How to get your products into independent shops
A practical guide to finding shops that fit your range, making a clear offer and managing a first placement with Fondacos.
Getting your products into independent shops takes more than a good product and a list of email addresses. A shop needs to see why your range belongs with its customers, what the numbers look like and how much work a first order will involve. A clear offer makes it easier for a buyer to picture the products on their shelves.
Fondacos helps brands and shops find each other and keep the details of a stock placement together. You can use it to look for a new stockist, or invite a shop you already know.
Make the range easy to assess
Choose a small group of products that work together. For each one, have the product name, photographs, retail price, your expected return per sale, available quantity and lead time ready. Include the details a shop will need to sell it, such as size, materials, ingredients or care instructions where relevant.
Think about the shop's shelves and customers as you choose the range. A buyer should be able to understand what makes the products distinct and how they sit alongside what the shop already sells. A focused offer is easier to consider than a full catalogue with no clear starting point.
Find shops where the products make sense
Look for shops with a similar point of view, a suitable price range and customers who might want your products. Fondacos has a marketplace for that first discovery. Shops can look for products by name or category, while brands can search for retailers and review the kinds of products they carry. Add your business details and product categories so the right people have something useful to find.
You do not have to wait for a stranger to find you. If you already have a shop in mind, invite them to connect on Fondacos and discuss the range there. The marketplace is another route to a conversation, not a promise that every listed shop is looking for every product.
Offer a first step that feels manageable
A shop may be interested but unsure about committing shelf space or cash to an untested range. You could discuss a small wholesale order, or a sale-or-return or consignment trial if that suits both businesses. There is no standard deal that works for every shop. Agree the quantities, retail prices, payment terms, dates, delivery costs and rules for unsold, damaged or missing stock before anything leaves your hands.
On Fondacos, put those details into an agreement with the shop. Both sides can see the products, quantities, dates and terms in one place before the first delivery. For more on the decisions to make, read the guide to sale or return for independent shops.
Keep a clear record after the first box arrives
Record what you dispatch, then ask the shop to confirm what arrived. From there, sales, stocktakes, returns and any shortages can be recorded against the same placement. When it is time to settle or review the range, both businesses can work from the same stock history instead of piecing it together from messages and spreadsheets.
That record also helps you decide what to do next. If a product sells well, you can talk about replenishment. If it does not, you can review the display, try a different product or arrange a return under the terms you agreed. Fondacos keeps the workflow visible, while you and the shop make the decisions together.
To see the steps in more detail, visit how a stock placement works, or explore the Fondacos marketplace and start looking for a shop that fits your range.
