Well… this is something a little bit different. 
A few weeks ago I was invited onto Really Fucking Trying – Podcast , a podcast for small business owners and makers, hosted by Ellie Francesca Design – Portrait Artist and Jade | illustrator | feminist | left-wing | and we had a VERY honest chat about stockists.
, a podcast for small business owners and makers, hosted by Ellie Francesca Design – Portrait Artist and Jade | illustrator | feminist | left-wing | and we had a VERY honest chat about stockists.When I say honest… I mean honest.
But actually, this is a topic I have a lot more experience in than just my 12+ years running Heather Anne.
My entire marketing career has centred around the entire customer journey — from the shop floor/online store and customer experience, through to the products, brands and marketing that influence what happens next.
And alongside all of that, I’ve spent more than a decade building Heather Anne — developing products, selling through my own channels, working with stockists and seeing first-hand what happens when a product moves from maker → shop → customer.
So when Ellie and Jade asked me to talk about stockists…
I had THOUGHTS.
We got into:
How to actually approach a stockist
How much stock
Keeping on top of stock and inventory
Margins, pricing and whether wholesale is actually worthwhile
What makes a good maker/stockist relationship
Things I’ve learnt to do — and definitely not do
What makers often don’t consider from the stockist’s perspective
Whether getting your products onto the high street is actually the right move for your business
And all the things you learn through experience rather than anyone actually telling you!And that’s what made this conversation particularly interesting.
Ellie Francesca Design brings her experience as a maker with products stocked around the country.
Jade Muat-Dodd brings the stockist’s perspective, through Green Jam Creatives.
And I come at it from both the maker and wider retail/marketing/customer experience side.
So we weren’t just talking about “how do I get my product into a shop?”
We were talking about the whole relationship and the customer journey behind it.
Strap in, we had enough to say to make it a long one.
Really Fucking Trying — Stockists: The Maker & Stockist RelationshipGrab a brew, get the snacks and settle in to listen!
And I’d genuinely love to know what you think!
Listen wherever you get your podcasts — or use the link below to choose your platform.
