Working with Cumberland Farms As A Vendor
A private retail company established in 1939 in Cumberland, Rhode Island, Cumberland Farms is a company that has gone through changes but is still one of the top convenience stores around. Amassing $16 billion in revenue in 2014, this giant company has been making it big since it rebranded in 2009. Under the new change, Cumberland Farms is now a supplier of a variety of fresh foods, candy, snacks, chilled drinks, and more.
From the assortment of foods Cumberland Farms provides, they’ve placed the label on particular items like chips, pastries, coffee and even candy amongst others. Furthermore it doesn’t look like that practice will be changing much as the company is owned and operated by the Haseotes family who have positions as the CEO, President, and Director, CFO, and senior vice president. This is the first of it’s kind and is rather unique. With this in mind, what it means for a vendor is that it makes sense that the traditions that this company has now will remain steady for years to come.
But what exactly is their vendor requirements? Of course like most other convenience stores, the company provides fresh, variety and quick food for individuals who visit. They offer what was mentioned above but they also have an assortment of pizzas, sandwiches, subs, and even have a roller grill for hotdogs. However when it comes to becoming a vendor, this privately owned company is quiet about the particular details for becoming a vendor.
This is understandable, seeing as the company is essentially privately owned. At the same time it makes sense that if you were to become a vendor you’ll be expected to work with a lot of their stores. This means working with them specifically. More particularly working with a family which means building trust.
As such, what Cumberland Farms requests is if you have any interest at all in becoming a vendor that you contact them through email. A rather casual approach rather than requiring a lot of paperwork and certifications before hand.
Within that email they ask that you provide the basics: name, the service or product you provide, a phone number, email address and lastly your website URL. They request you send that information to them to the email provided on this page: https://www.cumberlandfarms.com/company/contact
This sort of lax approach seems easy, however the company is still large and it’s primarily operated by a single family. As a result there’s going to be an emphasis on trust and being able to have conversations with them. This is drastically different to a company that isn’t owned by a family, or at least has many family members control a good portion of the business.
Coincidently, if you have any concerns or questions to ask them, then the link provided above is a way to contact them. From that page, they provide a variety of departments to ensure that your question gets answered regarding whatever it is they do. From simple questions like customer service to their other branches such as media, real estate and more.
Submit Your Product to Cumberland Farms 2 Foods
Skip the cold outreach. Mr. Checkout presents products to corporate chain buyers and also works a network of thousands of independent retailers that build real reorder proof. Tell us about your product below and a real person will read it.
How to get your product into Cumberland Farms
- Understand you client: Before you spend a lot of time and money creating a product, you should know if anyone will want to buy it. Learn more about Market Research
- Learn if it’s protectable: Know if you can defend your product against cheap copies if it gets knocked off. Learn more about Copyright and Patent your product
- Test your product: Make sure that there’s a demand for your product and the customer understands what you are selling when it’s on the shelf and nobody is there to explain it. Learn more about Product Testing
- Perfect your pitch: Before you speak to decision makers, know your numbers, know your retailer and know your logistics in and out. Learn more about Pitching Your Product
- Don’t do it alone: If you haven’t been successful in retail before, a secret of success is that you can’t do it alone. Having great sales staff, customer support and marketing partners can take you from zero to success faster than if you tried on your own. Learn more about Retail Partnerships
Contact Cumberland Farms Buyer
Do not trust any “list” of buyers.
Typically retail buyers change either companies or positions every few years. This strategy helps retailers know that their buyers are not taking “kick-backs” and are selecting the very best product for the very best position each time.
Buyers are typically held to a very rigorous standard of sell-through volume that they must hit and because of this they are risk averse. Your job as a supplier or vendor is to convince them that the buyers going into the stores not only know about what you’re selling but are actively seeking the product in the store currently.
How to Submit a Product to Cumberland Farms
There are several ways to get a product placed in Cumberland Farms. However, most entrepreneurs only dream about getting their product distributed to major retailers, few actually do it. We have experienced a significant rise in interest since the show Shark Tank started airing on NBC. Mr. Checkout has had the pleasure of working with a few Shark Tank success stories such as KISStixx and 180 Party Cups which are now currently being distributed around the country to stores like Walmart, Target, Kroger, 7-Eleven and more.
If you envision your product would be a good fit for Cumberland Farms, we have a few steps to help you get your product on their shelves.
Here are the 6 steps you need to take to have your product placed in Cumberland Farms.
1. Start with the right questions.) Before you try distributing your product to Cumberland Farms, you need to ask yourself a few basic questions. Do you need to build demand for your product, or is there already a demand for it? Do you know that Cumberland Farms would be interested in selling your product? If you can strike a deal with Cumberland Farms, can you handle the production volume? Do you want to sell directly to Cumberland Farms, or do you want to license your product to a manufacturer that will handle distribution?
2. Be prepared to profit.) Does your product offer enough of a profit margin for Cumberland Farms? Can you sell your product at a reasonable enough profit to cover the packaging, shipping, commissions, marketing and wholesale distribution? Check Cumberland Farms guidelines for other fees that you will have to build into the cost of your product in order for you to be able to turn enough of a profit to make the effort worth your while. If you work with a discount retailer, they will try to strip your profits down to zero in order to keep their prices as low as possible.
The typical breakdown of margins are: If a products costs $1 to produce, that product will retail for $4. That product that retails for $4 will wholesale for $2 to distributors and stores that purchase direct. Big box retailers like Cumberland Farms may offer to pay $1.25 to the manufacturer if the product costs $1 to produce. That is the typical profit margin.
3. Determine if Cumberland Farms is the right store for your product.) The relationship between you and Cumberland Farms starts with you browsing their store for competing products. If Cumberland Farms already has a similar product, it is going to be very difficult to get your product picked up. Spend some time at your local Cumberland Farms to see what kind of products they are selling, speak to the manager and see if he thinks your product will sell well in their store. Picture in which zone your product would best fit on the shelf and keep in mind that the most precious asset that these big box stores value are their shelf space. Keep this information in mind when you are preparing your presentation to Cumberland Farms.
If your company is minority or women owned, check Cumberland Farms website and see if they offer specific opportunities for those designations.
4. Pitch your product to Cumberland Farms.) Decide whether it will be you or a representative to present your product to Cumberland Farms. Your presentation depends heavily on your strengths as a businessperson as they will most likely ask financial questions and logistics questions.
It’s common for companies to hire a broker to pitch their product to Cumberland Farms, as it will be more likely that your product will make it to the next stage if the individual pitching your product has industry knowledge or a personal relationship with Cumberland Farms. The percentage of commission verses, however generally a broker will take around 5% to represent your product to Cumberland Farms.
We at Mr. Checkout have experience dealing with brokers and know that there are several retail brokers that have poor business practices that can potentially damage your brand. If you are seeking a legitimate Cumberland Farms broker, please give us a call for a recommendation. It could save you a huge headache and a lot of money.
5. Complete the required Cumberland Farms paperwork.) Often Cumberland Farms will have you go through an application process. However, before submitting the paperwork required by Cumberland Farms, you should contact a buyer at Cumberland Farms and let them know your intentions. Having a contact inside of the company will potentially move your application more smoothly through the process.
6. Anticipate the need for increased volume.) Having Cumberland Farms agree to stock your product will most likely mean a significant increase in volume. You should be prepared to ramp up your production and informing your manufacturer of this opportunity.
Having production, logistics and distribution to sync is not only difficult, it requires a significant amount of time invested in customer relations. Also, Cumberland Farms may have stipulations in the contract that may penalize you for delays in shipping and production. Have an attorney explain all contracts to you if you don’t understand the terms.
If you’re looking to sell your product to Cumberland Farms, be sure to thoroughly assess the marketplace, carefully prepare for production growth, and take full advantage of resources available to help you grow your business.
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