Startup suppliers from across the specialist food and drink sector came together this month to hear from wholesale, retail and marketing experts.
The Farm Shop & Deli Dragons’ Pantry Accelerator is a spin-off from the hugely popular Dragons’ Pantry sessions that take place at the annual Farm Shop & Deli Show. In these, entrepreneurs make a 15-minute pitch to industry ‘Dragons’ and receive expert insights in return.
The Dragons’ Pantry Accelerator, which took place at the Guild of Fine Food in London, comprised presentations and Q&A sessions on topics including: consumer and market trends; what retailers and wholesalers are looking for in products; marketing and branding; and how brands can scale up.
Here, we look at some of the advice and insight suppliers heard at the event.
How to approach a wholesaler or retailer – and how not to
The first step towards a listing is getting a product in front of a wholesalers or retailer, but what is the best way to do this?
Grahame Day, managing director of wholesaler The Gorgeous Food Company, said he received numerous sample parcels from potential suppliers.
“From my point of view, I’d prefer someone pick up the phone or email first so we can go through the process of what we want to know from them.”
Grahame added that this meant he could gather information about the product and find out if it is a good fit before the supplier sends items in.
“I appreciate sending out samples is expensive, and they don’t necessarily get to the right person – I have received parcels in the past without even contact details in.”
One approach retailers and wholesalers are unlikely to appreciate is charging for samples, said Iain Hemming, owner of Salisbury-based cafe and deli kitchen Salt.
“I was approached by a potential supplier and asked them to send me some samples,” he explained. “They said they don’t send samples, but I could buy them and the cost would be knocked off the invoice with my first order. I’ve had that sort of thing on three or four occasions.”
A wholesale listing is just the beginning
A supplier’s work in selling a product does not end when they secure a listing with a wholesaler, the audience heard.
Suppliers have a role to play in helping a retailer sell products and achieve repeat sales through activity such as tastings, supplying point of sale, and helping the consumer understand how to use a product.
“We’re very conscious that a lot of suppliers and manufacturers are looking for sales solutions, which is not where we see ourselves in the mix,” explained Joe Wall, managing director of wholesaler The Cress Company.
He added that it is important there is a link between the producer and the retailer, which he is happy to facilitate.
“I think people spend so much time getting the product ready and the packaging ready and they think sales are going to keep flooding in, but the most difficult part is convincing retailers they need to stock the product.”
Make your trade show stands work for you
The Farm Shop & Deli Show takes place from 7 to 9 April at the NEC, Birmingham, and our experts had tips for suppliers exhibiting there:
- Staff your stand adequately so people aren’t having to queue or make multiple visits to speak to you
- Make sure the people on your stand are educated about the products and about how the logistics work
- Don’t make potential customers wait until after the show for the information they have requested
- Ensure you swiftly follow up on any leads you get from the show
“A deal can easily be made or lost just by the conversation you have with the person on the stand,” said Iain Hemming of Salt.
Think about collecting customer data
Customer data is a powerful tool that enables a supplier to talk directly to its customers and other stakeholders.
“Use the opportunities you’ve got as a business to collect your customer data,” advised Jenny Bishop, managing director of Pam Lloyd PR, which works with producers to support business growth and scalability.
She pointed out that digital online payments systems issue digital receipts, which is one way of collecting customer email addresses.
Another method is running competitions and promotions, either through websites or social media.
The Farm Shop & Deli Show is also an opportunity to collect data, she added: “Think about what you are going to be doing on your stand to engage with people visiting you, collect their data and use it further down the line.”
Get your data organised
Data is only useful if it is up to date and is organised in a way that is fit for purpose.
In the case of customer data, pointed out Jenny at Pam Lloyd PR, this means segmenting it, which could be a label that says Farm Shop & Deli Show 2025, or it could be geographical information.
“For example, you could have a group of customers in the north, and a group in the south, and you could target a specific group and tailor content to them.”
It is also important to organise data related to what you sell, SKUs and quantities, such as considering whether it is best organised at product level or by the case.
Even if you are trying to sell directly into wholesale, you may not want to organise product data at case quantity straight away, suggested Matthew Hill, group managing director of digital and marketing business Nice Group.
“We have seen this with a baked goods brand we were talking to,” he said. “They have done very well but have decided to pivot back to direct-to-consumer because the margins are higher. They built their e-commerce data structure around case quantities, so to sell individual products online now is going to be a big data challenge for them and for their website.”
The UK Food & Drink Shows
The Farm Shop & Deli Show is part of The UK Food & Drink Shows, which unite four events and cover the complete food and drink supply chain. For further information visit The UK Food & Drink Shows website.
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