How to impress food buyers and get listed

By Laurence Gibbons

- Last updated on GMT

Sainsbury buyer James Curtis offered expert advice on how entrepreneurs should deal with buyers
Sainsbury buyer James Curtis offered expert advice on how entrepreneurs should deal with buyers

Related tags Retailing

Food and drink start-ups must understand their market and competition and prove their product could disrupt it and bring benefits for retailer before approaching a buyer, according to Sainsbury.

Firms must convince buyers that by stocking their product the retail store will stand out and experience a boom in sales, Sainsbury’s milk buyer James Curtis told Enterprise Nation’s Food Exchange conference on April 30.

“When looking for new products I ask myself several key questions,”​ he said.

“Will it increase my overall sales in that category, or will it just potentially take over the sales of something else? If it is the latter, is it really necessary?”

Curtis would also want a new product to increase profit, disrupt the market, give Sainsbury a point of difference and be valued by customers.

Stand out from competition

The branding of the product should make it obvious what it was and help it stand out from the competition, he added.

Arla’s Cravendale filtered milk was one product that Curtis felt wasn’t communicating its benefits to consumers, he claimed.

Firms must also reflect who the client base of the product was likely to be, he added.

“Firstly, is that customer going to be new to Sainsbury or new to the category?,”​ Curtis said he would ask himself.

How to get listed

  • Call switchboard and ask to speak to relevant buyer
  • Or become a supplier online
  • Be brief during initial call
  • Send samples and one-page on why the retailer should list your product
  • Face-to-face interview (30 minutes)
  • Range review

“If it was a new customer, we are likely to take the product on.”

However, if a product was only likely to appeal to Sainsbury’s current client base it could still become listed, he added.

Firms should also reflect on whether or not the product appealed to a particular occasion or trend.

“Also, I want to know what the long-term plan is for the business,”​ Curtis said. “You’ve got a product that seems good, but sometimes people list a product and become complacent.

Drive sales

“You have to make sure you can continue to drive sales, so I need to know what you’re thinking about doing with PR … and with adverts you should always tag Sainsbury so people know where to buy it.”

He also encouraged businesses to sample their products in store and carry out promotions to attract initial sales.

Finally, entrepreneurs should tell their personal story behind the brand to show how the business was financed.

Adam Sopher, co-founder of gourmet popcorn firm Joe & Seph’s, said entrepreneurs should take a personal approach when contacting buyers.

“It should be you as founders of the business that makes that call and sends that first email,” ​he said.

“There are a number of food businesses that raise money and hire a sales director or PR firm to sell the brand. But actually the buyer wants to speak to you – you’ll have more passion in your eyes.”

It’s the blood, sweat and tears you’ve put into your product that will convince them to give you a listing.”

Joe & Seph’s secured its first listing after only four months of producing popcorn in Selfridges.

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2 comments

Well written article and offering some builds'

Posted by Darren A. Smith,

This article is well written because as a Category Manager of 12 years for one of the big four UK supermarkets, my thoughts were similar to James'.

The builds I offer are:

* Speak to a store manager before you present to the buyer because buyers need an input from the store to do their job successfully and if the supplier can offer this view, it can be invaulable.

* Understand not only your USP's, of course, prepare how you will persuade the buyer. This blog post on persuasion will help http://www.makingbusinessmatter.co.uk/blog/how-to-enhance-your-persuasion-skill-with-irascal/

* The 'Category Management' piece that most new suppliers lack can be addressed by asking these questions:
- What problem does your product solve in this category?
- Is the problem being addressed by another product already?
- How much sales will your product steal from exisiting category products?
- Why would a shopper buy your product and not the category alternatives?
- How will your product be supported to conmtinue to solve the problem?

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Or better yet...

Posted by Chris,

The supplier could write you a nice complimentary song (but discretely & not email it to every other supplier in the process of course)- this is always much appreciated :-)

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