Convenience stores are being offered a new way to discover and test emerging brands, with Discovery Stand creating a faster, lower-risk route to market.
Discovery Stand provides retailers with five new startup brands every month via a freestanding display unit in stores, giving them the chance to test products before deciding whether to make them a core listing.
It also aims to remove the risk of retailers committing to longer-term arrangements if the products don’t sell.
Discovery Stand’s brand portfolio focuses on ambient products, including RTDs and snacks, which are all supplied with low minimum order quantities of £50 or less, with a guaranteed margin of 50%.
Retailers can choose three brands and Discovery Stand allocates the other two based on data. If retailers decide to make them a permanent listing, Discovery Stand connects the retailer with the brand to negotiate their own terms.
For brands, Discovery Stand positions itself as the “foot in the door” before they approach mainstream retailers. They pay a monthly £195 subscription fee that guarantees listings with two convenience retailers every month.
The aim is to help them gather data and insight, refine merchandising and pricing, and understand how their products work in different communities before approaching supermarkets and high street retailers.
The inspiration for the business came from challenges that Discovery Stand founder Joe Woolf faced when he launched his confectionery brand Tasty Mates in 2020, which quickly secured listings in WH Smith, Holland & Barrett, and Ocado.
“The listings were amazing, but we became too reliant on them,” said Woolf. “They made up 60% of our revenue, which meant we never built a foundation to grow our business.
“If we were in 50, 60, or 100 shops, if you lost one of them, it’s not the end of the world. But more than that, you can learn more about your products, what pricing works for you, who your community is, and what marketing structure you can take.
“And by going down that route first, it creates a quicker and more efficient way for brands to get listings and for retailers to discover new products.”
Having already worked with premium farm shops, Discovery Stand is now building a portfolio of brands tailored for the independent convenience market.
The business is set to launch a “fully-fledged convenience offer” in June, with discussions underway with Fresh & Proper, Dike & Son, and one of the regional Co-op societies. Discovery Stand already works with Eat17 and Kavanagh’s.
The growing portfolio of brands includes Catalyse Life Drinks, Soul Fruits, Soul Kitchen, Curry Smugglers, Miss Kim, Drooly, Messy Face, Siren Grounds, Nutz, OAC Snacks, and Wind Up.
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