Road 2 Retail

Tracey Priest & Bruce Montgomery

The Road 2 Retail has been developed to help emerging and challenger brands best determine when and how to go about securing distribution in food, drug, mass, club and dollar brick and mortar classes of trade. Our insight is based upon years of experience, interviews with buyers at a dozen large retailers, and ongoing discussions with manufacturers and suppliers that support brands. After years of leading and managing these business building initiatives for companies we worked for directly, we now help emerging brands navigate this important, yet complex, process.

  1. Oct 13

    Episode # 175 How to prepare for a retailer meeting and be a value added supplier

    Episode 175 Today the Road 2 Retail team discusses how to prepare for a meeting with a retailer and how to be a value-added supplier to your buyer. Organization, nailing details, and being empowered to problem solve are both critical and obvious. But why do so many fail? Follow the Road 2 Retail so you don't miss any episodes (details below). Learn more at www.road2retail.com.Discussion points today include: - The need to establish relationships within each retailer beyond your buyer - Understand how each retailer works internally and what is important to them - Be 'easy to do business with' and make the call when presented with opportunities that make sense. If you always have to check back with HQ - the opportunities will cease. Act with authority! - You are your company - Understand how a category manager thinks about their assortment and how they are evaluated. Hint: don't waste your meeting time defending a dying sku. - The decision has likely been made. Build the healthy part of your business - Follow up swiftly and accurately. Hit all dates you commit to !Follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on the following platforms: Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbd Spotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel- https://lnkd.in/gH2Dk_q6. Thanks to our sponsors: The Emerson Group- A trusted CPG partner and omni channel expert to brands https://www.emersongroup.com Eagle Labs- A manufacturer of consumer healthcare products https://wwweaglelabsinc.com Enjoy the show! Please share the Road 2 Retail with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedI

  2. Oct 6

    Episode # 174 Clive Sher- Managing Director of the organic snack brand: Little Bellies

    Episode #174 Today the Road 2 Retail team speaks with Clive Sher, the Managing Director of the organic snack brand: Little Bellies. Listen to their founder story and then what went into bringing this Australian-based brand to the US market. Details on how to follow the Road 2 Retail podcast are below. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Points discussed with Clive today include: - How their unwavering commitment to their corporate ethos of "Do What's Natural" drives everything they do - How looking internationally gave them both inspiration and helped them see the potential to go for geographic expansion - Why they opted to NOT go the natural channel route when entering the US market even though they are an organic brand - Picking the right business partners in the US has been key to building their business - A fan of U2 and the Chicago Bulls Follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on the following platforms Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbd Spotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel- https://lnkd.in/gH2Dk_q6. Thanks to our sponsors: The Emerson Group- A trusted CPG partner and omni channel expert to brands https://www.emersongroup.com Retail and Response- a media company https://www.retailandresponse.com Enjoy the show! Please share the Road 2 Retail with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Give us a follow on LinkedIn. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

  3. Sep 29

    #173 Mason Vitamins- Executive Vice President- Idanys Alapont and Vice President of Sales & New Business Development- Nilda Oyola

    Episode # 173. On today's episode of the Road 2 Retail, we are joined by two leaders from Mason Vitamins: Executive Vice President- Idanys Alapont and Vice President of Sales & New Business Development- Nilda Oyola. Check out how Mason Vitamins successfully builds its business within both the store brand and branded segments of the hyper competitive VMS space. And an unrelenting commitment to quality doesn't hurt either! Links to the episode in the comments below. Details on how to follow the Road 2 Retail podcast can also be found below. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Topics covered today include: - How does Mason Vitamins successfully compete in the store brand and branded VMS world? - How Mason Vitamins creates an edge via extremely high quality standards and educating consumers about what each vitamin does for their health - Tested to be trusted! Help treat consumer conditions - Listen to their interesting philosophy on selecting business partners. - Fans of the mission driven brand Soapbox and having a diverse musical play list! Follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on the following platforms: Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbd Spotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel- https://lnkd.in/gH2Dk_q6. Thanks to our sponsors: The Emerson Group- A trusted CPG partner and omni channel expert to brands https://www.emersongroup.com Eagle Labs- A manufacturer of consumer healthcare products https://wwweaglelabsinc.com Enjoy the show! Please share the Road 2 Retail with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Give us a follow on LinkedIn. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

  4. Sep 22

    Episode #172 What to include in a presentation to a retailer

    Episode 172 Today the Road 2 Retail team discusses what you should include in that first presentation to a retailer. You have achieved a few key goals: you identified a retailer that is a good demographic match for your brand, and you got a meeting with the buyer scheduled. Now what? Check today's episode to hear how to optimize the content of your presentation. These insights stem from our experiences with many brands over many years of making these presentations ourselves, supplemented by input from over a dozen interviews with senior retail merchants. - Be concise! Buyers don't need another 60-page deck. To you this may be the biggest meeting of the year; to the buyer it is simply meeting number six today - Make it a conversation and not a lecture- seek engagement- Details, studies and claim support belong in the appendix of your presentation- not in the core 10–15-page deck (yes- this is the optimal length based on buyer feedback) - Remove uncertainty for the buyer as much as possible - Many more key issues are discussed in today's episode. DM us questions after listening! Follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on the following platforms: Follow the Road 2 Retail so you don't miss any episodes (details below). Learn more or send us questions at www.road2retail.com.Specific points covered today include:Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbd Spotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel- https://lnkd.in/gH2Dk_q6. Thanks to our sponsors: Floret, a deduction management platform www://https:tryfloret.com The Emerson Group- A trusted CPG partner and omni channel expert to brands https://www.emersongroup.com Enjoy the show! Please share the Road 2 Retail with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

  5. Sep 8

    Episode #170 Ted Peterson- Founder & President VIC Cotton Company

    Episode # 170Today the Road 2 Retail team speaks with Ted Peterson- the Founder and President of The VIC Cotton Company. Give a listen to hear the story of the brand and how it continues to keep the memory of his daughter alive while deliver a superior product to consumers. Details on how to follow the Road 2 Retail podcast are below. Plus- give us a follow-on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Discussion points with Ted include: - His initial attempt to purchase the brand many years ago- How VIC Cloth proceeds both preserve the memory of his daughter and contribute financial support to Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center - Challenges of providing a premium priced product in a low price category - How VIC Cloth drives demand online - Traits VIC Cloth is looking for in a brick & mortar retail partner as they consider channel expansion - A fan of Norway's Erling Haaland and the version of "Under Pressure" by David Bowie and Annie Lennox Follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on the following platforms: Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbd Spotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel- https://lnkd.in/gH2Dk_q6. Thanks to our sponsors: ECRM puts the right brands with the right buyers at the right time for seamless product discovery, cultivating powerful retail and foodservice relationships https://ecrm.marketgate.com/ The Emerson Group- A trusted CPG partner and omni channel expert to brands https://www.emersongroup.com Enjoy the show! Please share the Road 2 Retail with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Road 2 Retail has been developed to help emerging and challenger brands best determine when and how to go about securing distribution in food, drug, mass, club and dollar brick and mortar classes of trade. Our insight is based upon years of experience, interviews with buyers at a dozen large retailers, and ongoing discussions with manufacturers and suppliers that support brands. After years of leading and managing these business building initiatives for companies we worked for directly, we now help emerging brands navigate this important, yet complex, process.