468 | Wholesale Buying Season Isn’t Over Yet with Katie Hunt
If you've been assuming the holiday wholesale orders are done for the year, this episode is for you.
Buying timelines have moved closer to the selling season all year. Stores have spent less, ordered smaller quantities, and waited longer to place orders.
Now foot traffic is picking up, bestsellers are selling through faster than planned, and shop owners have empty spots on their shelves. That's where your opportunity is.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why so many independent retailers ordered too cautiously this year, and the gap between what they ordered early and what their customers want now
The three things buyers need from you at this point in the season
Why reorders from your existing wholesale accounts are the easiest sales you'll make, and why the goodwill carries into next year
How to sort your existing stores into three tiers so you know who to email first
How to make your offer simple to say yes to
Why one email isn't enough, and the three-email sequence to send over about 10 days
Don't start from a blank page. Download three free email templates you can customize and send to your existing stores this week.
your product brand right now?
Connect with Katie Hunt
Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor and mama to four. She helps product based businesses build profitable, sustainable companies through her conferences, courses and coaching programs.
Website: prooftoproduct.com | Instagram: @prooftoproduct
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Katie Hunt [00:00:00]:
Hey friend, I started talking about this on social media the first week of November because I started to see a trend in conversations happening in my communities and with my one-on-one clients. Basically, brands were starting to worry that the holiday wholesale orders were done, that buyers were done buying, and it just was what it was. And maybe you thought this too. We know that early buyers and big box stores start purchasing for holidays months in advance, and maybe you thought you had missed this year's window. But here's what traditional timelines and the story kind of leaves out. This year has been weird, right, to say the least. Buying timelines have shifted closer to the sales season all year long. Stores have been more conservative with their buying.
Katie Hunt [00:00:48]:
They're spending less money. They're holding on to their cash more tightly. Buyers have been waiting longer to place their orders. And so that's creating a new problem. For these buyers, particularly independent retailers. So right now in November, there are shop owners standing in their stores looking at empty spots on their shelves, and frankly, they are panicking. Maybe the best sellers that they purchased already sold through faster than they planned, or maybe they under-ordered and are realizing that they won't have enough product in hand for this holiday season, whether it's Small Business Saturday or whether it's actual time in December. They're worried they won't have enough.
Katie Hunt [00:01:30]:
And I even talked to some indie retailers on Threads who said they were just getting started with buying. So, and I'll share some of those quotes in a minute, but here's the simple truth: stores need product for their shelves in order for them to stay in business. And many of them have waited too long or perhaps ordered less than they actually needed. And so there is space for your products on these shelves. So this is your time to shine, my friend, and sell from a place of service. And that's what we're talking about today on the podcast— why the wholesale buying season for holiday gift giving is not yet over, who you should be reaching out to right now, and exactly what you should be saying to them. I've got a free template, it's 3 emails for you so you don't have to start from scratch from a blank page. And you can get that email template that goes along with today's episode for free at prooftoproduct.com/holiday wholesale.
Katie Hunt [00:02:24]:
That's proofyourproduct.com/holidaywholesale. Also, total side note, if you sign up for this, please use an email address that is already in our system, whatever your primary account with us is. Some of y'all are signing up for every freebie and every paid program with a different email address, and that is causing both me and you some stress. So I might have to do a separate podcast on that later. But I digress. Let's get into the holiday window, what you can do, and how you can still recoup holiday sales right now. I'm Katie Hunt, wholesale expert, business strategist, and mom of 4. I'm also the host of the Proof to Product podcast.
Katie Hunt [00:03:06]:
Since 2011, I've coached thousands of brands whose products can be found on the shelves of indie shops and big box stores all around the world. If you are a creative entrepreneur that makes and Here on Proof to Product, you'll learn new strategies for product development, sales, marketing, and more. It's like your weekly dose of business school, and we're gonna help you confidently grow your revenue in your own way and at your own pace. So let's get started. So let's talk about what's actually happening inside of an independent retail store right now, because when you can picture yourself in the buyer's shoes, the opportunities start to get a lot more obvious. Is and how you can be of service becomes a lot more clear. So most independent retailers, they're ordering their holiday stuff months in advance, right? Like some of them are pre-planning, they're making their best guess as to what they're going to need. They're guessing which products are going to move, how many units they need to bring in.
Katie Hunt [00:04:08]:
And really it's a lot of assumptions about what their customers are going to be drawn to and what they want to buy, right? Like we've got our standard things in place, but they're also typically bringing in some new stuff every year. And they're doing that with limited cash because nobody wants to put a bunch of orders out and not know what's going to sell, right? So they've been conservative with their buying plan, meaning they're spending less money, they're ordering less quantity, and they're shopping with brands that they've already worked with. They're looking specifically to people who will deliver on their promises, that have high-quality product, and who have a proven record of selling through in their store. Basically, they're leaning on relationships that they already have in place. So then Now November hits and like foot traffic starts to pick up in the shop. Maybe they start to realize that some of their guesses or assumptions that they made in the months earlier turned out to be too cautious, or maybe they didn't buy stuff earlier in the year and now they're like starting to freak out because they need more stuff, right? So the candles that they ordered in the past few months were supposed to last them through December. That was their forecasting, and they're gone by Thanksgiving, or the card line that everyone loves is down to their last few. queues.
Katie Hunt [00:05:17]:
Maybe the holiday gift wrap and bags sell out in the first week of December and they're left scrambling to fill those holes on the shelves. So the gap between the— what the buyers are experiencing is this gap, right? The gap between what they ordered early and then what their customers want in real time. And that, my friends, is where your opportunity lies. It's your opportunity to be of service. It is your opportunity to build relationships with your retailers. It's your opportunity to solve a very real problem for your wholesale customers. And it's your opportunity to more of your products. And this is the part that I really want you to hear because it's coming from direct conversations that I've had with independent retailers, shop owners, over the last few weeks.
Katie Hunt [00:06:01]:
At this point in the buying season, buyers are not shopping the same way that they were in the summer or even in the early fall. In July, they had more time to browse and compare a dozen brands and wait on products that had later ship dates. But now in November, there are 3 specific things that they want. The first one is they want to know that your product is in stock, not available for pre-order, not ships in 4 weeks, not backordered. They want and need items that are in stock and available for them right away. So that's the first thing. The second thing they want is they want a product that ships quickly. So they need it on the shelf before the big shopping weekends, before Black Friday, before Small Business Saturday.
Katie Hunt [00:06:48]:
They need it before the December rush of last-minute shoppers, right? So they are going to turn to brands that they've worked with in the past whom they know can ship quickly and have everything arrive safely and ready to put on the floor, right, of their store. So that's number 2, the product ships quickly. The 3rd thing that they want is an easy buying process, meaning it's easy for them to order, it's easy for them to understand what's available for quick ship. They want to know what products are available. They want low friction in the buying process, and they want their problems solved quickly. Shop owners are exhausted. They're running a store during the busiest season of the year, and this is where your relationship with the store really comes into play. Are you one of the brands that they know they can rely on? Can they turn to you when they're in a pinch and they know that you will deliver high-quality product quickly, reliably, and easily for them? If you can check those 3 boxes, you are not too late to the sales cycle.
Katie Hunt [00:07:49]:
You are exactly what they need right now. But don't take my word for it. I want to read you a few things that I had happen on Threads. So in early November, I shared a gentle reminder with folks on Threads that the wholesale buying season for the holidays was not yet over. And here were some of the responses. Tyler and Eric from Paper and Pencil in Chicago said, oh, absolutely not. We've been panic buying all the things we forgot about all week. Cammy Monet, who is both a shop owner and also a brand in our Proof to Product community, she said, I have been panic buying everything in the last 3 days.
Katie Hunt [00:08:25]:
I'm also noticing the panic orders finally coming in for her brand. So she's both selling and buying. Okay, so bringing this back around, if you can check those 3 boxes— 1, the product is in stock; 2, product can ship fast; and 3, the process of purchasing is easy— then you are exactly what these shop owners need right now, and it is your time to shine, my friend. Okay, but I know some of you are probably thinking, Katie, it is my busy season too. I am tired. I'm packing direct-to-customer orders. I'm doing markets. I'm figuring out my Black Friday strategy.
Katie Hunt [00:08:55]:
I feel like I'm barely keeping up. If that is you, you can quietly raise your hand. I see you. I hear you. I feel you. But let me give you a few reasons why this is worth carving out an hour or two to do. Okay, first, reorders from wholesale accounts are the easiest sales you will ever make. I have shared these stats inside of our retention strategies training and labs, but I want to share them here too because they are so important.
Katie Hunt [00:09:21]:
It costs you 7 times more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. Okay, existing customers are likely to try new products and spend 31% more money with you than a new customer. And I would guess that these stats are even higher when it comes to restocks for wholesale customers in Q4 because again Stores need their shelves to be full if they want to stay in business. They need full shelves. So my point is, these shops have already said yes to you. They already know your product. They know you're fairly priced. They know you're in alignment with industry standards, and they know that you ship quickly and that everything arrives safely so they can put it out on their shelves quickly.
Katie Hunt [00:10:06]:
You are not pitching a stranger right now. You are helping a customer who already trusts you. And you're solving a very real problem for them. They have an empty shelf and you have product ready for them to stock. Okay. So the second reason this is worth carving out time is that good product and goodwill will carry over into next year. So when you go out of your way to help somebody, they remember that, right? And if you add a strong product assortment to the mix, things that sell well for their store in December, that buyer will really remember you. The goodwill paired with a strong selling product that helps to strengthen your relationship with the buyer.
Katie Hunt [00:10:43]:
And it builds on the trust. So that will positively impact your sales. So maybe the store will give you more shelf space over the long haul. Maybe they'll give you better placement in the store. Maybe they start to reorder more frequently. Basically, helping them now is going to benefit the long-term relationship you have with that buyer. The goodwill you put into it now will always help in the future, right? Third, let's move your inventory at a time when the cash matters, meaning you've got products sitting on your shelves and moving it into stores where they need product to sell too. That's a win-win.
Katie Hunt [00:11:15]:
Win-win for everybody. Puts more money in your pocket, puts more money in the store's pockets. It's just a win-win. And the 4th reason why you should do this now is that most brands aren't going to do this. Most brands assume that the sales season for wholesale is over. They go quiet, they redirect their efforts to D2C sales, or they're waiting for shops to come to them. They're taking a reactive approach to this instead of being proactive. And so the brand that reaches out with a clear easy offer is the brand that is going to get more orders right now.
Katie Hunt [00:11:46]:
You don't have to be the biggest brand. You don't have to have the most SKUs. You don't need to be fancy, but you do need to be the one that proactively shows up, that reminds the stores what you have and tells them how to easily order. We want to make this as easy as possible for them. I also want to add in here, the real reason that brands don't do this oftentimes isn't because of lack of time. It's more that they're worried they're going to sound pushy or that they're going to bother people. During a busy season, right? Like, nobody wants to be a bother when we know somebody's already busy, and I get that. We don't want to be a nuisance.
Katie Hunt [00:12:15]:
We're not trying to fill up their inboxes with emails that don't matter. We want to be a resource. We are coming at this from a place of service. And if we continue to think about it from the buyer's side of things, if they're running low on something and that sells well in their store and you remind them right before these busy sales times that you can get them product quickly, you're not bothering them. You're reducing their stress, you're reducing their decision-making, you're keeping them from having empty shelf space and losing sales, right? And again, that's called selling from a place of service. All right, let's get to some of the tactical stuff. Here's how I would approach this if I was in your shoes this week. Step 1 is I want you to get real about your inventory.
Katie Hunt [00:12:55]:
Before you email a single store, I want you to look at exactly what you have on hand and what you can ship quickly. Not what you can make, not what you can reorder from your manufacturer if somebody orders it, literally what is on your shelves and what can you send quickly. What do you have on hand that again is in stock and ready to ship right now? You could pack the box right now. I want you to make a shortlist of the products that you can promise will ship in a few business days, and I would lean really hard into your proven bestsellers here. Again, this is not a moment to launch new things. Buyers want the safe bet right now, the thing they know that will sell. So look on your shelves, see what's a bestseller, and put together a shortlist of things that you can get out right away. Step 2, I want you to prioritize your existing wholesale accounts.
Katie Hunt [00:13:38]:
I want you to put together a short list of people who have ordered from you in the last 12 months or so and then sort it. I would start with the first step being stores that placed a holiday order with you this year. Even if it was months ago, they might need a restock, so I want you to check in with them first and foremost. That's your top priority folks. The second priority folks are stores that reordered at least once in the last 12 months. They've proven that your product sells well for them. They've ordered from you a couple of times. They might need a restock.
Katie Hunt [00:14:05]:
So we, we think they're a warm lead too. Stores that ordered last holiday season but have not reordered for this holiday season, I want you to give them a friendly nudge. That might be all it takes for them to actually place their order. So we want them to. So those are the 3 tiers of customers that we're looking at. If you're on Faire or other wholesale marketplace, I want you to pull the order history from there too, as well as any platforms that you use, like on your own Shopify. I want our focus for this piece to be on existing retailers that we already work with. If you have time and you have inventory to spare, you can do some cold outreach, but I really don't think that that should be your priority right now.
Katie Hunt [00:14:41]:
I want your existing customers to come first. Okay. Step 3, I want you to make your offer stupidly simple. Remember, the buyers are tired. They are busy. They've got a lot going on. So we don't want to send them our full line sheet or catalog and say, let me know what you want. We want to make it easy, and here are a few different ideas that you can implement.
Katie Hunt [00:15:00]:
First is a short ready-to-ship list. Remember we looked at our inventory, so now I want you to pull 5 to 10 of your best sellers. Everything is in stock with pictures, and tell them that this is our ready-to-ship list. This is our quick holiday ship list. I want you— the second idea I have is a holiday restock bundle or a pre-pack. I think you can do this in a couple ways. I think you could have a pre-built assortment that's at a set price so that they can simply say yes, I want this, and you can send it out. But most shops are going want to like tweak a pre-built set, right? Like similar to how we used to do starter packs and they'd want to adjust things.
Katie Hunt [00:15:34]:
So my recommendation, if you're selling on Faire, I would create a collection, call it the Quick Ship Holiday, and I would put about 10 SKUs inside of that collection. And then in your emails, you're going to link out directly to that collection if you want them to purchase on Faire. So you can tell them, go check the Quick Ship Holiday collection on Faire. We've got 10 of our best-selling SKUs that we can get out to you very quickly. It makes it a simple, stupid yes, right? Okay. The third thing we're going to do here to make sure that our offer is stupidly simple is making sure we're communicating clearly, especially around things like deadlines. We want to tell them exactly when they need to order by so that they can get product in time, or what our turnaround times are so they can plan for themselves. This gets a little bit tricky because we don't control the USPS or UPS shipping timelines or any of the other shipping companies, but the more we can be clear about what our turnaround times are and when they need to order by for specific deadlines, the better off things will be.
Katie Hunt [00:16:27]:
All right. Step 4 is I want you to send a short sequence of emails, not a single email. This is where people go wrong. One email is easy to miss. Inboxes are really full this time of year. And that's why I've put together a 3-email series that you can send over the course of about 10 days. I'll walk you through each, what each one does right now. I'll tell you what they are, but also you can get these at prooftoproduct.com/holidaywholesale.
Katie Hunt [00:16:52]:
If you want to see these. And also, like any templates, you can adjust what you should adjust, what we talk about, and also you can massage the timing if you need to as well. Okay. So the 3 email sequences that I want to recommend for you. Email 1 reminds them that you're a resource. It is warm. It is short. It is helpful.
Katie Hunt [00:17:07]:
You are simply letting them know which bestsellers are in stock and ready to ship, and you're on standby if they find themselves in a bind. Include a couple of product images so they can visually see what you have. And the CTA is a buy button to your direct wholesale site on Faire. And the CTA button is a buy button to your direct wholesale site or your Faire shop, wherever you want them to check out. Okay. Email 2 is focused on the easy offer. This is where we make it a really simple yes. This is where you share your ready-to-ship picks or your quick ship holiday collection that we put on Faire.
Katie Hunt [00:17:41]:
Again, include some product images and links that make it easy for them to buy. Big CTA button, make it clear, keep the email short and concise. Email 3 is the last call. It is short, it is friendly, it is reminding them that they can still get product quickly from you. It is not an overly salesy email. It's nothing like a guilt trip. Oh, you waited too long. We don't want to do that, right? It's just simply like, if anything, lean into it's not too late, right? It's not too late.
Katie Hunt [00:18:09]:
If you need something, we're on standby and we can help, right? We're coming at this from a place of service. So include a link to your collection of 10 bestsellers that are in stock and ready to ship. Ideally on Faire or on your wholesale website if you're selling directly there. But again, make it easy for them to buy. This last one tends to get the most opens and replies because it feels like a friend is reaching out and offering assistance. The buyer feels seen and also supported. Okay. Again, to make this easier for you, I have written 3 email templates for you.
Katie Hunt [00:18:40]:
Like all templates, you will need to add your own details, your own product images, and you'll need to customize the templates. To sound like your brand. Do not just pull these and drop them into your email and send them, right? But having a starting point like these templates is way less intimidating than starting with a blank page and wondering what you should say. And that means that you're gonna more likely send these if you have the templates. So download the email templates for free at proof2product.com/holidaywholesale. That's proof2product.com/holidaywholesale. Okay. A few more things to keep in mind as we wrap up.
Katie Hunt [00:19:15]:
Only promise what you can deliver. I know this might sound obvious, but if you say that you can ship product in 2 business days, you absolutely must ship that product in 2 business days. If you say 2 days and then you're not sending it until day 7, that is going to hurt the relationship much more than no restock at all, right? We want to protect that relationship. We want to protect that reputation and we want to deliver on our promises. So Only promise what you can deliver. Also, watch your timing. Sending these emails earlier is better than sending them later. The goal is to get product on their shelves before mid-December.
Katie Hunt [00:19:49]:
That's kind of when the rush starts, the last minute. Like, that's kind of the last chance opportunity, right? Also, keep shipping deadlines in mind. I mentioned this earlier— carrier holiday cutoffs creep up fast. Shops will want to restock with time to spare because they're going to need time on their end to get this on the shelves, right? So build a buffer into your ship-by dates. I know we can't control shipments once they head off with UPS FedEx, USPS, whoever you're sending them off with. And we need to take that into consideration when we're making our promises because we want to avoid unhappy customers, right? Also track who replies to your emails, even a simple spreadsheet, who opened them, who ordered, who said not right now. Those folks, even if they reply and say not right now, those would be good touchpoints for January when you have your new release. So they're still warm leads and we want to connect and continue to build that relationship with them.
Katie Hunt [00:20:39]:
Also, if someone responds and they say, no, I'm good. It is totally okay. It is not a personal no. They're not telling you no forever. It basically just means they have what they need right now, and a no response essentially means not right now, right? So we thank them. We wish them a great holiday season. We let them know if anything changes that we are on standby ready to help. All right, so here's what I want you to walk away with today.
Katie Hunt [00:21:04]:
I want you to hear me when I say the holiday sale season is not over. Your stores are selling right now, and many of them will likely need more product for their shelves. Brands that are getting wholesale orders right now. Aren't the biggest, they're not the fanciest, they are the ones who are being proactive. They're selling from a place of service and they're reminding folks that they have products in stock ready to ship. These brands are also bravely sending emails and they're not worrying about whether they are bothering people because the truth is you're not bothering anyone. Prep your bestseller list, create a quick ship collection, and then prep and send those emails out. So your homework, grab those free email templates at prooftoproduct.com/holidaywholesale.
Katie Hunt [00:21:45]:
Block off 1 hour this week. I want you to pull your list of current stores, look at your data points there, check your inventory, make sure you know what you have in stock ready to ship so we're not promising something we don't have. And then customize and send the first email, just email number 1. That's it. Okay. The first email will build momentum and it will be way easier for you to then send emails 2 and 3. But let's start with small pieces, small steps forward, and then we can do the rest. All right.
Katie Hunt [00:22:11]:
I would love to hear how this goes for you. Post a story on Instagram and post on Threads after you send that first Tag me at proof2product.com so I can celebrate with you. I would love to hear how this goes for you. Post a story on Instagram or tag me on Threads after you send that first email. My handle is Proof2Product on both Instagram and Threads, so definitely tag me so that I can celebrate with you. But I will be back next week with a new episode. Send those emails, make that money, sell from a place of service. Talk to y'all soon.
Katie Hunt [00:22:40]:
Thanks for listening to the end. Bye. Bye.
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If you've been assuming the holiday wholesale orders are done for the year, this episode is for you. Katie Hunt shares why the wholesale buying season isn’t over yet and how to take advantage of it now.