Thank you to CO–U.S. Chamber of Commerce for providing the content on How Do You Break into Walmart? 3 Startups on Cracking the Nation’s Biggest Retailer.
Eco Lips, The Fresh Dolls, and Bean Box each took different routes to gaining Walmart distribution. Here’s an insider, step-by-step look at their strategies and navigating challenges.
By: Mark Hamstra, Contributor
Three startups offer tips on breaking into Walmart:
- Startups would be wise to tap their founders to pitch Walmart directly, which will resonate more with a Walmart buyer than a company representative, said Steve Shriver, CEO of Eco Lips.
- Create a PowerPoint deck, or ideally a prototype, that demonstrates precisely what your product is and how it will uniquely serve Walmart’s customer base, said Dr. Lisa Williams, CEO and founder of The World of EPI, parent company of The Fresh Dolls.
- Using data from direct-to-consumer sales can build a persuasive argument for the likely success of a product on Walmart’s shelves, said Ryan Fritzky, cofounder of Bean Box.
For many small consumer product brands, getting distribution in Walmart is an important milestone. The retailer’s global presence represents the potential for millions of new customers and exponential sales growth.
The path to securing a presence on Walmart’s shelves can be challenging, however. It may require repeated efforts to secure a meeting with a buyer, and once that happens, companies need to give a strong, carefully planned argument for how the product will benefit Walmart and its customers.
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