How To Get Into Mac’s Fresh Market
The news is always full of scandals and controversy. As a matter of fact, one cannot do without the other. The news would be extremely boring without any controversy and controversies are not really interesting until it becomes the news of the day. so when you turn on the news channel on your television or on your smart device, it is only normal to hear of a controversy involving the President and other political appointments or of a celebrity caught up in a sex scandal or a tax evasion suit or some new tape from the Kardashians.
It is not every day a company makes it to the news, not to talk of a food store chain- that happens once in a decade. But on the 8thday of February,2019, a Southern grocery store chain made the news because of a controversial blurb in its weekly ad. Mac’s Fresh Market which had locations in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, became the subject of online backlash and criticism when it posted a picture of the savings circular on its Facebook page and website. At the very top of the ad was the quote: “Heaven has a wall, a gate and a strict immigration policy. Hell has open borders. Let that sink in”
Dozens of people have since called out the store for the circular, with some people even calling it “a disgusting message”, while some have vowed to stop patronizing the store. Responses is however split, with some people not really finding anything offensive with the message with one person on Facebook saying that he “needs to start shopping at Mac’s”. Despite all these, in an interview with Business Insider, the owner of Mac’s Fresh Market, Reggie McDaniel said he was unapologetic about the post, as it was a religious post without the intention of hurting anyone. According to him, he was “shocked” at people’s reaction because more than 80% of those who had reached out to him from Minnesota and Ukraine had given him positive responses. When asked about those people who have decided to stop shopping with Mac’s, he did not seem to care. He even went further to promise more controversial messages with that of the following weeks’ ad including a quote on abortion.
It appears that Mac’s Fresh Market is enjoying the attention it has gotten from this controversy and business may just be booming as a result of this. This controversy has made the store a household name thereby increasing its visibility from a regional to national grocery store chain. If you have a product and you feel very comfortable riding controversial waves with Mac’s Fresh Market, there is better time to put your product on their shelves. It’s simple just contact them at their headquarters in Joseph LA W. Monroe, Louisiana. Or better still contact them on: +1 601-853-7060.
Just before you write Mac’s Fresh Market off, remember that they have an annual revenue of $15.6 million. Think about it!
How to get your product into Mac’s Fresh Market
- 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 Mac’s Fresh Market 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 Mac’s Fresh Market
There are several ways to get a product placed in Mac’s Fresh Market. 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 Mac’s Fresh Market, 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 Mac’s Fresh Market.
1. Start with the right questions.) Before you try distributing your product to Mac’s Fresh Market, 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 Mac’s Fresh Market would be interested in selling your product? If you can strike a deal with Mac’s Fresh Market, can you handle the production volume? Do you want to sell directly to Mac’s Fresh Market, 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 Mac’s Fresh Market? Can you sell your product at a reasonable enough profit to cover the packaging, shipping, commissions, marketing and wholesale distribution? Check Mac’s Fresh Market 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 Mac’s Fresh Market 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 Mac’s Fresh Market is the right store for your product.) The relationship between you and Mac’s Fresh Market starts with you browsing their store for competing products. If Mac’s Fresh Market already has a similar product, it is going to be very difficult to get your product picked up. Spend some time at your local Mac’s Fresh Market 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 Mac’s Fresh Market.
If your company is minority or women owned, check Mac’s Fresh Market website and see if they offer specific opportunities for those designations.
4. Pitch your product to Mac’s Fresh Market.) Decide whether it will be you or a representative to present your product to Mac’s Fresh Market. 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 Mac’s Fresh Market, 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 Mac’s Fresh Market. The percentage of commission verses, however generally a broker will take around 5% to represent your product to Mac’s Fresh Market.
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 Mac’s Fresh Market 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 Mac’s Fresh Market paperwork.) Often Mac’s Fresh Market will have you go through an application process. However, before submitting the paperwork required by Mac’s Fresh Market, you should contact a buyer at Mac’s Fresh Market 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 Mac’s Fresh Market 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, Mac’s Fresh Market 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 Mac’s Fresh Market, 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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