Flow, the CRM for CPG brands that sell to stores
Flow is a CRM for CPG and FMCG brands that sell to independent stores. It tracks each stockist from the first reply through the sample, the first order and every reorder, and drafts the next step so no store slips through the gaps. It is the last of the five parts of what LaunchPal does.
Getting stocked is more than one email
A store that replies yes still needs a sample, a visit, a first order and then a reason to order again. Brands lose most stores in the gaps between those steps: a sample nobody followed up, a visit that was never booked, a reorder that quietly stopped. A general sales CRM does not know any of that. Flow is built around it.
Every store, one board
Each store is a card that moves through the stages that get a product stocked:
- Leads: stores that replied with interest.
- Sampled: a sample is on its way or has landed.
- Activation: the first visit, to show the staff how to sell it.
- First order: they have bought.
- Reorder: they have bought again.
How Flow works
A store says yes
A positive reply lands in Leads on its own.
Flow drafts the next step
A sample follow-up, a visit, a check-in or a reminder.
You approve it
Nothing goes until you say so.
Orders move it on
The first order, then every reorder, with nothing left to memory.
How stores arrive and move
Cards arrive on their own: from positive replies, interest forms, orders on your line sheet, Cin7 customers, a spreadsheet import, or a store you add by hand.
A card only moves on its own when there is a real order: the first moves it to First order, the second to Reorder. It never moves backwards, and it never moves to Discontinued without you.
The next step, drafted for you
Every email Flow drafts waits for your approval. You choose how hands-on to be, and the assistant can never send on its own.
- Samples: log the sample with its tracking number. We confirm delivery, then draft follow-ups 2 days after it lands, 5 days after that, and 7 days after that. They stop on a reply.
- Activation: a visit proposal with two dates, a reminder the day before with the address and who to ask for, and a "did they order?" check the day after.
- Reorders: each store's usual gap between orders, and check-ins when it goes quiet.
- Tastings and visits: an in-store tasting cycle for every stockist, on one calendar.
- Payments: Xero and Stripe invoices checked every 6 hours, with polite reminders before and after the due date.
Samples
Follow-ups after it lands, stopped by a reply.
Getting paid
Small brands carry the cash-flow risk of independent stores. Flow chases unpaid invoices politely, from your own mailbox: a reminder before the due date on longer terms, one on the day, then 3 and 7 days late. You are told at 3, 14 and 30 days late, with the option to put a store on hold.
Xero and Stripe payments are picked up on their own, and checked again right before any reminder goes, so a store that has just paid never gets chased. A "we paid" reply is never taken at its word: we check, or you mark it paid.
- Our clients’ average. Flow picks up every store that answers.
- 10-15%reply rate
- After a sample lands: 2, 5 and 7 days apart
- 3follow-ups
- Between Xero and Stripe payment checks
- 6hours
Orders and integrations
Stores can order from your line sheet, and every order moves the store and restarts its reorder clock. Cin7 Core syncs your products, customers, orders and stock every hour, and Xero and Stripe keep payments up to date. Other connections, such as Shopify, HubSpot or ordering through a distributor, are on request. See all integrations.
See pricing for what each plan includes.
The Free plan finds and emails 50 stores a month. Paid covers 500 a month.
- Cin7 CoreProducts, customers, orders, stockEvery hour
- XeroInvoices and paymentsEvery 6 hours
- StripeInvoices and paymentsEvery 6 hours
- +Other systemsOn request
Where to start
Flow works best with a steady stream of replies to work on. If you have not run outreach yet, see who would stock you, and read how emails are written for each store. If you are weighing a distributor against selling direct, our guide to CPG distribution covers the trade-offs.
Questions brands ask
What happens after a store replies?
The store appears in Leads. From there Flow tracks the sample, the first visit, the first order and every reorder, and drafts the next email for you to approve.
Does Flow email stores on its own?
Every email it drafts waits for your approval, unless you choose to let a kind of email go on its own. The assistant can never send.
Does it connect to Xero, Cin7 or my other systems?
Cin7 Core, Xero and Stripe connect today. Shopify, HubSpot, Square and distributor ordering are on request. Your contacts also export as a CSV.
Is a sample request a win?
It is the real yes in this industry, but not an order. Flow follows up after the sample lands and asks for the first order.
Are reorders the same as sales on the shelf?
No. Flow counts the orders a store places with you. It cannot see what sells through their till, so reorders are the signal.
Will it move stores to Discontinued by itself?
No. After missed reorder windows we ask you. Moving a store backwards or out is always your call.
Read next
- FeaturesReordersKnow which stores are due to order, with check-ins drafted when one goes quiet.
- FeaturesLine sheetA branded line sheet stores can order from, with prices and RRP shown and payment built in.
- IntegrationsCin7Your Cin7 Core customers, orders and stock in LaunchPal, so you can see which stores are due to reorder.
- CPG distributionCPG distributionGo direct, use a distributor or hire a broker: what each route costs you and when it fits.