This has been a bit of a pinch me moment seeing my bags on the shelves of the V&A shop. The best thing is that it was the V&A who approached me. I had been weathered by the ups and downs of retail. Reaching out , rejection, repeat.
Often even if i did get a reply from a buyer or even stocked in a shop, it was very rare for me to get repeat orders. and my name would just fade into the background of ancient history.
This is not a definitive guide on how to get stocked it’s just how it happened for me.
1) create a line sheet
-give yourself the inspiration and intention of being stocked in your retailer of your dreams
2) Do research on the shop
it might not be the best one for you, be honest with yourself, is that shop a good fit for your brand and product. Often it could just be one range that would work with a certain shop or one colourway.
3) know your own product
Analyse and write down the key usps of your product or brand. Is it hand made? sustainable? what makes it unique. when you contact shops in person or via email, emphasise these points.
As i walked through the shop, my heart started to beat faster with excitement. Seeing my bags in a setting like the V&A shop will always excite me. I will never become immune to seeing something i design in the context of a beautiful store with strangers milling around.
I really appreciated the work and effort that someone went to to print out this little description blurb about this bag and my company Goodordering.
3. Send out your line sheet to multiple shops, if you get a positive response from one shop, look into what kind of shop that is, and aim for similar ones to this one.
Regardless of how well or poorly it sells, the longer the bag is sitting here on the shelf, the more eyeballs it will be getting in front of, and the more people will slowly but surely get to know my east london brand Goodordering. Its been 13 years since i started the company. Its easy to remember as its the age of my first son. I remember trapsing around with him in the buggy hoping he would fall asleep as i co-ordinated nap time with meetings with buyers in stores around London when i first launched the brand with a kickstarter campaign back in 2012.
4. don’t aim too “high” too early
Use the shops that you are not too bothered about getting stocked in as a way to hone and perfect your approach. Use the feedback from those pitches / approaches to hone your line sheet , email or ‘elevator pitch’ to be concise and inviting.
If you do get stocked in some smaller shops, use photos and sales data from these to draw in the other larger shops that you are going after.
5. Don’t get too excited
It’s important to celebrate wins especially for a small business but tread carefully, if your product doesn’t sell well through these they can always ask for a refund or won’t order again. Once they are in the shop, go and visit the shop, ask friends to visit and comment on o buy your products and basically follow up to get feedback from the buyer / shop owner.
If the shop just wants to start with a small selection, that’s fine, they also need to ensure that your product(s) are right for their customers.
For example These smaller items (phone straps and carabiners) fit nicely into the vibe of the museum shop where often times you just want to purchase something as a memory of the day but don’t want to spend too much money. The fact that the museum has moved away from generic crap mass manufacturerd products to stocking items from small local independent brands really makes me happy.
6. Think about packaging design
The packaging should fit in with the ethos of the shop eg, if it’s a shop that focus on sustainability, then recycled packaging or minimal packaging may be the way to go.
These wrapped carabiners are functional decorative items that can jazz up your bag or coat, but also act as a way to attach additional items onto your back or backpack. Simply unscrew the lock and use it to adorn and make your backpack more functional on your adventures. Some very handy outfdoor people might also realise that the paracord used to wrap around the carabiner can also be used for emergency situations in the bush. If you find yourself stranded and need a metre or so of string, you can unwind the extra strong cord and use it.
The way the shop has used this simple range of containers to display the sale items fits in with the earthly feel of the whole architecture of the building. The simple geometric designs adorned with the pebble granite texture complements most of the items sold in this beautiful little shop.
