How to Build a Retail Buyer Pitch: What Buyers Actually Want to See

Buyers Do Not Want to Be Sold. They Want to Be Informed.

The most common mistake brands make in a retail buyer meeting is leading with brand story. The founder journey, the mission, the inspiration behind the product. Buyers have heard thousands of these. They are not moved by them. What they are evaluating in the first five minutes of your presentation is whether your product belongs in their planogram, whether the numbers support the authorization, and whether you are going to be a reliable partner.

Structure your pitch around what the buyer needs to make a decision, not around what you want them to feel about your brand.

What Buyers Are Actually Evaluating

Before a buyer authorizes a new item, they are working through a mental checklist. Does this product fill a gap in my current category set or is it redundant? What is the expected velocity based on the brand's track record at comparable accounts? What is the margin to my store after all deductions? What promotional support is the brand committing to? Can they actually supply the product reliably?

Your pitch needs to answer all of those questions with data, not assertions. A buyer who cannot answer those questions after your presentation is not going to move forward. An authorization is a commitment of shelf space, and buyers are accountable for the performance of every item in their set.

The Structure of an Effective Buyer Pitch

Start with the category opportunity. Show the buyer data that identifies a gap or underperforming segment in their current set. Use the category data they care about, whether that is Nielsen, SPINS, or retailer-specific POS data if you have access to it. Make the case that there is a commercial reason to add your item, independent of the fact that you want to be there.

Follow with your product positioning. Explain clearly how your item addresses the gap you just identified. This is where your brand story is relevant, but keep it brief and connect it directly to the category argument. One or two sentences on the brand, then back to the data.

Present your velocity performance. If you have existing accounts, share the velocity numbers. Units per store per week and dollars per store per week at comparable accounts are what buyers want to see. If you are earlier stage, present whatever data you have honestly and contextualize it. Weak data presented with context is better than no data at all. If you need a deeper understanding of what velocity means to a buyer and how it is calculated, read What Is Retail Velocity before you walk into any buyer meeting.

Lay out your pricing and margin structure. The buyer needs to see the landed cost, the suggested retail price, and the resulting margin to their store. Show this clearly. If there are promotional allowances built into the deal, show those separately. Buyers who have to calculate margin themselves during your presentation are buyers who are not focused on your pitch.

Present your promotional plan. What events are you committing to in the first year? What is the funding depth? How many ad features are you offering? Which display programs are available? A promotional plan that demonstrates real investment in driving velocity at their specific account is one of the most persuasive elements of any new item pitch.

Close with logistics and supply chain confidence. Confirm your lead times, your case pack configurations, your current production capacity, and your distributor alignment. Buyers who worry about supply chain reliability are buyers who say no to protect themselves from out-of-stock problems down the line.

Materials to Bring

Bring a one-page sell sheet that can be left with the buyer after the meeting. It should include your UPC, case configuration, cost, SRP, and margin at a glance. Bring a brief deck if you need more than one page to tell the category story, but keep it under ten slides. Bring printed velocity data from existing accounts if you have it.

Do not bring product samples without confirming in advance that they are welcome. Some buyers appreciate them. Others prefer to stay focused on the commercial conversation. Ask your broker what the preference is for each specific account before you walk in. Also factor slotting into the conversation early. If you are not clear on what slotting costs and when it is negotiable, read Slotting Fees Explained before the meeting so you are not caught off guard when it comes up.

What Your Broker Should Be Doing

A good broker does not just get you into the room. They prepare you for what the buyer is likely to ask, pre-position your item with the buyer before the formal presentation, and are present in the meeting to support the pitch and manage the relationship dynamics in real time.

If your broker is dropping you into a buyer meeting without preparation and context about what that specific buyer is focused on in their category right now, you are not getting full value from the relationship. The pre-meeting briefing from your broker is as important as the meeting itself. For a clear picture of what a broker should be doing before, during, and after the meeting, read What a Food Broker Actually Does. And once the meeting goes well and the buyer says yes, make sure you know what comes next by reviewing our Go-To-Market and Launch Services.