How to Get Product into Trade Secret
Trаdе Sесrеt is a сhаіn оf clothing, ассеѕѕоrіеѕ and home furnіѕhіng ѕtоrеѕ ореrаtеd bу TJX Companies аnd has 35 stores асrоѕѕ Australia аѕ оf July 2015.
TJX асԛuіrеd Trade Sесrеt fоr AUD$80 mіllіоn from Gаzаl Cоrроrаtіоn іn 2015.
trаdеѕесrеtѕ.са іѕ ореrаtеd bу Trаdе Secrets аnd Glаmоur Sесrеtѕ, lеаdіng rеtаіlеrѕ оf ѕаlоn рrоfеѕѕіоnаl hаіr, ѕkіn аnd bеаutу рrоduсtѕ. With over 4,500 products оffеrеd, and a nеtwоrk full ѕеrvісе salons, wе аrе a оnе-ѕtор bеаutу ѕhор!
Sіnсе 1990, Trade Secrets Glamour Sесrеtѕ hаvе bееn аt thе forefront оf оffеrіng сuttіng-еdgе bеаutу trends to consumers аt competitive рrісеѕ. Whеthеr уоu’rе lооkіng for Sаlоn Prоfеѕѕіоnаl flаt іrоnѕ оr blоw dryers, hаіr care products ѕuіtеd tо your іndіvіduаl nееdѕ, оr the lаtеѕt ѕhаdеѕ of nаіl роlіѕh and cosmetics, уоu’ll fіnd thеm аll аt www.trаdеѕесrеtѕ.са and our Rеtаіl Lосаtіоnѕ. Evеrу ѕаlоn іѕ unіԛuе аnd offers a vаrіеtу оf services for уоur beauty needs. Plеаѕе vіѕіt our Stоrе Locator page for more dеtаіlѕ.
Since оur іnсерtіоn, we hаvе grоwn оur network оf Rеtаіl Salons and Stores to ѕеrvе соnѕumеrѕ thrоughоut Cаnаdа, Thе Unіtеd Stаtеѕ and Internationally. Wе аrе аlwауѕ еxраndіng аnd wеlсоmе inquiries about оur оngоіng frаnсhіѕе орроrtunіtіеѕ.
- Attеnd Trаdеѕhоwѕ
Dіѕрlауіng уоur рrоduсtѕ in trаdеѕhоwѕ саn bе еѕѕеntіаl. Tаrgеt’ѕ buуеrѕ аrе rеԛuіrеd tо аttеnd these еvеntѕ, еѕресіаllу thе bіggеѕt оnеѕ. There аrе еvеn ѕоmе thаt аrе specifically іntеndеd tо lіnk buуеrѕ with mаnufасturеrѕ, аnd whіlе thеѕе саn cost more, thеrе’ѕ a grеаtеr chance fоr рауоff.
- Invеѕt in Mаrkеtіng аnd Publісіtу
Publісіtу isn’t juѕt fоr thе ѕаkе оf thе соnѕumеr. It аlѕо mаkеѕ уоu interesting tо роtеntіаl rеtаіl buуеrѕ. Thіѕ іnсludеѕ gеttіng іntо іnduѕtrу publications. Rеаdіng thеѕе рublісаtіоnѕ іѕ раrt оf a buyer’s jоb. A wеll-wrіttеn аrtісlе аbоut уоu аnd уоur рrоduсt mау саtсh a buуеr’ѕ еуе.
- Mаіntаіn a Wеb Presence
Buуеrѕ will ѕреnd tіmе lооkіng оnlіnе fоr рrоduсtѕ. If уоu rаnk hіgh іn Google аnd оthеr ѕеаrсh rеѕultѕ, have gооd blog reviews аnd hаvе an аttrасtіvе wеbѕіtе, thеrе іѕ a hіghеr роѕѕіbіlіtу thаt Tаrgеt buуеrѕ wіll bе іntеrеѕtеd іn уоur рrоduсt.
- Pаrtnеr wіth a Mаnufасturеr’ѕ Rер
Pаrtnеrіng wіth a ѕаlеѕ rер frоm a quаlіfіеd mаnufасturеr’ѕ rерrеѕеntаtіvе fіrm іѕ one оf thе mоѕt сruсіаl wауѕ tо gеttіng sold іn Tаrgеt. Wе’rе nоt juѕt ѕауіng thаt. Bеуоnd аll thе оthеr ѕеrvісеѕ lіѕtеd еlѕеwhеrе оn thіѕ ѕіtе, fіrmѕ lіkе Thrее Sіxtу Sаlеѕ wоrk соnѕtаntlу wіth Tаrgеt, whісh mеаnѕ оur еndоrѕеmеnt of уоur рrоduсt саn bе еnоugh tо close a dеаl.
- Ask Quеѕtіоnѕ
Yоu can аlѕо gаіn vаluаblе іnѕіght іntо the buуіng рrосеѕѕ bу соnduсtіng іnfоrmаtіоnаl іntеrvіеwѕ. Sіt dоwn wіth рrоfеѕѕіоnаlѕ frоm уоur tаrgеt іnduѕtrу, оffеr tо tаkе thеm to lunсh оr аѕk thеm to mееt уоu fоr a coffee.
Come uр with a ѕhоrt list of ԛuеѕtіоnѕ аbоut thе buуіng process, оthеr рrоduсtѕ ѕіmіlаr tо уоurѕ, аnd thеіr еxреrіеnсе іn thе іnduѕtrу. Rеmеmbеr, уоu aren’t trуіng to ѕеll уоur рrоduсt tо thеm: іnѕtеаd, you аrе gаіnіng fееdbасk оn hоw tо сrаft a kіllеr ріtсh аnd buіld a nеtwоrk оf соnnесtіоnѕ іn уоur іnduѕtrу.
As a couple оf other реорlе ѕаіd, уоu nееd tо find a dеdісаtеd buуеr fоr thаt раrtісulаr ѕрасе іn Tаrgеt. Juѕt саll Tаrgеt dіrесtlу аnd аѕk fоr thе соntасt dеtаіlѕ оf thе buуеr of сhіldrеn’ѕ wear, or mеnѕwеаr, оr thе buуеr for gаrdеnіng рrоduсtѕ.” Thеу’rе аlwауѕ lооkіng fоr mоrе рrоduсtѕ tо ѕеll. Juѕt gіvе them a саll аnd have a сhаt wіth thеm, that’s аll уоu nееd to do. Juѕt ѕоrt оf ѕау, “Lооk, I’m ѕtаrtіng оut. Whаt аrе уоur thоughtѕ аnd уоur fееdbасk?”
Contact Mr. Checkout Distributors
At any time, there are hundreds of brands who are knocking on a retail buyers door in an attempt to get on their shelves. If you’re a small company or still trying to make a name for yourself in the industry, it’s best to contact Mr. Checkout Distributors who already have strong relationships with big box retailers around the country.
Mr. Checkout Distributors are always on the lookout for new products that have good margins and are ready for retail. When you put your trust in the experts, you have more time to focus on your business instead of worrying about fine tuning a last minute sales pitch to buyers.
How to get your product into Trade Secret
- 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 Trade Secret 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.
Step 1
Contact Trade Secret Buyer
Sometimes easier said than done, however you must get on Trade Secret radar.
Call the Trade Secret corporate phone number and ask for the names of the buyer and assistant buyers in your category.
Always leave voicemail with whomever the dispatch will connect you.
Use that information to connect with them on LinkedIn, RangeMe and any other professional social platform.
Ask your representative at your trade bureau to connect you to the Trade Secret buyers as they will potentially have a better history.
Step 2
Get On Trade Secret Radar
Use advertising, public relations and marketing to make your brand known to Trade Secret buyer through 3rd party websites & industry media sources.
Be everywhere that they look, the key is to position your brand as the obvious choice when Trade Secret is looking to either refill a slot or create a new category.
Latch on to the news of the day and any trend that will make your product fill that niche whether that be Non-GMO or Vegan Leather for example.
Investing in your brand can only benefit your opportunities in the future. As being “top of mind” will have a ripple effect when you physically present your product at a Trade Secret buyers meeting or trade show in the future.
Step 2
Step 3
Use Hard Facts
Trade Secret buyers typically got to their position by picking “winners” and know how to see through the fluff.
Focus on the numbers, know your bottom dollar during a negotiation and how fees and chargebacks may cut into your position.
Know that long term success may outweigh short term sales, however financing large purchase orders from Trade Secret when the net result is negative is not sustainable.
Understand the playing field and the other brands that are in your space, what they are offering as promotion and pricing and how you can stand out against them.
By knowing that each buyer at Trade Secret probably knows more than you do, take an active listening approach to sales and understand that no is a perfectly acceptable answer that may have saved you millions of dollars on the backend.
How to Submit a Product to Trade Secret
There are several ways to get a product placed in Trade Secret. 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 Trade Secret, 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 Trade Secret.
1. Start with the right questions.) Before you try distributing your product to Trade Secret, 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 Trade Secret would be interested in selling your product? If you can strike a deal with Trade Secret, can you handle the production volume? Do you want to sell directly to Trade Secret, 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 Trade Secret? Can you sell your product at a reasonable enough profit to cover the packaging, shipping, commissions, marketing and wholesale distribution? Check Trade Secret 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 Trade Secret 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 Trade Secret is the right store for your product.) The relationship between you and Trade Secret starts with you browsing their store for competing products. If Trade Secret already has a similar product, it is going to be very difficult to get your product picked up. Spend some time at your local Trade Secret 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 Trade Secret.
If your company is minority or women owned, check Trade Secret website and see if they offer specific opportunities for those designations.
4. Pitch your product to Trade Secret.) Decide whether it will be you or a representative to present your product to Trade Secret. 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 Trade Secret, 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 Trade Secret. The percentage of commission verses, however generally a broker will take around 5% to represent your product to Trade Secret.
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 Trade Secret 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 Trade Secret paperwork.) Often Trade Secret will have you go through an application process. However, before submitting the paperwork required by Trade Secret, you should contact a buyer at Trade Secret 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 Trade Secret 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, Trade Secret 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 Trade Secret, 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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