How To Get Into QuikStop
Founded in 1966 when QuikStop franchised its first store in Hayward, California. QuikStop is a gas and convenience store chain. The chain was first owned by Kroger. However, on February 5, 2018 Kroger announced it was exiting the convenience store business and selling them to EG Group of the United Kingdom for 2.15 billion. The deal closed April 20th 2018, during Kroger’s first fiscal quarter. EG has stated the individual stores will retain their banners.
EG Group prides itself as the world’s leading independent fuel station and convenience retailer, with a diversified portfolio of sites across 8 countries in Europe and North America. The company employs more than 25,000 people and generates pro-forma annualized revenues in excess of US$20 billion globally.
The supermarket business in the United States is one that tries to connect with the individual customer. This means, the supermarkets try to address the needs and interests of individual customers. This is by offering local, international, and metropolitan products. The company’s convenience stores offer food items, items that can be very helpful when traveling, and they also feature awesome customer service.
The company also offers rewards to customers for participating in their business. Thus, when customers buy gas or shop at any of their convenience stores, they are eligible for promotion.
The uniqueness and the innovativeness of QuikStop as a gas and convenience store set it apart. It isn’t like the normal food chain where things are dull and not interesting, customers have enjoyed this company and they have written about it online. A customer noted on yelp.com that: “Some reviews said it charged surcharge using credit card…. I have not seen it for one year of adding gas here with discover card.. Can someone show me where to look it up?
The gas price is really cheap… Very often it’s the same price as Costco or Arco but you can use any credit card here… I often combine with the credit card which gave 3%-5% cashback. Yeh it’s small with only 4 pumps. But if you go after 9pm or weekend night, there is usually no wait or just one car in front of you.”
For a distributor, this is an established store that can get your products to move as fast as possible. With the awesome varieties they offer and the established customer base, it can be easily deduced that there are customers already dedicated to what they sell. However, this is a big retailer and there is a high standard for the products they take and thus, it may not be that easy to push your products in there. This is why networking can be very useful.
You have to understand the distribution process of the company and pitch your distributing services to them. They have to be rest assured that they are getting the best quality at the most affordable prices in the market. Customers have noted that QuikStop offers very affordable gas to its customers.
Submit Your Product to Quikstop 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 QuikStop
- 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 QuikStop 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 QuikStop
There are several ways to get a product placed in QuikStop. 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 QuikStop, 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 QuikStop.
1. Start with the right questions.) Before you try distributing your product to QuikStop, 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 QuikStop would be interested in selling your product? If you can strike a deal with QuikStop, can you handle the production volume? Do you want to sell directly to QuikStop, 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 QuikStop? Can you sell your product at a reasonable enough profit to cover the packaging, shipping, commissions, marketing and wholesale distribution? Check QuikStop 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 QuikStop 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 QuikStop is the right store for your product.) The relationship between you and QuikStop starts with you browsing their store for competing products. If QuikStop already has a similar product, it is going to be very difficult to get your product picked up. Spend some time at your local QuikStop 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 QuikStop.
If your company is minority or women owned, check QuikStop website and see if they offer specific opportunities for those designations.
4. Pitch your product to QuikStop.) Decide whether it will be you or a representative to present your product to QuikStop. 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 QuikStop, 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 QuikStop. The percentage of commission verses, however generally a broker will take around 5% to represent your product to QuikStop.
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 QuikStop 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 QuikStop paperwork.) Often QuikStop will have you go through an application process. However, before submitting the paperwork required by QuikStop, you should contact a buyer at QuikStop 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 QuikStop 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, QuikStop 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 QuikStop, 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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