Getting that yes from a buyer is a big moment. Celebrate it. You've probably spent months (if not years) chasing it!
But the hard work doesn't stop there. A listing isn't a guarantee of sales, and those first few months can make or break your chances of staying on shelf.
Here's where we focus:
1. Don't confuse distribution with availability
Just because you're listed in 500 stores doesn't mean you're actually selling in 500 stores.
Check that your products have landed and are on shelf. At a previous company, we brought in an agency to check stores after a launch.
Three weeks in, we discovered that over 30% of stores checked either hadn't put the product on shelf or were missing shelf-edge labels. A pretty big problem, but one we could start fixing once we knew about it.
You don't need an agency to find these issues, though. Get into as many stores as you can yourself. Wrong shelf positions, missing tickets, stock sitting in the stockroom - you'd be surprised what you find that the sales numbers won't tell you. And all of those issues could be costing you sales.
2. Know your numbers before your buyer asks
Don't wait for your first review to discover you're behind plan.
Track ROS against your forecast, understand which SKUs and stores are performing, and separate genuine demand problems from availability issues.
If something isn't working, figure out why. A product being out of stock is a very different problem from one that's on shelf but shoppers aren't picking up.
Your buyer will want to know the difference. So should you.
3. Give shoppers a reason to pick you up
Getting on shelf doesn't automatically mean shoppers will notice you.
Think about how you're driving trial. Promotions, sampling, secondary space, retailer media, social - whatever makes sense for your brand, products and budget.
But don't just throw money at activity. Be clear about what you're trying to achieve and whether it's actually working.
We’ve seen promotions deliver brilliant sales uplifts, only for base rate of sale to stay relatively flat for weeks afterwards. Promotions can be brilliant for driving trial, but the real challenge is turning that trial into repeat purchase. You need to be growing your base rate of sale too, not just relying on promotions to shift volume.
4. Don't disappear on your buyer
Your buyer has a lot of brands to manage. Make their life easier.
Keep updates short, relevant and proactive. What's selling? What's not? What are you doing about it? What support do you need?
Don't wait until something goes wrong to get in touch, and don't send endless updates for the sake of it either. You want to be the supplier they trust to know their business and get things done.
5. Start thinking about the next review from day one
At some point, your buyer will be deciding whether to maintain, increase or reduce your space.
Make sure you've got the evidence to support that conversation. What's working? What's improving? What have you learned? And most importantly, how are you going to grow sales from here?
If performance is behind expectations, don't hide from it. Come with a credible plan.
The bottom line? Winning the listing gets you onto the shelf. What you do next earns you the right to stay there.