Expanding into retail isn’t just about having a great product. It’s about understanding how buyers think, navigating operational complexity, and ensuring you have the capital to deliver once the purchase order lands.
In a recent Kickfurther webinar, three seasoned industry experts broke down the end-to-end journey to winning in retail—from getting discovered by buyers to nailing the pitch to funding and fulfilling large POs sustainably.
The conversation featured:
- Wayne Bennett: SVP of Retail at ECRM & RangeMe, with 30+ years of retail/CPG experience helping brands get discovered
- Tia Ellis: CEO of Wildflower Insight, who has helped founders sell 150M+ units and trains brands on winning buyer meetings
- John Donovan: Board Member & Advisor at Kickfurther, a veteran fintech operator helping CPG brands fund and scale their growth
You can watch the full webinar recording here:
Or read on for a summary of the top three takeaways every CPG founder hoping to expand into retail should know.
Get Discovered: Make Sure You’re Truly Retail-Ready
Before you chase buyer meetings, you need to be retail-ready. And that includes operationally, financially, and strategically. Wayne Bennett, SVP of Retail at ECRM/RangeMe, broke it down simply: retailers want four things above all else:
“They want more foot traffic, more shoppers, bigger baskets—and all at less cost.”
— Wayne Bennett, ECRM
To meet that bar, Wayne recommends brands revisit the classic 4 Ps:
- Product
- Price
- Place
- Promotion
And all with a retail-specific lens.
Retail-readiness checklist from ECRM
Product
- Shelf-ready packaging
- Correct barcodes & certifications
- Shelf life suitable for retailer requirements
- Manufacturing capacity to scale quickly
Price
- Pricing aligned with category norms
- Trade spend accounted for
- Enough margin to support retail economics
Place (Distribution Strategy)
- Clear channel plan
- Presence (or proof) via marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart.com, or TikTok Shop
- Ability to ship direct-to-warehouse or DSD
Promotion (Your Story)
- Clear differentiation
- Compelling RangeMe profile
- Evidence that consumers already want the product
Wayne emphasized operational preparedness as a key differentiator:
“Can you ship? Can you scale? Can you support the shelf? And most importantly, can you win with the consumer?”
— Wayne Bennett, ECRM
4 ways to Get in Front of Buyers
- Use RangeMe to appear in front of hundreds of retailers actively searching for new products
- Leverage ECRM category programs for curated 1:1 buyer meetings
- Start small to build proof points
- Share “snackable” insights—not just product pitches—with buyers to stand out
Being retail-ready is the only way you’ll get a foot in the door and earn that first meeting. And once you have placement in one retail space, it makes future pitches that much easier.
Nail the Buyer Pitch: Show How You Help Them Win
Once you get the buyer meeting, the goal isn’t simply to “present”, it’s to prove that bringing you in will grow their category.
Tia Ellis, Founder of Wildflower Insight knows the buyer mentality well.
“When you strip it all back, the buyer’s job is to grow their category. Your job is to show them how you help them win.”
— Tia Ellis, Wildflower Insight
What Buyers Really Care About
They are not your consumer. They might not taste your beverage, use your skincare, or try your supplement.
They want to know:
- Why your product is incremental vs. what’s already on shelf
- Which categories or demographics you pull shoppers from
- Proof of demand (reviews, social buzz, DTC performance)
- That you understand operations (shelf life, logistics, LTL vs. FTL, co-man capacity)
- That you’re a safe bet, not a risk
How to Pitch Like a Pro
Tia advises brands structure their meeting like a strategic conversation as opposed to a monologue. She recommends breaking it down like this:
- 10 minutes for the pitch
- 5 minutes for rapport building
- 5 minutes for Q&A
Key proof points to include:
- Category trends (“Functional beverages grew X% in the last 2 years…”)
- Traffic-driving differentiation (“We attract shoppers you’re not currently capturing…”)
- Social proof (“We’ve done 1.2M views on TikTok and convert 4% organically…”)
- Current wins (“We’re performing 30% above category in our first regional retailer…”)
Follow-Up Strategy That Works
Another pro-tip Tia shared during that panel is that, instead of begging for attention (“Just following up…”):
“Share a win. Something exciting. Something positive. Make them your cheerleader.”
— Tia Ellis, Wildflower Insight
Exciting brand milestones that buyers might care about include:
- New product launch
- Successful week-over-week sales growth
- Award or press feature
- New distribution or influencer partnership
And don’t forget the Golden Retail Rule. Grow in this order:
- DTC
- Local
- Regional
- National
“You don’t want your first big retailer to be your first big mistake.”
— Tia Ellis, Wildflower Insight
Fund the PO: Build Capital Structure for Sustainable and Controlled Retail Growth
Winning a PO is exciting, but it can break a company if they aren’t financially prepared.
John Donovan, Board Member and Advisor for Kickfurther, has seen many brands underestimate the cash required throughout his career.
“Most founders try to fund growth with the same dollars they use for day-to-day operations. That’s a challenge.”
— John Donovan, Kickfurther
John recommends that after you get the PO, you should do this immediately:
Take a breath and congratulate yourself! Winning a PO from a big retailer is a big deal 🥳
But then map out the cash flow ASAP. Determine:
- Production costs
- Lead times
- Working capital required before sell-through
- Payment timing (especially for 30/60/90-day retailer terms)
- Model sell-through scenarios (best, expected, slow)
Avoid overextending and don’t bet the business on one massive rollout.
Controlled Growth vs. Chaotic Growth
John warns that a common mistake is saying yes to everything.
“Growth should be controlled, not chaotic.”
— John Donovan, Kickfurther
Tia offered a really helpful script founders can use to set themselves up for controlled and scalable growth with retail partners: “We’d love to partner with you, but to ensure we perform long-term, can we start with a regional test of your top 20–100 stores?”
Retailers respect this maturity. It shows you’re thinking like a strategic partner, not a desperate vendor.
Have Your Finances Ready Before The Meeting
Having a capital strategy for your retail POs should begin before the meeting starts.
“If you’re presenting to a large retailer, come prepared—have your financing ready before the meeting.”
— Tia Ellis, Wildflower Insight
Consider the type of funding that will help make your financials look their best. For example, consignment inventory funding from Kickfurther is aligned to sales cycles and can give you a competitive edge during pitches to big buyers since it doesn’t impact your balance sheet.
“We tie funding to when the goods actually sell—not when you produce them.”
— John Donovan, Kickfurther
This allows brands to:
- Accept larger POs
- Unlock volume pricing tiers
- Restock faster than competitors
- Keep working capital free for marketing and hiring
Preparedness Is the 5th P
Throughout the webinar, a new unofficial “P” kept surfacing: Preparedness.
- Preparedness before you pitch.
- Preparedness before you accept a PO.
- Preparedness before you scale nationwide.
If you’re retail-ready, pitch-ready, and capital-ready, you position your brand not only to win shelf space, but to stay on the shelf.
Ready to expand into retail? Reach out to a member of our team and see if you’re eligible for inventory consignment funding with Kickfurther.