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What is the best way to get a product into a grocery chain?
I have a frozen food product idea that is very marketable. What is the best way to go about getting this product into grocery stores and into the hands of the consumer?

Asked by wcunkefe
Posted: Thursday, November 08, 2007  |  Found in Sales & Marketing


More answers by Paige Arnof-Fenn
You have a couple of different options here. You could get picked up by a broker who is already selling into the grocery chains and have them represent your line too. Without a track record though, that may be tough. You could also start with a small, local food outlet where you might have a relationship and start building a following. Once you get some traction and momentum going, then call on the appropriate buyer of one of the smaller or regional chains with your purchase data and show them that you have a following. They might be able to recommend salespeople who can help you scale. I think it will be much easier to leverage existing infrastructure than it will be to set up all of your own systems to sell into large chains so piggyback where you can and put your energy into creating demand for your products. Good luck!
Paige Arnof-Fenn is the founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls, a strategic-marketing consulting firm whose clients include Fortune 500 companies, as well as early-stage and emerging businesses.


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