How to approach an independent stockist without sending another forgettable DM
A buyer needs a reason to picture your product in their shop. Start with the fit, make the first order easy to understand and follow up once with something useful.
Two hundred Instagram messages can disappear without a reply. That is frustrating, but a shop owner may be reading them between deliveries, customers and a till that needs attention. Another “I love your store” message is easy to leave for later.
The way in is to make the decision smaller and clearer. Show that you understand the shop, then give the buyer the facts they would need to try your range.
Look at the shelves before you write
Choose stores where your product fits the customer, price point and space. A shop’s own website often tells you more than its follower count. Look at the brands it already carries, how it groups products and whether your work would add something new.
For examples of clear curation, spend a few minutes with The Hambledon in Winchester, Goodhood in London and Wolf & Badger. Their selections are different, which is the point. Notice how each presents a point of view, then look for shops where your own range would make sense. These are examples to study, not Fondacos partners or recommendations that any one store will accept a particular product.
Send a short note with the buying details
Give the buyer one line on why you chose their shop. Then show three to five products with good photographs, retail prices, the amount the shop would keep or pay, minimum quantity and lead time. If you can offer a small trial on sale-or-return terms, say what the trial would involve. Do not make the buyer ask for a price list before they can decide whether the range is plausible.
That message is an example, not a script to paste into two hundred inboxes. Change the shop detail, the product and the offer every time. If there is a buying email on the shop’s site, use that instead of assuming an Instagram DM is the best route.
Follow up once, with something new
After a reasonable interval, send a brief follow-up with a useful detail: a new colour, a better photograph of the display or a date when you could deliver. If there is still no answer, move on. A good fit can still arrive at the wrong time.
Once a shop says yes, the next job is to keep the relationship tidy. Fondacos lets you connect through a business profile or invite a partner you already know, then record the agreed terms and each stock movement. The pitch gets the first conversation. The record helps you have a second one.
