How to get your product into stores in the US

Why independents come first in the US

National chains buy centrally, run long category reviews and often expect slotting fees, promotional spend and a distributor before they talk to you. Independent stores do not. An owner of a natural foods market, a specialty grocer, a coffee shop or a wine and spirits store can say yes in a week and order a few cases by email.

Every sale there teaches you something: the right price, the flavour people pick, how fast it moves. That is the proof a regional buyer or a distributor will ask for later. This guide sits under our wider guide to getting your product into stores, which covers the method. Here is what is specific to the US.

One city, one store type

The country is too big to work all at once. Pick one metro area, usually the one you live in or can drive to, and one store type inside it. Specialty grocers in Austin, coffee shops in Portland or wine shops in Brooklyn are each a sensible first campaign.

Fragmented markets are easier than concentrated ones. A city full of independent stores, each buying for itself, gives you hundreds of owners who can say yes. A city where a few chains own most of the shelves gives you a few buyers who usually say not yet. We have seen this with spirits campaigns: independent liquor stores in New York answered, while chain-heavy markets were slower.

Which stores to start with

These are the usual first stockists for a US food or drink brand.

• Natural and specialty grocers. Owners who look for new products and have customers willing to try them.
• Coffee shops and cafés. The quickest yes for drinks and snacks. See how to get your product into cafes.
• Delis, cheese shops and gourmet stores. Condiments, snacks and premium cupboard lines.
• Wine and liquor stores. For alcohol, once your distribution is in place in that state.
• Gyms and studios. For protein, hydration and functional drinks.
• Co-ops. Member-owned grocers that often favour local and regional brands.

Alcohol and the three-tier system

If you sell beer, wine or spirits, the rules are different. In most states alcohol moves from the producer to a licensed distributor to the retailer, so a store cannot simply buy a case from you. Free product to a store is tightly limited, the rules on samples vary by state, and samples usually reach a store through your distributor or a licensed rep.

Outreach still works, because store and bar owners can ask their distributor for your product, and a list of venues that want it is what persuades a distributor to take you on. Some brands use outreach to find the stores, then hand the interested ones to their distributor's rep. Our page on beverage sales goes further.

Regional chains, then the nationals

After independents, the next step is usually a regional chain: a grocery group with a few dozen stores in your area, or a natural foods chain in your state. Their buyers still care about local brands, and they will ask for sales data from your independents. Many will expect you to arrive through a distributor. UNFI and KeHE are the names most natural and specialty brands mention.

National retailers come last. If Whole Foods is your goal, read our guide to getting your product into Whole Foods. For any big chain, the reasons to start with independents are the same.

Pricing for US stores

Get your numbers straight before you write to anyone. A US store owner will ask for your wholesale price, the MSRP and the case size, and will work out their own margin in their head. Many independents look for around 30% on what they stock, and specialty and natural stores often want more. If you plan to use a distributor later, leave room for their cut too, or your price will have to jump the day you add one.

Freight matters in a country this size. Shipping cases across several states can wipe out the margin on a small first order. Keep your first stores within driving distance, or set a minimum order that covers delivery. A free-shipping threshold is easy for an owner to understand and nudges them towards a slightly bigger order.

Keep a list of every store that stocks you and every store that reorders. That list is your pitch to the next store, to a regional buyer and to a distributor.

Reaching US store owners by email

US owners get plenty of pitches. Make yours short, name the store and something it already sells, and give one easy next step, such as replying for a sample. Leave the price list and the sell sheet for the reply. Have your wholesale price, MSRP and the store's margin worked out before you send anything. The wholesale price calculator does the maths.

Send from a separate domain set up for outreach so your main domain is never at risk. We buy and set up that domain for you, and the follow-ups stop the moment a store replies. Our clients average a 10-15% reply rate, and every reply comes to you to handle.

To see which US stores would fit your product before you write to anyone, type your website into the box below.