How Retail Stores Get Their Stuff (And How Your Brand Can Get In the Door)
How do retail stores actually get their stuff?
It’s a great question — and the answer is different depending on the type of retailer. Big-box chains like Walmart, Target, or Home Depot have complex buying teams, long procurement cycles, and strict vendor onboarding requirements.
For now, we’re talking about independent retail.
These are the mom-and-pop stores, specialty shops, local boutiques, hardware stores, surf shops, baby stores, etc. that represent the independently owned retail channel. These stores can carry up to tens of thousands of niche SKUs and make decisions very differently from national chains.
If you understand how independent store owners discover new products and make purchasing decisions, you’ll know how to market, pitch, and position your brand to win on retail shelves.
Let’s get into the head of a local retail buyer—and figure out how to become the product they pick up next.
🛒 Direct Sales (Still the #1 Way Stores Discover Products)
Independent retailers don’t have complex buying departments. Most sourcing decisions are made by one person: the owner or general manager. And their product discovery process is usually heavily manual.
Here are a few methods that encompass direct selling:
Local Walk-Ins
At the hyper-local level, brand owners can walk right into a business, meet the decision maker, and sell them some product. A friendly conversation, a quick demo, a sample to try — that’s often all it takes to get a trial order. Owners often enjoy supporting other local businesses, and they find comfort in dealing with a human face. Plus, dealing with a local partner tends to allow for flexible terms like consignment, that allow the retailer to test a product with minimized risk.
Why does this work?
Because independent stores win by being curated. They want products that shoppers can’t get on Amazon or at Target. If you’re local, unique, or telling a compelling story, they’ll often give you a shot.
Pro Tip:
If you offer forgiving terms (consignment, small MOQs, free displays), you drastically increase your odds of a yes.
Sophisticated Outreach
Despite the myth that business people hang up on every cold call they receive, store owners still discover products through brands reaching out directly to them. Email outreach can be effective if it’s relevant and finds the right person. Cold calling works even better, if the leads are well qualified.
Retailers respond to messaging that:
● References their type of store and comparable success
● Clearly shows product fit with their category
● Offers them differentiation in their assortment
● Comes with fair and profitable terms
A simple, professional intro goes a long way. Call businesses. Email buyers. Get your name out there. Maybe you’re the product they have been meaning to add but haven’t been able to find.
📬 Mailers & Local Marketing
Physical mailers are a great way to land accounts. A well-designed postcard or sample sent to the store’s physical address can cut through the digital noise. Make sure to follow up the mailer with a calling/emailing campaign to increase success rates.
Pro Tip: Sales success degrades quickly with repeated use of a mailing list. Start with your best punch, and only revisit lists/vendors after a substantial cooldown period.
Broker Reps
Manufacturer’s Reps (typically called Gift Reps in the Independent category) are another avenue for direct sales. They deserve their own blog, so stay tuned for that.
🔎 Organic Search (SEO) — The Buyer Searches Just Like a Consumer
Independent retail buyers use Google more than most people think. Keeping their assortment fresh is the lifeblood of their business. When trying to find new products to stock, they search the same way a shopper does:
● “best new toys for kids”
● “unique gifts for boutiques”
● “high quality ear protection for gyms”
● “natural dog grooming products wholesale”
If your website ranks for these searches, you win inbound wholesale leads without doing anything manually.
Retailers usually search because they’re:
● Filling a gap in their assortment
● Responding to customer requests
● Chasing a trend
● Upgrading an existing category
● Trying to replace a brand that went out of stock or stopped wholesaling
If you want to be discovered, your keywords must match real buyer intent. Then, make sure the buying process is as frictionless as possible.
💰 PPC Ads (Google + Social) Target Store Owners Directly
Paid advertising can drive wholesale sales when done correctly. The same principles of DTC advertising are at play, you just have to know where and how to target your audience.
Why it works:
● Retail owners use social media both for their businesses and personally; their eyes are already on the screen
● You can target interests, roles, and business pages (ex: “boutique owner,” “pet store wholesale,” “Jim’s Bait Shop”)
● The right ad at the right time can spark the exact same impulse a consumer feels—
except the buyer purchases in bulk. Which means the ROI on these ads can be much higher than their consumer-based counterparts.
Retailers are using social media to try to grow their business. The right products can help them do that, so meet them where they are already in the right mindset.
🛍️ Wholesale Marketplaces (Faire, NuOrder, etc.)
Marketplaces have become a major sourcing hub for independent retail. As these continue to grow, it becomes more and more important for brands to keep up with the competition by listing their products for sale.
Why buyers love them:
● Convenience (all brands in one place)
● Easy ordering process
● Centralized invoices
● Low-risk terms (Net60, free returns depending on the platform)
● Discovery algorithms that surface trending products
The downside is that they’re highly competitive. But if you’re not listed where buyers are already shopping, you’re invisible to a large chunk of the market.
Think of these marketplaces like Amazon:
The best sellers win because they’re discoverable, well-presented, and reviewed.
🎪 Trade Shows (The Highest-Conversion Channel in Independent Retail)
For product-based brands, trade shows are where the magic happens. There are some key formulas to success at shows, but what’s important to know for now is what purpose the shows serve for retail owners and brand operators.
Types of shows:
● Local pop-ups and farmers markets
● Large gift markets
● Category-specific events (pets, outdoor, baby, toys)
● Massive, category-spanning national shows like Expo West
Why trade shows work:
● Buyers touch, test, and feel your product
● They meet founders and hear the story
● They negotiate deals on the spot
● They form personal relationships and may reorder for years
● You learn exactly what each retailer type needs
Trade shows are the closest thing to a “shortcut” into retail—because the buyer is right there, ready to buy, credit card in hand.
📌 In Summary: How Stores Get Their Stuff (and How You Get on Their Shelves)
Independent retail buyers find products through:
Direct sales
Organic search
Paid ads
Wholesale marketplaces
Trade shows
If you want to win new retail accounts, the key is simple:
Make it easy for buyers to discover you.
Go where they go. Participate in the channels where they shop. Start small and local, then scale your marketing to:
● The right vertical
● The right marketplaces
● The right trade shows
Independent retail thrives on unique, curated, story-driven products.
If you position your brand where retailers naturally look, you’ll get in the door far faster — and stay there.
Need help getting in front of retail buyers? We can help.
Or reach out to me directly at Michael@CrossStratinc.com