How to Stand Out: What Matters Most to Retailers When Buying Wholesale

Getting your brand on store shelves is more challenging than it’s ever been. This is due to the fact that retailers have more options, meaning that brands must work harder to stand out. As a result, brands are not only spending more time developing catchy packaging to make their brand pop on shelves, they are leveraging their social media channels to drive customers to the retailers that stock their products. The most successful brands at wholesale are not relying on the retailers to drive sales for them, they are helping drive sales to the retailers. 

Knowing this, it’s safe to say that to succeed in this rapidly changing retail environment, it’s crucial to understand what matters to retailers when they choose to buy wholesale from your brand. And after speaking with hundreds of retailers, we’ve identified key elements that influence a retailer's choice to continue to do business with your brand. These insights can help brands optimize their wholesale strategies and build long-lasting relationships with retail partners. 

But, before we dive into this, it’s important to understand what a retailer is. At its core, a retailer is a business or individual that sells goods directly to consumers. Retailers can range from small, independent stores (like your local mom-and pop gifts store) to large chain stores (like Wal-Mart). Retailers act as the bridge between brands and end customers. They purchase products from wholesalers, manufacturers, or distributors and then sell them, often marking up the price to make a profit.

In the wholesale process, retailers are selective about the brands they choose to stock. They don’t want to stock too many of the similar products in their store because then they may have difficulty with their sell-through rate. A good retailer carefully selects their product assortment across a range of different categories and considerations (from price point to product type). 

The Increase in Competition Among Brands

Competition among brands is fierce online and in wholesale. Knowing this, brands are constantly pitching their products to retailers and are trying to secure shelf space in a retail store. And with so many brands selling similar products, retailers are becoming more selective about who they do business with. Gone are the days when a strong product alone guaranteed placement on shelves. Brands now need to offer a combination of product quality, excellent service, and convenience to earn and keep a retailer's business.

This heightened competition means that brands need to deeply understand what retailers care about most when making purchasing decisions. Through our extensive conversations with retailers, we’ve identified five key areas that brands need to focus on to remain competitive and earn retailer loyalty.

Read on below to learn more about what retailers look for when they consider whether to keep doing business with a brand. 

Frictionless Purchasing Process

Retailers often stock a wide variety of brands, with some carrying 50 or more. And each one of those brands has a different ordering process and system. Some may leverage marketplaces (like Faire) as a way to place orders, while others may have a specific wholesale portal that a retailer must login to and others may just take orders via email or on a call. And as a retailer, keeping track of all of this can be exhausting. Many retailers mention that they have upwards of 20 different logins to different wholesale portals (one for each brand that they shop with). Keeping track of this login information is a task in itself. This may be obvious, but many brands do not put themselves in the position of the retailer and think through what a retailer must go through to place an order with them. The more complicated it is for retailers to place an order from your brand, the less likely it is that they will place a reorder from you. 

Retailers crave simplicity. Offering an easy, frictionless purchasing process is critical. Whether it’s through an intuitive wholesale website or an integrated platform that remembers past orders, reducing the time and effort needed for a retailer to place a reorder should be the focus of brands that are selling to retailers. Being able to deliver retailers one-click reorders and streamlined checkout processes makes life easier for retailers and increases the likelihood of repeat business.

Freedom from Sales Representatives

While traditional sales representatives have played a critical role in the retail industry, many retailers now find that interacting with sales reps can be disruptive to their day-to-day operations, especially given the various tech-enabled solutions on the market today. When a sales rep visits a store, they often need to speak with either the store owner or the staff, which can pull them away from helping customers or running their business.

Retailers today prefer to have control over their reordering process. They want the flexibility to reorder products on their terms, without the need for an in-person meeting or phone call. A sales representative coming into a store, especially during busy hours, can be a significant distraction and even cost the retailer money. Employees who spend time talking to a rep aren’t focused on customers, which can directly impact sales, while costing the store owner money (while the employee is on the clock). 

By offering a system that allows retailers to reorder when it's most convenient for them—without the need for a sales rep—brands can provide a more retailer-friendly shopping experience with a less “salesly” approach that can go a long way in winning future business from a retailer. 

Smart and Timely Communication

One of the most frequent complaints retailers have is being bombarded with constant emails, texts, and calls from brands. Weekly reminders or sales pushes can feel overwhelming, especially when a retailer is juggling multiple brands. While communication is essential, it must be done thoughtfully.

Retailers appreciate when brands are strategic with their communication. One way to achieve this is by tracking a retailer’s order history and using that data to reach out at the right time. Instead of sending frequent, generic messages, brands that pay attention to ordering patterns can time their communication to align with when a retailer is likely to be low on stock. This approach is not only more efficient for the brand but also for the retailer, as it saves them the trouble of constantly running inventory reports and making reorder decisions.

This level of personalized communication builds trust and loyalty. Retailers are more likely to stick with a brand that understands their needs and reaches out at the most convenient times, rather than sending generic, non-personalized messages. Said another way, think about reaching out to your retailers the same way you are taught to reach out to your DTC customers - with personalized and timely messages. The more generic the message is, the more likely it is that they will lose interest in your brand. 

Access to Previous Orders

Retailers manage a complex inventory of various brands and products, and not all stores have the ability to track their stock in a centralized way. As a result, they might not always remember the specifics of what they ordered previously. This can lead to hesitation or confusion when it’s time to place a reorder.

Brands that provide easy access to a retailer’s previous order history remove this friction. By offering a quick reference to past orders, brands can help retailers reorder the right products with confidence. This feature simplifies the buying process, allowing retailers to focus on running their business instead of spending time tracking down previous invoices or order details.

Providing a list of previously purchased items can also help retailers avoid accidental overstocking or understocking. It makes reordering faster and reduces the risk of mistakes.

Sending Shipment Notifications

When a retailer places an order, they need to know when their products will arrive so they can plan accordingly. If they have multiple reorders on order, they need to have an understanding of what products are landing when so they can prepare their store for the new inventory. As such, retailers appreciate brands that send timely shipment notifications with tracking information included. This allows them to prepare their staff for the delivery and ensure the products are received, processed, and shelved as quickly as possible. This puts them in the best position to sell the product quickly and place another reorder with your brand! 

By keeping retailers in the loop with clear and detailed shipment updates, brands can help them stay organized and efficient. In a fast-paced retail environment, timely information makes all the difference and can enhance the retailer's experience with the brand.

Conclusion: Build Strong Relationships with Retailers

Understanding what retailers care about is key to building strong, lasting relationships. Brands that prioritize frictionless purchasing, reduce reliance on sales representatives for order collection, communicate strategically, provide access to previous orders, and offer timely shipment notifications will stand out in a crowded market.

By meeting these needs, brands not only make it easier for retailers to do business with them but also position themselves as valuable partners in the retailer’s success. A brand that understands and caters to a retailer’s preferences is far more likely to secure and maintain a place on their shelves.

If you are looking to learn more about how you can automate, scale and personalize your retail relationships, schedule time to chat with us.