New Item Forms and Retailer Setup: What Happens After the Yes

The Yes Is Not the Finish Line

Securing a retail authorization feels like the moment of arrival. The buyer said yes. Your product is going to be on shelf. What most brands do not anticipate is how much administrative and operational work comes next, and how many launches stall or fail because that work was not executed correctly or quickly enough.

New item setup is the process of getting your product into a retailer's systems, distributor network, and physical stores in a way that allows it to be ordered, received, stocked, and sold. It is not glamorous work, but it is where retail launches actually succeed or fall apart.

New Item Form Submission

Most retailers require a formal new item form to be completed before any distribution or stocking can begin. The format varies by retailer, ranging from a proprietary online portal to a structured spreadsheet submission. The information typically required includes your GS1 barcode and UPC, product description and category designation, case pack configuration and master carton dimensions, weight, cost, suggested retail price, lead time, minimum order quantity, and your company's contact and billing information.

Accuracy matters here. Errors in barcode data, pricing, or case pack dimensions create problems downstream at the distributor and store level that are time-consuming and sometimes costly to correct. Review every field before submission and verify that the information matches what is printed on your actual packaging.

Submission deadlines are real. Most retailers process new item setups on a cycle tied to their planogram reset schedule. Miss the submission window and your authorization may not become active until the next reset, which can be months away. If you are still in the buyer meeting stage and have not yet secured authorization, read Grocery Channel Requirements to understand the full evaluation process that precedes this step.

UPC Registration and GS1 Compliance

Your product must have a properly licensed GS1 barcode before it can enter any legitimate retail channel. A GS1 company prefix is purchased through GS1 US and gives you the licensing rights to create barcodes for your products. Each distinct SKU, including size and flavor variants, requires its own unique UPC.

Test your barcodes before you print packaging. A barcode that does not scan correctly at point of sale creates inventory problems and chargebacks that the brand is responsible for resolving. Most print vendors can provide barcode verification testing as part of their prepress process. Use it.

If you are entering multiple retail channels, confirm that your UPC structure supports all required formats. Some retailers and distributors also require a case-level barcode separate from the unit UPC for receiving and stocking purposes.

Distributor New Item Setup

Getting authorized at the retail level and getting set up in your distributor's system are two parallel processes that both need to be completed before product can move to stores. Distributors have their own new item setup requirements, typically similar to retailer requirements but with additional fields related to warehouse slotting, delivery routes, and their internal pricing structure.

Work with your broker to initiate the distributor setup process as soon as the retail authorization is confirmed. Distributor setup can take two to four weeks or longer depending on the distributor and the time of year. If you wait until the retailer setup is complete before starting the distributor process, you are adding weeks to your actual in-store date.

Confirm that the pricing your distributor has on file matches the pricing structure in the retailer's system. Pricing mismatches create invoice disputes and compliance issues that delay shipments and create friction in the retailer relationship during your launch window. If you are still sorting out the difference between what your broker handles and what your distributor handles in this process, read The Difference Between a Broker and a Distributor.

First Order and Inventory Positioning

Once both retailer and distributor setups are complete, the retailer will generate an initial order. The timing and size of that first order varies by retailer and by how they manage new item introductions. Some retailers place a single chain-wide order at reset. Others allow individual stores to order based on their planogram allocation.

Make sure you have inventory positioned at your distributor's warehouse before the order is expected. Running out of stock on the first order is not a recoverable first impression. Confirm with your distributor what their lead time requirement is for receiving and processing new inventory and plan your production and delivery schedule accordingly.

Post-Authorization Checklist

Before you consider your launch complete, verify the following: new item form submitted and confirmed active in the retailer's system; UPC scanning correctly at test stores; distributor setup complete with accurate pricing and case configuration; inventory positioned at the distributor warehouse; first order received and confirmed; and product appearing on the shelf with correct placement per the authorized planogram.

Your broker should be walking the stores and confirming physical compliance in the first weeks after launch. Problems found in the first month, such as incorrect placement, missing tags, or facing reductions, are fixable. Problems discovered three months in after the buyer has already flagged underperformance are a much harder conversation. Use the Retail Launch Checklist to confirm everything was in place before day one. And once the product is on shelf, the next priority is driving velocity. Read What Is Retail Velocity to understand what buyers are tracking in those first weeks and what performance signals matter most. JDALL manages the post-authorization execution phase as part of our Retail Execution and Logistics Services.