How to Sell Your Product in Target Stores
October 23, 2007
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I love Target, don’t you? Wouldn’t it be amazing to sell to them? If you have the resources to produce 9,000+ units, then you should consider it! Fairy Godmother, Margie Zable Fisher of Zable Fisher PR writes the following article about how to get your foot in the door with Target. She writes:
Can I share a secret with you?
It’s not all that hard to get Target interested in selling your products. Why would you want to sell to Target? Well, each of 
the 1,500 Target stores usually orders at least a half dozen products from each vendor — that’s at least 9,000 sales right out of the gate! Sounds like a pretty good reason, right? Plus, Target is the place to sell any high design products “Tar-jay”, as it is sometimes called, has a certain cache.
So how can you get a Target buyer interested in your product? Here are some ways that a Target buyer I spoke with finds new products:
1. Attending trade shows. Do you skip exhibiting at trade shows because you think they’re a waste of time and money? Think again. Many Target buyers find new products at trade shows. It’s a great way for the buyers to see many products at one time.
2. Publicity. For product companies, publicity provides a double-win: not only do you attract consumers willing to buy your product, but you also attract the attention of retailers who might want to sell your product. My Target buyer source tells me that reading about a great new product in a magazine or newspaper, seeing it on a TV show, or reading a favorable review about a new product online is a great way to get her attention.
3. Sales Reps. Large retailers like Target often work with professional sales companies that show them products that would work for them. All these sales companies do is sell to large retailers, so they have access to many buyers.
But there’s a LOT more to it…
What criteria does Target look for in a product?
What financials do you need to know before approaching Target?
Will you manufacture or license your product?
When can you expect to be paid by Target?
How long is the process?
WHERE do you start?
To learn MY step-by-step formula for getting your products on the shelves of Target and skyrocketing your sales, see my Special Report, “How to Get Your Product on the Shelves at Target, available here: http://zfpr.com/target.htm.
Margie Zable Fisher is president of Zable Fisher Public Relations, the leader in small business public relations. She publishes the ˜PRactical P.R.’ weekly ezine with thousands of subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your business through low-cost and free public relations and publicity techniques, get your FREE tips now at http://www.zfpr.com.
Now it’s your turn: I want to know if any of you have already tried to get a product into Target, what was your experience?? How did you get your product noticed? What recommendations do YOU have for other Startup Princesses who want to sell to Target?
Thank you Margie for your wonderful insight on this topic. I can totally see the value and excitement of being picked up by a retailer such as Target! Of course each opportunity often has more than one side to it and more than one effect. As a business owner of a online retail shop catering to unique mom invented items I seek out and prefer to focus on the products that are NOT in stores like Target. In fact, at this point if I am approached by a product that is already in a mass retailer, I will often not consider it. To me, the uniqueness is a bit affected and the ease of availability makes it much less likely to be ordered online.
I have found a growing trend in the types of products I carry being picked up by Target.com. In fact there have been at least 4-5 in just this past year. While this is exciting for the manufacture of the product I can’t help feel that it changes something about the way the product is viewed when it enters the mass market and of course it can’t help but affect my sales.
It is just interesting to see how even online stores are affected by the “big guys” taking the smaller companies with unique products and adding them to their line. It is a bit like the Wal-Mart issue and small mom and pop stores only in cyberspace. As any other type of obstacle, this just forces me to continue creative efforts in marketing and sales and encourages me to continue great personal customer service and free shipping and the many other little details that Target.com can’t always do. My point is just that there are pros can cons to any business decision and choosing to go after the big guys will change your business and potentially the companies that you work with so be sure to consider it all carefully to determine what your long term goals are, who want your target customer to be and what type of business connections will be most essential to help you reach your goals.
Yes, Heather, you’re right! there are pros and cons to this decision…I’ve heard of people who have over-extended themselves for manufacturing product for big box stores and then they don’t get paid in a timely fashion and it hurts them. But then it can be just the thing to move things to a higher level and reach a new, big audience. But once you move forward to big box, there isn’t much opportunity for returning to specialty retail, such as Moms 4 Life, etc. One thing that Manhattan Toy does is they only release to Target after they discontinue a product or after they give to the specialty retailer at least 6 months exclusivity on the product. I like that concern for the smaller retailer!
Hi Heather and Kelly,
You make great points. One area I see right now as an opportunity for small or online retailers is products made in the U.S.A. (especially toys).
The large retailers aren’t interested in doing this, but consumers (especially Moms) are really interested in safety right now.
Heather I really need your help.. I have cam up with a great product for women and chlidren. I am stuck with finding the right road map in getting my product to small retailers..
Any help you can give!
Thanks
Chrissie
I have something I would like to submit to Target. Who do I go to–where do I start?