Sampoll

Want to know one mistake I see most young CPG companies make with their big retail customers? They misinterpret range review periods to mean communicating with retailers is a discrete task only at those set times rather than a continuous process. Always maintain regular dialogue with your largest retail customers. Bring them along with you on the journey. Share new developments, engage them, bring them for a tour of your manufacturing facility if you have one, ask them how they see the category developing. You need to be creating consistent dialogue and engagement with your largest retail customers so they can plan ahead for what you have coming. This also builds relationships, helps them understand you and how your current and future offerings could fit into their vision for the category. Don’t just show up at the range review period expecting to surprise them with new products and achieve a favorable outcome. 95% of the range is decided before the range review even begins.