The time to expand a DTC business into retail should be at an inflection point when customers are asking for your products offline, when you have the team skills and capacity across inventory and working capital, and when you have enough interest from consumers in key locations that you can drive into stores. It’s tempting to want to launch in retail right when you get inbound asks from retailers, but ensure you have a strong foundation and infrastructure in place before saying yes.
A question we often get in our community is which retailers should I pitch first? Which curated markets and apps are known to partner with emerging brands, especially before they have a distributor? Together with SnackMagic, we created the Supermarket Map above to help brands navigate and plan their retail growth.
If you’re an early stage brand without a big retailer yet, you’ll need to make a case for how much demand there is for your product, disclose your online sales, note where those customers live, and an overview of your relationship with the people who buy your products. How do you communicate and keep in touch with your customers? How could those channels be used to celebrate retail launches and encourage your customers to shop your brand in-store?
Read more in Amrit’s post about How to use CPGPulse to inform your retail strategy from summer 2022, our Cart Camp recap for more insights on how to grow from DTC to selling in wholesale accounts, and our Nearby to National video series made with Rodeo CPG!
In addition to the map above, check out more Brand Builder stores below in LA, SF, and NY!
Five Ways to Partner with SnackMagic for Retail Growth 🛒
Sampling - Get your products in the hands of consumers for feedback on a national scale through their gifting menu, SnackDrop, and universities.
SnackDrop - a gamified way to order, rate, review emerging CPG on mobile.
SnackMagic - The best snacks and sips delivered in a variety of wonderful ways.
SnackMagic Marketplace - Find the brands you love and buy in bulk.
CPGPulse powered by SnackMagic - Real intel on CPG brands. First-party consumer feedback, competitive analysis, and digestible insights.
