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Get Your Product On Retailers’ Shelves
Q: I have a children’s eco-friendly clothing line. We are taking it slow because we are branding our line and are in some ways picky about who we sell to. I have recently been approached by a distributor, but I’m not sure if this is the best way to launch into the market. Any advice?
A: You are wise to be conservative about which storefronts represent your line. But as you expand, part of your decision about working with a distributor will depend on whether you want to stick to the small stores or get to the national chains. You can continue to go it alone if you stick to the smaller outlets, but a distributor is essential if you want to reach out to the big guys.
“Large retailers want to see someone in the buyer’s office that they already has a relationship with – someone who knows the system,” says Gordon Cundell, a former assistant buyer with Sears Canada and current president of the Canadian Sporting Goods Association, an information service for sports equipment and apparel buyers and sellers.
Working with a distributor could be a smart move even if you want to indie shops. “Suppliers often have the passion needed for a successful product, but no business sense to get the product in to the right places,” Cundell says. “Chances are the average clothing designer doesn’t even know all the distribution channels that are available.”
Photo by redvisualg.
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Jaclyn on May 20th, 2009 7:26 am
Very good article! I would also like to add that some strores may want to make some changes to the line of products, or may only want to display them at certain times or in certain places of the store where they may not receive as much exposure as you are hoping, so i would be sure to sit down with the store and be clear about what it is that you want, what it is that they want and then if it’s close or right on…then i would go with them.
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