How to Get Your Product into Lowe’s
Every home improvement or hardware brand dreams of making it onto the shelves of Lowe’s, but unfortunately, the shelves aren’t large enough to fit them all. How can you stand out from the rest of the pack to squeeze your way in? Follow these tips:
Go shopping.
Before you make contact with the Lowe’s team, you have to put yourself in the customers’ shoes and go shopping at as many of this chain’s stores as you can. Pay close attention to where your product would be merchandised and take a look at what other brands would be beside you. How does your packaging fit in next to other brands? What is it that will make customers choose your product over the ones around it? Collect all the information that you can to prove your case.
Call local buyers.
Once you have gathered enough information, it’s time to reach out to the local buyers of Lowe’s. Talk to the manager at your local store and see if you can get a phone number or mailing address for the buyer who oversees your region. It will be much easier to get in touch with a regional buyer than it will be to get a national buyer or category manager on the phone, so start small.
Prepare.
Pitching to a Lowe’s buyer is not all about selling your product, although that will be the main focus. You need to be prepared to handle the tough questions that will be thrown your way such as “How prepared are you to handle the increase in volume?” or “How will you pay for the increase in manufacturing before your product is on shelves?” Retailers such as Lowe’s ask these questions to make sure they are not getting into a partnership with a brand that will not satisfy their customers. Be prepared to show them that even if you’re a small company, you have the capability to make it big.
Show you’re a partner.
When Lowe’s takes on a new product, the buyers want to know that you will be doing everything in your power to make it a success. In your pitch, make sure that you touch on how your marketing efforts will drive traffic to the store. This will show the buyers that they’re not alone and will have all hands on deck to make the launch successful.
Work with the experts.
Attempting to get on the shelves of a well known retailer can be expensive and time-consuming, especially for new brands that are just beginning to establish themselves in the industry. The best route to take is to partner with Mr. Checkout Distributors, a company that uses an innovative approach to getting products on the shelves of big box retailers across the country. Mr. Checkout Distributors is always on the lookout for new products with good margins that are already ready for retail. If a product is accepted, it is then passed along to a team of wagon jobbers and direct store distributors who will quickly bring your product to market. Using professional distributors such as the ones at Mr. Checkout Distributors will allow you to focus your energy on other sides of the business while your product hits the market.