Do you have a product that is perfect to sell to Nordstrom stores?
Would you like to become a Nordstrom supplier? If so, you will love this short video training on how to sell a product to Nordstrom!
Learn How to become a Nordstrom Supplier
Are you looking to get your product sold at Nordstrom? Karen Waksman, Founder of Retail MBA, has some tips for you. In this article, we’ll discuss the unique regional buying process of Nordstrom and how you can use it to your advantage.
Nordstrom’s Regional Buying Process
Unlike other major retailers, Nordstrom works on a regional buying level. This means that instead of having one buyer who buys a product type for all of their stores, they have one buyer who buys for each region. This is important to note if you’re trying to sell to Nordstrom, as it gives you the opportunity to reach out to multiple buyers and increase your chances of getting your product accepted.
Karen Waksman explains:
“What happens if that buyer says no to you? You kind of don’t really have the option of moving forward until that buyer goes away or you know some other you know I have other strategies in my course and so forth to explain what to do in that scenario. But typically you know if one buyer is saying no to you that kind of door is closed until you find another avenue or another buyer shows up. Well Nordstrom is a little bit different because they have buyers who buy for every region for their stores. So there’s I think like there’s a northwest region there’s like a regions uh you know there’s several different regions that that they broke it down into. So they don’t have one buyer who buys for all of their stores, they have one buyer who buys for one specific region probably 10 20 or more stores something like that.”
How to Get Your Product into Nordstrom
If you’re looking to get your product into Nordstrom, here are some tips from Karen Waksman:
- Reach out to each of the regional buyers and reach out to them about your particular product type.
- Take a look at Retail MBA’s training program for more strategies on how to approach, pitch, and sell to major retailers such as Nordstrom.
- Look out for additional training videos on different retailers.
Selling to Nordstrom
Getting your product into Nordstrom can be a great way to grow your business. By understanding the regional buying process of Nordstrom and following the tips from Karen Waksman, you can increase your chances of success. For more information, be sure to check out Retail MBA’s training program.
Video Transcription below:
Hey everyone, my name is Karen Waksman and I’m the founder of a company called Retail MBA. And today I want to talk about getting your product sold at Nordstroms. Now, the reason I decided to create this particular segment is because people always ask me, Karen, how do I get my products into these retail stores? And, and sometimes they have very specific products, like they have fashion products or apparel products. And so they’re kind of more interested in kind of Nordstrom and other retailers like that department stores such as Nordstrom.
What you need to know to become a Nordstroms supplier
So I want talk to you about that today and really give you some inspiration and some things to think about when you’re trying to get your products into a retailer such as Nordstrom. So let’s talk about Nordstrom. So I think the biggest thing that I can think of in regards to Nordstrom that is kind of different from the other retailers is that Nordstrom works on a regional buying level, and that’s different than a lot of the other stores.
Learn more strategies on how to sell to Nordstroms stores
How to sell to a major retailer like Nordstrom
But anyways, back to this discussion. Nordstrom is a little bit interesting in that they have regional buying offices. And so why is that interesting to you? Well, so what happens is if you’re trying to sell to a major retailer and there’s only one buyer who buys your particular product type, what happens if that buyer says no to you? You kind of don’t really have the option of moving forward until that buyer goes away or, you know, some other, you know, I have other strategies in my course and so forth to explain what to do in that scenario. But typically, you know, if one buyer’s saying no to you, that kind of door is closed until you find another avenue or another buyer shows up. Well, Nordstrom is a little bit different because they have buyers who buy for every region for their stores.
It’s a little tricky to become a Nordstrom supplier
So there’s, I think like there’s a northwest region there’s several different regions that, that they broke it down into. So they don’t have one buyer who buys for all their stores. They have one buyer who buys for one specific region, probably 10, 20 or more stores, something like that. So what does that mean for you? You’re trying sell to Nordstrom. You can reach out to each of the regional buyers and have reached out to them about your particular product type. And so one could say no to you and one could say yes to you. And that’s kind of how it works with retail. Maybe one buyer doesn’t have budget for your Product, but another retailer like, you know, at another Nordstrom and another division might actually have some buying ability and contest out your product.
If you become a Nordstrom supplier it is a great opportunity for your business
So it’s kind of cool in that you don’t have to worry about, you know, one buyer just shutting you down and you’re not being able to become a Nordstrom supplier. There’s different buyers who you can sell to. Now in my Retail MBA course, you can actually learn about how there are other buyers who you can potentially sell to within retailers, not just the ones that you think about. And so, uh, you know, I have all these strategies because I used to sell millions of units of products to these major stores.
Reaching out to Nordstrom to become a vendor
And so that’s what I do. So anyways, I hope that it provided value for you. Nordstrom has regional buying offices. If you reach out to them on a regional level, you know, you could conceivably work with five different potential buyers or more, um, you know, to try and get your products in stores, which, which really helps you grow your business.
Learn how to approach, pitch, & sell to Nordstrom stores
I hope that helps. Now, if you want to learn exactly how to get your products into Nordstroms or other department stores, please take a look at my retail MBA training program. The link for that Retail MBA is listed below. It is the most comprehensive course available today on exactly how to approach pitch, you know, and sell and prepare your product for major retailers such as Nordstrom.
Regardless, I hope this helped and please be on the lookout for the additional training videos I’ve done on the different retailers, cuz I’m, I’m doing this, uh, often to really support you in all the different types of retailers so that you can really think about how to get your products in the stores. Just really trying to provide value. Anyways, thanks so much and I truly wish you the best.
Top 10 Tips for Selling into Retail Stores Such as Nordstrom Stores!
Nordstrom Buyers seek you out!
The majority of people are unaware of how crucial it is for a major retailer to purchase new and innovative products. This is a major component of their purchasing strategy. Ultimately, huge merchants face a great deal of competition, and their clients are finicky, desiring the next greatest, newest, and coolest product. This is something that retail customers are aware of, since they are continuously on the lookout for new merchandise. This is the ideal time to sell your products to a chain retailer. You only need to know how to prepare your product in order to convince the buyer to purchase it.
As a retail consulting firm, we collaborate with brands in many product categories! Examine what we’re doing here: https://www.retailmba.com
You don’t need to be a large corporation to sell to retailers such as Nordstrom.
In actuality, the majority of the businesses I have represented throughout the years have been modest start-ups. It is true that purchasers worry more about discovering the appropriate product than about the size of your firm. If you have a great product that they believe can generate revenue for their business, they will prioritize it above all else.
They don’t care if you’re a large or little business; they simply want to ensure that you’re properly set up to ship products to them (and I discuss this in my Retail MBA Training and Coaching System, which can be found at https://www.retailmba.com). However, you do not need to be a large firm to sell to major stores. I am aware of this since I have represented start-up companies and the like, and I also teach this to a variety of students who are small and just beginning their careers.
Packaging is crucial for your success with Nordstrom.
Always invest more time, money, and effort on packaging if you’re selling to large merchants. When you walk into a store, you don’t see your product; you see the product in its packaging. People will not purchase your product based just on the quality of the product itself; packaging is crucial. Therefore, a person must ensure that the packaging of whatever product they have is optimal, since buyers will ultimately pay attention to it because they are aware that packaging drives sales. And purchasers care about this feature. Consequently, packaging is vital to your business.
You must conduct the essential homework and research to succeed with Nordstrom!
The majority of individuals are unaware of the wealth of information available to them simply by entering a store and perusing the product aisles. The reality is that you can determine precisely what a buyer wants to buy by seeing what they place on store shelves. Everything will be dictated by a shop shelf, including the suggested retail price and packaging design. In other words, if you consider it from the buyer’s standpoint, they chose one of your competitors. Which means that they purchased your competitor’s products that are now available in the store. This indicates that the customer likes the product as it is: the pricing, the packaging, and the organization. And by entering a store and conducting the necessary homework and investigation, you can ultimately discover how to get your products into retailers.
Avoid Vendor Departments at Nordstrom
In actuality, this means you should avoid approaching the front desk of a chain retailer to inquire about how to get your products into their locations. Avoid doing what everyone else does, which is filling out the online forms they give. Consequently, if you phone a major retailer and try to get your products into the stores, the majority of people call the front desk, and the front desk leads them to a department, either a webpage or an 800 number.
In addition, they request that you submit a number of forms and items. I believe that is the worst approach to get your products into stores because you cannot differentiate yourself; you are doing what everyone else is doing, and you leave it up to fate and whoever is processing stuff online to decide whether or not your products should be sold in stores. I educate people how to contact buyers directly, as professionals in the retail industry do so. And I will tell you what to say to buyers in order to ultimately persuade them to purchase, but tip number five is to skip vendor departments and speak with customers directly. Why not disregard etiquette and avoid pursuing pursuers? 4:34 by contacting the front desk and completing forms. There are additional distribution channels available.
Determine the buyer’s name and contact details at Nordstrom.
The majority of individuals are unaware that there are locations where you can obtain a buyer’s contact information and finally identify the buyer accountable for your product type. RetailBuyerLists.com, for example, sells buyer name lists. That’s an illustration. My program contains a comprehensive instruction on the subject. And when you view their contact information, you will see what the purchaser is liable for purchasing.
Therefore, if you have a consumer or retail product, you may discover the exact buyer who will purchase it, and there are firms that sell content that you can utilize; however, it is crucial that you find the appropriate buyer for your product type. Again, this is covered in length in my program, but it bears repeating.
Be courteous to the assistant purchasers at Nordstrom
What does this indicate? However, the majority of people are unaware that assistant buyers are typically the first step in a buyer’s career. Essentially, they imply that helper purchasers will soon become purchasers. Therefore, all buyers begin as assistants before becoming purchasers, and the majority of people view assistant buyers as essentially secretaries; assistants, etc. But I believe this is a terrible concept since assistant buyers will eventually become buyers, and if you’re kind to them, you’ll be able to get your products into stores.
You have no clue how many times I’ve gotten a product into a store because I was pleasant to the assistant buyer. Because I knew they would eventually become a buyer for that product kind, I was distinct from everyone else in their eyes because I understood how valuable they may be in the long run. As a result, I am always courteous to the assistant buyer, which is an additional factor to consider.
Explore vendor day at retailers such as Nordstrom!
What, then, is vendor day? Vendor day is a day of the week, month, or year on which a buyer invites vendors – potential vendors, persons with products – to their corporate office to present them. It is a single day in which ten or so sellers are given the opportunity to promote their items to the customer. It is your moment to shine and ‘wow’ the buyer throughout your 15 to 30 minutes of interaction. So concludes the vendor day. Constantly on the lookout for new things, buyers frequently engage in this behavior.
Vendor day is a terrific method to get in front of chain store buyers. I prefer one-on-one encounters with buyers, and I don’t want my competitors there on vendor day. If there is no other way to get a product into a shop besides vendor day, I will eventually resort to it.
And to offer you a short idea on how to do so (how to get a meeting with that buyer for that vendor day), phone their assistant and say, “I would like to participate in your next vendor day.” Therefore, their assistant buyer can help you secure a meeting with the buyer on vendor day. So this is something to explore, but again, there are so many other ways to get products into shops, and I normally use vendor day as my last resort, but it is a way to meet with a buyer. And again, you get about 15 minutes and then it’s back to back – zip – and the buyer is meeting with vendors all day; if they like your product, they may purchase it, but it’s important to be aware of this aspect of vendor day.
It’s all about the Number Game
I can’t tell you how many of my students have called me when they began targeting chain stores because they don’t comprehend how many retailers they must target in order to score one hit. And the interesting thing about selling to retailers is that you only need one chain store to say yes to your product, stock it in their store, and allow it to be sold for a test period for your entire business to change. One significant retail order — a successful retail order — can dramatically transform a corporation. Consequently, selling to chain shops is a numbers game; you must visit many chain stores since you will receive many rejections. However, the good news is that you need only one chain store buyer to purchase your product and for it to be successful for you to be successful.
Know that it’s a numbers game, that you should never give up, and that ultimately, if you believe in your product, you will be able to get it into stores. I teach you exactly what to do to get products into stores, but know that it’s a numbers game, in the sense that you must contact a large number of chain stores, and ultimately, all you need is that one shot. And this is why I believe it’s so fantastic to sell to chain retailers.
Step-by-step training on how to sell to major retailers
We explain exactly how to do that and how to get started today. I’ve taught tens of thousands of companies on how to get your products to the stores. And so we’re here to support you. Or please subscribe to our Youtube channel and or be on the lookout for additional training that we create.
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In this training, I will discuss some of the things to think about when approaching a retailer to sell your products and become a vendor. Hope it helps! 🙂
Karen Waksman,
Retail MBA
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Thanks so much.
And…if you like this training, you will love these new short training sessions as well! Click on the links provided to watch and grow your consumer product business TODAY!
