How to Get Your Product into Kroger
Kroger is the largest supermarket chain in the country in terms of annual revenue, so getting your product onto these shelves could do wonders for your business. But, it’s not as easy as it may seem. To get your product into Kroger, follow these tips:
Determine if Kroger is the right fit for you.
First, make sure you are interested in Kroger because it’s a good fit for your product and not because it’s a large supermarket chain. Do your research before contacting any buyers by visiting multiple Kroger stores and seeing what they currently offer. How does your product line fit into the store? Figure out where it would go and how it would look next to other products on the shelves. Be honest with yourself and determine whether there’s a need for your product in Kroger or if it’s already being covered by other products. If you can offer something that other brands do not, then focus on this during your pitch.
Start with a region of Kroger.
Recently, Kroger has been making more of an effort to sell locally made products in their stores. If your product is made in an area with Kroger stores, use this to your advantage and contact that region’s buyer directly. Quickly pitch to the buyer based on the fact that your brand is locally made. If you can’ get in touch with a regional buyer, talk to a store manager and let him or her try your product first. If the store manager loves it, he or she may be able to give you the contact information of someone in the buying office.
Be ready to roll out.
There are almost 3,000 Kroger stores across the country, and you have to be ready to roll out to every single one of them if the opportunity presents itself. Even if you are starting in one region of Kroger, it’s important you show the buyers you have the capability to roll out quickly if your product is successful during the test run. Make sure your internal team is ready for the increase in demand, otherwise you could start your relationship with Kroger off on the wrong foot.
Work with a distributor.
Whether you’re just starting out or have already established yourself in the industry, working with the distributors at Mr. Checkout Distributors is a wise decision. If your product has strong margins and is ready for retail, it could be sent directly to wagon jobbers and direct store distributors to bring to retailers right away. These distributors already have relationships built with retailers such as Kroger, so they don’t have to jump through the same hoops you do to get a meeting with a buyer. Working with these distributors allows you to save time and energy on securing distribution, so you can focus on other areas of the business.
Want to launch your new product in Kroger? Contact Mr. Checkout Distributors to talk to a team of experienced and knowledgeable distributors that service over 35,000 stores across the country.