Are you a Mumpreneur in the making? Nimble's Von Sy offers some advice on how to get your voice heard and your brand known....

When your brand is young and unknown to many, you might think that big supermarkets won’t care less about your products. After all, retail giants only deal with established, mainstream brands, right?

This was one of my biggest misconceptions in the early years of developing my brand, Nimble. It seemed like the classic chicken and egg scenario. How could Nimble become a mainstream brand without being stocked in a major supermarket? Paradoxically, how could I get it stocked in a major supermarket without it being a mainstream brand?

This concern initially held me back from approaching the big supermarkets and attempting to show that my products were worth a look. Fast forward a few years later, though, and Nimble products are stocked in Boots, Amazon, Ocado, and ready to launch in Sainsbury’s stores across the UK.

With more than 15% of the UK grocery market share, Sainsbury’s is second only to Tesco as the UK’s biggest supermarket. So, in this article, I’ll outline exactly how I convinced Sainsbury’s buyers that Nimble products belong on their shelves.

Research the key players

When trying to get your foot in the door as a supplier to any major supermarket, you’ll want to find out who the buyers are and where they’re operating, and then approach them on several fronts.
I began searching for Sainsbury’s buyers, which involved contacting the buyers using a slow trial and error process of just guessing their email addresses.

Once I’d found their names, I wrote an email introducing myself and Nimble, and sent it to various formats, like firstname.surname@sainsburys.co.uk, or replacing the surname or forename with the first initial, until my emails stopped bouncing back. It’s crude, but it worked!

LinkedIn is also awash with key industry contacts, so get ready to do some social trawling. With LinkedIn Premium, you’ll be able to find and contact anyone on the network. Find just one open-minded person who’s influential in their organisation and it could be the foot in the door you need.

Find an opportunity to meet in person

While it’s relatively easy to find and contact key players online, meeting them in person is far more effective. It’s much easier to form a relationship with someone and show your human side in person compared to sending them an email or LinkedIn message, which are easy to ignore. So, keep your eyes peeled for any events they might attend. Similarly, research the key trade shows in your industry, secure your spot as an exhibitor, and prepare to do some networking.

After I introduced myself by email to some of Sainsbury’s team, I came across a networking dinner where one of the supermarket’s senior staff was invited as the keynote speaker. Without a second thought, I bought a ticket. After the meal, I managed to get a few minutes with the boss, who gave me some valuable advice on how best to approach the wider team. I emailed her a few days later, she forwarded my email to the team, and they followed up.

What really sealed the deal, however, was being able to meet a team member in person. The team noticed that Nimble was to be an exhibitor at the Natural & Organic Products Europe trade show in London, which they also planned to attend. They suggested we had a chat at the event and visited my stall, as did the same boss I met at the networking dinner. Catching up with both of them in person really helped to strengthen our relationship.

To make sure you’re targeting the right events, make sure to look at a list of attendees at previous events. This will give you a good idea of who might attend the trade show next time, giving you a chance to meet them.

Hone your pitch

You might be surprised to find several supermarkets and other retailers who are open to pitches from new brands – particularly in person. However, with so many brands trying to grab the attention of supermarkets, you’ll need to give them a strong pitch.

I’ve been working on my pitch for several years, but at Crowdboost, the crowdfunding accelerator programme run by Virgin Startup and TribeFirst, entrepreneurs were asked in each and every session to give a seven second pitch of their company. Here’s mine:

Hi, I’m Von, the founder of Nimble. We make an exciting range of household cleaning products that are plant-based and safe for kids. 

Having a short and compelling pitch that you can roll off your tongue with little thought is a massive help when you have less than a minute to talk to someone who could change the course of your business. I highly recommend you do the same!

Demonstrate that you’re an expert in your field

If you’re lucky enough to secure a meeting with company bosses, it’s worth remembering that they won’t necessarily know loads about your industry. It’s up to you to give them a clear and concise picture of what your industry looks like, how it’s growing, the market value, who the key demographics are, and so on. Also try to eliminate any unnecessary jargon that might go over their heads.

When meeting with the Sainsbury’s team, I first gave them an overview of the baby and child sector, rather than hammering them with my pitch straightaway. I outlined some of the challenges the industry is facing – such as more consumers opting for more natural products with less harsh chemicals – and highlighted why I think Nimble is one of the solutions. 

In short, demonstrate that you know your stuff and those interested will be keen to learn more from you.

After this string of events, Sainsbury’s eventually agreed to stock Nimble products. Some of the tactics I used to get to this point may well prove effective with other supermarkets too, but I haven’t yet put them to the test. Hopefully, though, this guide will help you to get your products onto the shelves of your ideal supermarket, Sainsbury’s or otherwise. Good luck!

About the Author

Von Sy is the founder of Nimble, the award-winning makers of child-friendly, plant-based and non-toxic cleaning products. A scientist who has also worked with Unilever, Von came up with the idea for Nimble when he noticed the harsh, petroleum-based chemicals in his niece’s cleaning products.

After a search through parent blogs and forums, he realised the problem was widespread and sought to create a solution. Von’s range is now stocked in Boots, Amazon and Ocado, and ready to launch in 375 Sainsburys stores.

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