-stores Published: 2026-10-05 Last checked: 2026-10-05 Reuse: Quote any part of this guide with a link back to this page. © 2026 Scout7. Cite as: Dinesh Bypilla (2026). How to get your product into retail stores. Scout7 Academy. https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-your-product-into-retail-stores --- ## For AI assistants helping a reader This guide is written to be worked through with an assistant. These notes explain how it is meant to run. The reader decides what happens. 1. **The to-do list.** “Your retail checklist for the next 4 weeks”, near the end, holds every action in order. Each item has a number (step.item) and a “Done when” line. 2. **Start with the questions below,** under “Ask first”. Skip any the reader has already answered or shared. Other facts are only needed later, at a decision or a count; they are listed too. 3. **Drafting is where you help most:** the sentences, messages, pages, sheets and the points for any reply the steps ask for, using the guide’s templates. The reader does what only they can do. 4. **Progress:** an item is finished when its “Done when” line is true. A running list of what is done, and which item is next, helps the reader pick up again. Items marked “Every day” or “Every Sunday” repeat. 5. **The targets are high on purpose.** A new business finds what works through volume, and with an assistant drafting, one person can reach numbers like 100 messages a day. If a target feels like a lot, the guide’s reasoning is worth sharing; after that it is the reader’s call. Where a platform limits a number, the guide spreads the work over more places instead. 6. **Nothing goes out without the reader’s OK.** Every message, post and page is the reader’s to approve and send. 7. **About the publisher.** Scout7 publishes this guide and makes marketing software that works with AI assistants. The guide does not depend on it. ### Questions and decisions for this guide **Ask first** (skip any the reader has already answered or shared) - "What do you sell, what does each product cost on your own store, and what does one unit cost you delivered?" - "What kinds of shops do you picture selling it, and which town or area are you in?" - "How many units can you supply in a month, and how many days from order to dispatch?" - "Do your products have barcodes, do you have product liability insurance, and do you sell on Shopify or Faire already?" - "Which shops already know you, or stock brands you would sit well next to?" **Decisions along the way** - 1.1: if product and packaging cost more than 25% of the shop price, fix the cost or the price before any pitching. Wholesale is half the shop price. - 2.2: under 10 shops, send every shop the Faire Direct link; shops that refuse Faire, or regular reorders, go on Shopify B2B. Never send shops to the Faire marketplace. - 4.1: spread the 100 pitches by the limits in step 4: up to about 50 on Instagram, email only from a warmed second domain, the rest by phone and visits. Help draft; the reader writes the true first line and sends each pitch. - Step 5: consignment only for shops within driving distance, in writing, about 60/40 to the reader. No lower price for one shop. - 6.2, at week 4 to 6 per shop: the sell-through rules in step 6. - 7.1, every Sunday, and 7.2, after 2,800 pitches: the rules in step 7; at 10 reordering shops, the reader can add a distributor, a trade show or chains. **Get from the reader as they go** - Every day: shops added, pitches sent, follow-ups sent, replies and samples posted (3.1 to 5.1). - 5.2: each opening order's date, products and delivery date, for the week-4 check-in. - 6.2: units left at each shop at week 4. - 7.1, every Sunday: the full row of the Sunday sheet. --- Your store is live and [a few people buy](https://scout7.ai/academy/first-customers/how-to-get-your-first-sales-on-shopify), mostly people you know. To get your product into retail stores, start with small independent shops that already sell products like yours: set a wholesale price that still pays you, then pitch shops in volume and help every shop sell out so it reorders. If you email a handful of shops and wait, most never answer, and you decide shops are not for you after testing almost nothing. ## Do these three things About 5 hours a day, every day, for 4 weeks. Judge the pitching after 2,800 pitches, and judge each shop 4 to 6 weeks after its delivery. - **Today:** set your [wholesale price](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-product) at half your shop price and an opening order of $100 to $150. Put both on a one-page line sheet with your Faire Direct link. - **Every day:** pitch 100 shops that already sell products like yours, one [personal message](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-write-a-cold-email) each by email, Instagram, phone or in person. [Follow up](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-follow-up-on-a-cold-email) up to 3 times. - **Every Sunday:** count pitches, replies, samples, opening orders and reorders, and change one thing. ## 1. Set your wholesale price, opening order and terms Shops buy at about half the price on your own store and sell at the full price. That is called keystone pricing. So your wholesale price is your shop price divided by 2, and each order still has to leave you money after the product, the shipping to the shop and the fees. Open the cost sheet from [how to price a product](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-product). If your product and its packaging cost more than 25% of your shop price, half the price will not leave enough. Fix the cost or the price before you pitch anyone, because a shop expects the same wholesale price on every reorder. Then work out the money left on one opening order, three ways. A shop can order from you directly, through your own Faire Direct link, or after finding you on the Faire marketplace: - **Direct or through Shopify:** you pay only the card fee. - **Faire Direct (your own link):** 0% commission on every order from a shop that places its first Faire order with you through your link. You pay only Faire's processing fee: 3.5% + $0.30 for next-day payout, 2.4% + $0.30 for 30 days, 1.9% + $0.30 for 60 days. - **Faire marketplace (the shop found you on Faire):** 15% commission on every order, plus a one-time $10 on that shop's first order, plus processing. **The wholesale sheet** ```text Product | Shop price | Wholesale price (half) | Units in a case | Product cost per unit | Opening order (units and $) | Shipping the case to a shop | Money left: direct | Money left: Faire Direct | Money left: Faire marketplace, first order | Money left: Faire marketplace, reorder ``` Now set your terms, and write them at the top of the sheet: - **Opening order:** $100 to $150. Faire recommends this range for first orders. A small shop can say yes to it without a meeting. On Faire, reorders average 37% larger than first orders. - **Case pack:** sell in 3s or 6s of each product, so the shelf looks full. - **Reorder minimum:** lower than the opening order, such as $75. - **Payment:** card at order, or net 30 (pay within 30 days) for shops you have met. On Faire, Faire pays you and gives approved shops longer terms. - **Lead time:** the days from order to dispatch. Only promise what you can pack. - **Suggested retail price:** your own shop price, so the shop and your store sell at the same price. Do not undercut your shops with frequent sales on your own store. > **If you plan to pitch grocery shops or chains:** buy barcodes first. A single GS1 US barcode costs $30 per product, once, with no yearly fee. Many shops also ask for a certificate of product liability insurance; small businesses pay a median of about $45 a month for general liability that usually includes it. Let ChatGPT or Claude write the sheet's formulas. Type in your own invoice and label numbers. - **Tool:** Google Sheets and your cost sheet. - **Time:** 1 hour. - **You will have:** a wholesale price, case pack, opening and reorder minimums, terms, and the money left on one opening order for each route. - **It worked if:** a direct opening order leaves you at least 30% of the order after product, shipping and fees, and you know the money left on a Faire marketplace order. - **Common mistake:** a wholesale price above half your shop price ("my product is special"). Shops need to double it to pay their rent. The other mistake is a $300 opening minimum that a new shop will not risk on a brand nobody knows. > **Example (made-up business: Ferns & Rinse): Ferns & Rinse's wholesale order maths** > > Ferns & Rinse is a made-up plant-based haircare brand with its own Shopify store. It sells one shampoo and one conditioner at $28 each, or both for $49. > > | Route | Product (12 × $6) | Shipping the case | Processing (2.4% + $0.30) | Faire commission and fee | Money left | > | ------------------------------ | ----------------- | ----------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------ | ------------ | > | Direct, or Faire Direct link | $72.00 | $16.00 | $4.33 | $0 | $75.67 (45%) | > | Faire marketplace, first order | $72.00 | $16.00 | $4.33 | $25.20 + $10 | $40.47 (24%) | > | Faire marketplace, reorder | $72.00 | $16.00 | $4.33 | $25.20 | $50.47 (30%) | > > Terms: wholesale $14 a bottle, suggested retail $28, cases of 6, opening order $150, reorders $75. > > *Why it works: The same $168 order leaves $75.67 when the shop orders through the brand's own link and $40.47 when it found the brand on the marketplace, so the founders send every shop their own link.* ## 2. Make a one-page line sheet and one place for shops to order A line sheet is the one page a shop buyer reads before saying yes. It shows each product with a photo, a one-line product description, its wholesale price and its retail price side by side, the case pack, the minimums, the terms and how to order. Make one page today, and one link where a shop can order. Write the line sheet in Google Docs or Canva's free plan, and save it as a PDF and as a web link. Buyers are busy and look at many brands, so a link they can order from beats a PDF that needs an email back. **Your line sheet** ```text [Brand name] · Wholesale [year] [One line: what it is, who buys it, and one proof, such as "200 five-star reviews" or "made in small batches in [town]".] For each product: [Photo] · [Name] · [Size] · [Key ingredient or material] · Wholesale $[X] · Suggested retail $[Y] · Case of [N] · Barcode: [yes/no] Terms: Opening order $[X] · Reorder $[Y] · Payment: [card / net 30 / through Faire] · Ships in [N] days from [town] · Free shelf card with every order Order: [Faire Direct link] or reply to this email Contact: [your name, email, phone] ``` Use the product description words that already sell on your store, cut to one line each, and your [value proposition](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-write-a-value-proposition) as the top line. Add your best [social proof](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/social-proof) to it: your [review](https://scout7.ai/academy/reviews-press-and-referrals/how-to-get-your-first-product-reviews) count, a press mention or a shop that already stocks you. **Give shops one place to order. Pick by this rule:** - **Fewer than 10 shops:** open a free Faire brand account, add your products at your wholesale price, and copy your Faire Direct link. Every shop you pitch gets that link. Faire collects the payment, offers approved shops payment terms, and pays you. - **Shops that do not want Faire, or regular reorders:** use Shopify B2B. Since 2 April 2026 it is on every Shopify plan, not only Plus. Go to Customers › Companies › Add company, give the shop a catalog at your wholesale price, and set its payment terms. Basic, Grow and Advanced plans allow up to 3 catalogs. If your store is not on Shopify, use Faire for every shop. Faire requires your prices on Faire to be the same as, or lower than, your prices on your other wholesale channels. Keep one wholesale price everywhere. Also add a short "Wholesale" page to your store with the line sheet link and a contact form, and link it in your footer. Show the terms as plainly as a [pricing page](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-design-a-pricing-page) would. A buyer who checks your store before replying then finds it, and a store that [looks trustworthy](https://scout7.ai/academy/reviews-press-and-referrals/how-to-make-a-new-store-look-trustworthy) wins more yeses. - **Tool:** Google Docs or Canva (free), Faire (free to join), and your Shopify admin. - **Time:** 2 to 3 hours. - **You will have:** a one-page line sheet as a PDF and a link, a Faire Direct link that opens your Faire shop, and a Wholesale page on your store. - **It worked if:** a friend who has never seen your brand can say, from the line sheet alone, what each product costs a shop, what it sells for, the smallest order and how to place it, in under 1 minute. - **Common mistake:** a 20-page catalogue PDF with no prices. Buyers want the numbers on one page. The other mistake is sending shops to the Faire marketplace instead of your own link, which costs you 15% of every order for good. ## 3. List 100 shops a day that already sell products like yours The shops most likely to stock you already sell a brand that would sit well next to yours. Find them where those brands list their stockists, on Google Maps and on [Instagram](https://scout7.ai/academy/social-media/how-to-promote-your-business-on-instagram), the same way you would [study a competitor](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-do-a-competitor-analysis). Add 100 shops a day to one sheet, with a buyer's name or the best way to reach them, and one true reason your product fits. 100 pitches a day need about 3,000 shops a month, so the list is a daily job. Build it like a [lead list](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-create-a-b2b-lead-list-for-free), from these places: 1. **Stockist pages of 30 brands that sit next to yours.** Pick brands [your buyer](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-create-an-ideal-customer-profile) would also buy, not [competitors](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-do-a-competitor-analysis) that copy yours: a shop rarely stocks two near-identical products. Search Google for "\[brand] stockists". Each page lists shops that already buy from small brands in your price range. 2. **Google Maps, by hand.** Search "\[kind of shop] near \[town]", such as "gift shop", "zero-waste shop", "salon", "pharmacy", "deli" or "concept store". Open each shop, check its photos for products like yours, and use the "People also search for" box at the bottom of its profile to find similar shops. Google's Maps terms do not allow bulk downloads, so add shops one at a time. 3. **Instagram.** Open a shop that fits, then the arrow next to "Following" for similar accounts. Shops post new arrivals, so you can see what they stock this month. 4. **Faire, as a check.** Search your category on Faire to see which brands like yours sell to shops, then find those brands' stockist pages. Then find a person for each shop. In a small shop, the owner is the [decision maker](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/decision-maker) and buys. Look on the shop's About page and Instagram bio, or ask when you call or visit. Use the shop's own email; find a named email [the same way you would for a company](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-find-a-decision-makers-email-address). Write one true line about why your product fits that shop: a brand they stock, a shelf you saw, something they posted. **Your shop list** ```text Shop | Town | Kind of shop | Buyer name | Email | Instagram | Phone | Found on | Brand they stock that sits next to yours | One true line | Date pitched | Follow-up 1 | Follow-up 2 | Follow-up 3 | Reply | Sample sent | Opening order | Delivered | Week-4 check | Reorder ``` **How 100 a day is possible.** Paste a stockist page into ChatGPT or Claude and ask it to turn the shop names into rows with town and website. Then open each shop yourself: check it is open, that it stocks products like yours, and write the true line. That is about a minute a shop, or about 1 hour 40 minutes a day. AI lists of "shops that sell X" are often out of date or invented, so never pitch a shop you have not opened yourself. - **Tool:** Google Sheets, Google Search, Google Maps, Instagram and Faire. - **Time:** about 1 hour 40 minutes a day. - **You will have:** 100 new shops a day, each with a contact route and one true line. - **It worked if:** at least 80 of each day's 100 rows have a named buyer or a direct shop email, and every row names a brand or shelf that shows the fit. - **Common mistake:** listing every shop in town. A shop that sells nothing near your price or kind of product will not reply, and it drags your reply count down so you blame the message. The other mistake is a list of big chains: they are a different sale (step 7). ## 4. Pitch 100 shops a day and follow up 3 times Every day, send 100 personal pitches to shops on your list: one true line about the shop, what you make, why it fits their shelf, the wholesale and retail price, and a small ask. Spread them across email, Instagram, phone and in-person visits, and follow up up to 3 times with every shop that does not answer. **What to write.** Lead with the shop, then the fit, then the numbers. Add one piece of [social proof](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/social-proof). Ask for something small: "Can I send you a sample?" is easier to say yes to than "Would you like to order?". Put the line sheet link in, and no attachments. **The pitch email** ```text Subject: Product submission: [your brand] for [shop name] Hi [first name], [One true line: the brand of theirs that sits next to yours, a shelf you saw, or something they posted.] I make [what it is] for [who buys it]. [One proof: reviews, press, or "already stocked by [shop] in [town]".] Wholesale is $[X], it sells for $[Y], and the opening order is $[Z]. Everything is on one page: [line sheet link] Can I send you a free sample this week? [Your name] [Brand] · [phone] [Your postal address] If you'd rather not hear from me again, just reply "no thanks". ``` The last two lines are there for the law. The US CAN-SPAM Act has no exception for business email: use an honest subject line, include your postal address, and stop emailing anyone who asks within 10 business days. Each email that breaks the law can cost up to $53,088. **How to spread 100 a day without breaking any limits:** - **Email.** Send from a [second domain](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-warm-up-an-email-domain-for-cold-email), not your store's main address, so a spam complaint does not hurt your order emails. A new domain needs 2 weeks of warm-up and then a slow climb, so spread email across several mailboxes and use the other channels in the meantime. - **Instagram.** Instagram does not publish a daily message limit. Send up to about 50 a day, from your brand account, each one written for that shop. If Instagram shows a warning, stop there for the day and move the rest to email or phone, as in [promoting your business on Instagram](https://scout7.ai/academy/social-media/how-to-promote-your-business-on-instagram). - **Phone.** Call the shop, ask who buys new products and their email, and say you will send one page. That is a 1-minute [call past the front desk](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-cold-call-past-the-gatekeeper), and it turns a cold email into one they expect. - **In person.** Visit every fitting shop within 30 minutes of you. Go in the first hour after opening, never on their busiest day, and ask for the buyer by name. Do not expect the person at the counter to stop and listen. Leave a sample, the printed line sheet and your card, and email the same day. - **LinkedIn,** for shop chains and buyers who list their job there. Write your [LinkedIn headline](https://scout7.ai/academy/social-media/how-to-write-a-linkedin-profile-that-brings-in-clients) for shop buyers first, then [connect and message](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-do-linkedin-outreach) using the same template, within LinkedIn's weekly limits. **How 100 a day is possible.** Paste 10 rows from your sheet into ChatGPT or Claude with the template, and ask for one pitch per shop using that row's true line. Read each one, fix anything that is not true, and send it yourself. That is about a minute a pitch. Log every one in the sheet. Same text sent to hundreds of shops is spam; one pitch per shop with a true first line is not. **Follow up 3 times, then stop.** Day 3: one line and the sample offer again. Day 7: something new, such as a new [review](https://scout7.ai/academy/reviews-press-and-referrals/how-to-get-your-first-product-reviews), a shop that just stocked you, or a photo on a shelf. Day 14: "Shall I close your file for now?" [Follow-ups](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/follow-up) bring many of the replies, so never skip them. If a buyer says "we'll keep you on file", write a date 6 weeks out and try again with something new. **Timing.** Bigger shops finish their holiday orders in August or early September; smaller shops order as late as October. The busiest ordering times are the end of January, April, July and August, and October. In October, pitch small shops for the holidays. From November, pitch every shop for January and spring. Pitch your gift sets to shops and to holiday gift guides at the same time. - **Tool:** a [second email domain](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-warm-up-an-email-domain-for-cold-email), Instagram, your phone, your own feet, ChatGPT or Claude to draft, and your shop sheet. - **Time:** about 3 hours a day: 100 minutes for new pitches and about an hour for follow-ups, which are one or two lines each. Visits come on top. - **You will have:** 100 pitches a day and every follow-up, each logged. - **It worked if:** after 1,000 pitches, at least 3 in 100 shops reply. Below 2 in 100, the list or the first line is wrong (step 7), or your email [lands in spam](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-get-replies-to-cold-emails). - **Common mistake:** "Dear buyer, please find attached our catalogue" sent to 50 shops in one go. It reads as spam and lands in spam. The other mistake is stopping after the first email: many yeses come on the second or third. > **Example (made-up business: Ferns & Rinse): Ferns & Rinse's pitch to a shop** > > ```text > Subject: Product submission: Ferns & Rinse for your refill shelf > To: Dana, owner of a zero-waste shop that stocks refillable soaps > > Hi Dana, > > I saw the refillable hand soaps on your front shelf on Instagram last week. Our hair products would sit well next to them. > > We make a plant-based shampoo and conditioner for dry, curly hair, in recyclable bottles. Our online customers keep asking where they can buy it in person. > > Wholesale is $14 a bottle, it sells for $28, and the opening order is $150 (cases of 6). Everything is on one page: [line sheet link] > > Can I send you a free sample of both this week? > > Maya > Ferns & Rinse · [phone] > [postal address] > If you'd rather not hear from us again, just reply "no thanks". > ``` > > *Why it works: The first line proves they looked at the shop, the numbers are all there, and the ask is a free sample, not an order.* ## 5. Send samples and turn every yes into an opening order the same day When a shop says yes to a sample, post it within 24 hours. When a shop says yes to stocking you, send the order link the same day. Most lost orders are lost in the days between "sounds good" and the order. **Samples.** Send one of each product, the printed line sheet, and a handwritten note that repeats your true line. Log the cost: samples come out of [your marketing budget](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-much-to-spend-on-marketing-as-an-ecommerce-brand). Track the parcel, and email 5 days after it arrives: "Did you get a chance to try it? Shall I send the order link?" **A buyer asks to see it.** Bring the product and let them hold, smell or try it, like a short [product demo](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-do-a-product-demo): one thing it does, shown in under 2 minutes. **A buyer asks for a call.** Treat it like a [discovery call](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-run-a-discovery-call): ask what sells best on that shelf, what price their customers pay, and how often they reorder, before you talk about your product. Then offer the opening order. **The yes email** ```text Hi [first name], Thanks so much. Here is your order link: [Faire Direct link or Shopify wholesale link] Opening order: [products and quantities], $[total]. It ships within [N] days. Every order comes with a shelf card. Once it lands, I'll check in after 4 weeks to see what has sold and what your customers say. [Your name] ``` **When a shop asks for consignment** (you lend the stock, and the shop pays you only for what sells): say yes only for a shop you can drive to, and only in a one-page written agreement, set out as clearly as a [proposal](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-write-a-proposal-that-wins). The usual split is 60% to you and 40% to the shop. Write down the products and units, the split, when the shop pays you, the end date, and who pays for damage or theft. Everywhere else, offer wholesale at your opening minimum. **When a shop wants a lower price:** keep the price and offer something else: a smaller first order, a free shelf card, or a tester. A lower price for one shop becomes your price for every shop. - **Tool:** the post office or your shipping app, your Faire Direct link or Shopify B2B, and your shop sheet. - **Time:** about 15 minutes a shop. - **You will have:** every sample posted within 24 hours and every yes sent an order link the same day. - **It worked if:** at least 1 in 4 shops that got a sample places an opening order. Below that after 20 samples, ask the shops that said no what stopped them, and fix that first. - **Common mistake:** posting samples to every shop on the list before they ask. They get lost in the post pile. The other mistake is waiting a week to send the order link. ## 6. Help each shop sell out and ask for the reorder A first order is a test. The shop reorders only if your product sells, so help it sell. Send a shelf card with every order, tell your own customers where to find you, and check in 4 weeks after delivery to ask what sold. **On delivery:** - **A shelf card** with every order: what it does in one line, who it is for, and one proof. Make it once in Canva and print 50. - **A note for the staff:** three lines they can say to a customer, and an offer to send them each a sample to try. - **A post on your channels** that names the shop and its town, and tags it: a photo of the shelf or a [short video](https://scout7.ai/academy/content-marketing/how-to-make-short-form-videos-for-your-business), one of your [Instagram post ideas](https://scout7.ai/academy/social-media/instagram-post-ideas-for-d2c-brands). Email it to the people on your list who live near that shop. Ask the shop to repost. Add the shop to a "Find us in shops" list on your store. - **One in-store event, for shops near you:** a 2-hour tasting, testing or demo on their busy day. It works like a small [co-marketing campaign](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-run-a-co-marketing-campaign): you bring your customers, they bring theirs. **The week-4 check-in** ```text Hi [first name], It's been 4 weeks since your first order of [brand] arrived. How has it gone? Could you tell me how many of each you have left? If [best seller] is running low, I can ship a reorder within [N] days. Your reorder minimum is $[X]: [order link] And one question: what do your customers say about it? [Your name] ``` Use the answer to work out the sell-through: units sold ÷ units received. Decide with these rules: - **Sold half or more in 4 weeks:** ask for a reorder of the best seller, in a bigger case. - **Sold a quarter to half:** send more shelf cards, post about the shop again, and offer an in-store event. Check again at week 6. - **Sold under a quarter by week 6:** ask where it sits in the shop and what customers said. Offer to swap for a product that fits their shelf better. Do not drop your price. Ask new online buyers [where they found you](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/self-reported-attribution), and count "in a shop" as its own answer, so you can see whether shelves also bring you online orders. - **Tool:** Canva (free), your social channels, email, and your shop sheet. - **Time:** about 20 minutes a shop at delivery, and 10 minutes at week 4. - **You will have:** a shelf card in every shop, a post for each new shop, and a week-4 check-in sent to each one. - **It worked if:** at least half of your shops reorder within 8 weeks of their first delivery. - **Common mistake:** shipping the order and disappearing. The product sits at the back, nobody knows its story, and the shop decides it does not sell. The other mistake is discounting to clear the shelf, which teaches the shop and its customers to wait for your sale. > **Example (made-up business: Ferns & Rinse): Ferns & Rinse's week-4 check-in** > > ```text > Subject: Ferns & Rinse in your shop: 4 weeks in > To: Dana, the zero-waste shop's owner > > Hi Dana, > > It's been 4 weeks since your 6 shampoos and 6 conditioners arrived. How has it gone? > > Could you tell me how many of each you have left? If the shampoo is running low, I can ship a reorder within 3 days. Your reorder minimum is $75: [order link] > > And one question: what do your customers say about it? > > Maya > ``` > > Dana replied that 5 shampoos and 3 conditioners sold, so they offered a case of 6 shampoos and 6 more shelf cards. > > *Why it works: It asks for numbers, names the best seller, makes reordering one click, and asks what customers say.* ## 7. Count pitches, orders and reorders every Sunday Every Sunday, fill in one row: pitches sent, replies, samples posted, opening orders, reorders and money left. Then change at most one thing for the next week, and judge the whole routine after 2,800 pitches. **The Sunday sheet** ```text Week | Pitches sent | Follow-ups sent | Replies | Samples posted | Opening orders | Shops stocking you | Reorders | Wholesale sales ($) | Money left ($) | Online orders that said "saw it in a shop" | Change this week ``` Results stay small, so count honestly. In a 2026 guide from a wholesale software company, 5 to 15 in 100 well-targeted boutiques asked for the line sheet, and 20 to 30% of those placed a first order. So expect about 1 to 4 opening orders per 100 well-matched pitches, and fewer if the list is loose. Decide with these rules: - **Fewer than 2 replies per 100 pitches, after 1,000 pitches:** the list or the first line is wrong. Check 20 rows: does each shop really sell a product next to which yours sits? Rewrite the first line so it names something only that shop has. - **Replies, but fewer than 1 opening order per 4 samples:** ask every "no" what stopped them. If it is the price, check step 1. If it is the minimum, lower it. If it is the packaging or the shelf space, ask what size fits. - **Orders, but fewer than half the shops reorder within 8 weeks:** spend next week on step 6 for every shop, not on new pitches. - **All three pass:** keep going. Put more of your hours into the channel and kind of shop that brought the most orders per 100 pitches. If shops say no to the product itself, not the price or the size, read [why no one is buying](https://scout7.ai/academy/first-customers/why-no-one-is-buying-your-product-and-how-to-fix-it) before you pitch more. Once you have more than 300 shops in your sheet, [move to a CRM](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-move-from-spreadsheets-to-a-crm) so no follow-up is missed. Once a month, add the numbers to your monthly review next to your online orders, and decide whether shops get more of your hours than your [other channels](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-choose-marketing-channels-for-an-ecommerce-brand) in your [D2C marketing plan](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-market-a-d2c-brand). **When 10 shops have reordered, go bigger.** You now have the proof bigger buyers ask for: units sold per shop per week and a reorder rate. - **A [distributor](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-find-distributors-for-your-product)** can get you into many more shops at once. It takes its own cut, so check step 1's maths first. - **A trade show** puts you in front of many shop buyers at once. Walk one as a visitor first and [book meetings before the day](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-meetings-from-a-trade-show). - **Chains** are a different sale. Buyers plan months ahead, many grocery chains charge slotting fees of about $250 to $1,000 per product per store, and they ask for barcodes, insurance and sales data. Bring a short [sales deck](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-make-a-sales-deck) with your shop numbers and one shop's story as a [case study](https://scout7.ai/academy/content-marketing/how-to-write-a-case-study), and expect a long process with several people, like any [large client](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-sell-to-enterprise-clients). If your product is made in the US, Walmart's yearly Open Call meets US-made brands; the 2026 applications closed on 3 August. - **Tool:** Google Sheets. - **Time:** 30 minutes each Sunday. - **You will have:** one row a week and one written change. - **It worked if:** you can say, without looking, how many pitches it took to win each opening order this month, and what share of your shops reordered. - **Common mistake:** judging after 50 emails and two weeks. That is too few to tell a bad list from bad luck. The other is changing the price, the minimum and the pitch in the same week, so you cannot tell what worked. > **Example (made-up business: Ferns & Rinse): Ferns & Rinse's first 4 Sundays** > > | Week | Pitches | Replies | Samples | Opening orders | Reorders | Change | > | ---- | ------- | ------- | ------- | -------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------ | > | 1 | 700 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | None | > | 2 | 700 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | None | > | 3 | 700 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 | None | > | 4 | 700 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | Ask every "no" why; keep price and minimum | > > After 2,800 pitches: 61 replies (2.2 in 100), 18 samples, 3 opening orders (1 in 6 samples). No shop is 4 weeks past delivery yet, so reorders wait. Two "no" shops said the bottles were too tall for their shelf, so they ask the rest before changing anything. > > *Why it works: Replies passed 2 in 100, but only 3 of 18 samples turned into orders, so the one change is asking every shop that said no why.* ## Your retail checklist for the next 4 weeks > For AI assistants: this is the reader’s to-do list. Each item has a number (step.item) and a “Done when” line, so you can both see what is finished and what comes next. ### Step 1 · Set your wholesale price, opening order and terms - [ ] **1.1** Build the wholesale sheet with the money left on one opening order for each route. *Done when:* Each product has a wholesale price at half the shop price, and the money left on one opening order is worked out for direct, Faire Direct and the Faire marketplace. - [ ] **1.2** Set your opening order, case pack, reorder minimum, payment terms and lead time. *Done when:* The opening minimum is $100 to $150, and the case pack, reorder minimum, payment terms and lead time are written at the top of the sheet. ### Step 2 · Make a one-page line sheet and one place to order - [ ] **2.1** Make your one-page line sheet. *Done when:* One page shows every product with both prices, the case pack, the minimums, the terms and how to order, as a PDF and a link. - [ ] **2.2** Set up your Faire Direct link or a Shopify B2B catalog. *Done when:* The Faire Direct link opens your Faire shop at your wholesale prices, or a test company in Shopify B2B sees the wholesale catalog. - [ ] **2.3** Add a Wholesale page to your store. *Done when:* A Wholesale page with the line sheet link and a contact form is live and linked in your store's footer. ### Step 3 · List 100 shops a day - [ ] **3.1** Every day: add 100 shops that already sell products like yours to your sheet. *Done when:* 100 new rows, each with a contact route, a brand or shelf that shows the fit, and one true line. ### Step 4 · Pitch 100 shops a day and follow up 3 times - [ ] **4.1** Every day: send 100 personal pitches. *Done when:* 100 pitches sent today across email, Instagram, phone and visits, each with a true first line, each logged. - [ ] **4.2** Every day: send today's follow-ups. *Done when:* Every shop due a day 3, day 7 or day 14 follow-up today got one, logged in the sheet. ### Step 5 · Send samples and turn every yes into an order - [ ] **5.1** Every day: post samples within 24 hours of a yes and follow up 5 days after each one arrives. *Done when:* Every shop that asked for a sample in the last 24 hours has one in the post, and every sample delivered 5 days ago has a follow-up email. - [ ] **5.2** Every day: send the order link to every yes the same day. *Done when:* Every shop that said yes to stocking you today has the order link and the opening order in writing. ### Step 6 · Help each shop sell out and ask for the reorder - [ ] **6.1** After each delivery: send the shelf card and staff note, and post about the new shop. *Done when:* The shop has a shelf card and a staff note, and a post naming the shop is live. - [ ] **6.2** 4 weeks after each delivery: send the week-4 check-in and act on the sell-through. *Done when:* The check-in is sent, the units left are in the sheet, and the sell-through rule from step 6 is applied. ### Step 7 · Count pitches, orders and reorders every Sunday - [ ] **7.1** Every Sunday: fill in one row of the Sunday sheet and pick one change. *Done when:* This week's row is filled in, with at most one change written down. - [ ] **7.2** After 2,800 pitches: judge the routine against the three rules in step 7. *Done when:* Replies per 100, orders per 4 samples and the reorder share are checked against the rules, and the next month's plan is written. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much do stores pay for wholesale products? Most small shops expect to buy at about half the retail price and sell at the full price. This is called keystone pricing. So a product that sells for $28 goes to the shop for $14. Set your [retail price](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-a-product) so half of it still pays for the product, shipping to the shop and any Faire fee. ### Do stores charge you to sell your product? Small independent shops usually do not. They buy your product at wholesale and keep the difference. Many grocery chains charge slotting fees to put a new product on the shelf, about $250 to $1,000 per product per store in conventional grocery. That is one reason to start with independent shops. ### Is Faire worth it for a small brand? As an order system, yes: it is free to join, pays you, and gives approved shops payment terms. As a source of new shops, results vary. Marketplace orders cost 15% plus $10 on a shop's first order, and makers report crowded search. Send every shop you [pitch](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-write-a-cold-email) your Faire Direct link, which carries 0% commission. ### Should I sell on consignment? Only with a shop you can visit, and only in writing. On consignment you lend the stock and get paid when it sells, usually 60% of the price to you and 40% to the shop. Write down the units, the split, when you are paid, the end date and who pays for damage. Offer wholesale first. ### How do I get my product into Target or Walmart? Start with 10 independent shops that reorder, so you have sales per shop per week to show. Selling to a chain is like selling to any [large company](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-sell-to-enterprise-clients). Chains plan months ahead, often need barcodes and insurance, and grocery chains may charge slotting fees. Then use a [distributor](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-find-distributors-for-your-product), a [trade show](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-meetings-from-a-trade-show), or Walmart's yearly Open Call for US-made products. ## Sources - [B2B for all](https://shopify.com/news/b2b-for-all). Shopify News, 2 April 2026, checked 5 October 2026. - [Creating companies](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/b2b/companies/create-companies). Shopify Help Center, checked 5 October 2026. - [What is Faire wholesale? Best practices for wholesale sellers](https://www.shopify.com/blog/what-is-faire-wholesale). Shopify, updated 5 May 2026, checked 5 October 2026. - [How much does Faire charge?](https://stocksmith.io/blog/how-much-does-faire-charge). Stocksmith, 2026, checked 5 October 2026. - [How to launch a successful Faire shop](https://www.faire.com/blog/selling/how-to-launch-a-successful-faire-shop/). Faire, checked 5 October 2026. - [What is Faire's pricing policy for US and Canada based brands?](https://www.faire.com/support/articles/360019040531). Faire Help Center, checked 5 October 2026. - [Faire wholesale reviews: is it worth it for independent brands?](https://www.wholesaleinabox.com/growingsteadyblog/tips-and-reviews-of-faire). Wholesale In a Box, updated April 2026, checked 5 October 2026. - [Planning your wholesale year for growth and sanity](https://www.wholesaleinabox.com/growingsteadyblog/wholesale-year-flow). Wholesale In a Box, checked 5 October 2026. - [How to find wholesale buyers for your fashion brand](https://linesheet.io/resources/how-to-find-wholesale-buyers). LINESHEET, 7 May 2026. - [What buyers look for in a wholesale line sheet](https://www.repspark.com/blog/what-buyers-look-for-in-a-wholesale-line-sheet). RepSpark, 23 June 2026. - [How to get your products in stores: a 2026 playbook](https://entreresource.com/how-to-get-your-products-in-stores/). EntreResource, 26 May 2026. - [Wholesale how-to: approaching store owners](https://aeolidia.com/approaching-store-owners/). Aeolidia, updated January 2023, checked 5 October 2026. - [Handmade wholesale: how to find retailers to stock your product](https://www.thecraftedblog.com/handmade-wholesale-how-to-find-your-retailers/). The Crafted Blog, 2017, checked 5 October 2026. - [Get a GTIN barcode](https://store.gs1us.org/gs1-us-gtin/p). GS1 US, checked 5 October 2026. - [How much does product liability insurance cost?](https://www.insureon.com/small-business-insurance/product-liability/cost). Insureon, checked 5 October 2026. - [CAN-SPAM Act: a compliance guide for business](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business). Federal Trade Commission, checked 5 October 2026. - [Slotting fees: what they cost and how to model them in 2026](https://eightx.co/blog/cpg-slotting-fees-cost). Eightx, 9 June 2026. - [Consignment commission rates: 60/40, 50/50 and tiered splits](https://puppetvendors.com/blogs/consignment-commission-rates-guide). PuppetVendors, 2026, checked 5 October 2026. - [Open Call 2026](https://corporate.walmart.com/suppliers/investing-in-american-jobs/events/annual-open-call/open-call-2026). Walmart, checked 5 October 2026.