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How To Get Your eCom Brand Into Retail | Connor Macpherson
Most eCom founders dream of getting into retail.
Very few understand how the game actually works.
Today’s guest is Connor McPherson, founder of Icon Outreach — the team that has opened 30,000+ retail doors for 42+ brands, securing launches with Walmart, Target, Costco, Kroger, Tesco, Woolworths, Coles, and more.
Connor helps modern DTC brands turn retail from a risky guessing game into a repeatable growth channel. In this episode, he breaks down what retailers actually look for, why most brands fail on shelf, and how to build a retail strategy that works long term.
What You’ll Learn:
🔥 How to know if your brand is actually ready for retail (and which retailers to target)
🔥 The real economics of retail — margins, trade spend, payment terms, and cash flow risk
🔥 Why most DTC brands fail on shelf — and how to avoid costly launch mistakes
🔥 How buyers think, what they care about, and how to pitch them properly
🔥 What it really takes to get on shelf and stay there
🔥 How to use retail to build brand, distribution, and long-term enterprise value
If you want to turn your DTC brand into a real retail powerhouse — not just land a flashy launch — this episode is for you.
Chapters:
00:00 – Why most eCom brands fail at retail
01:55 – Is your brand actually right for retail?
03:08 – Choosing the right retailers (Walmart vs niche)
03:58 – Pricing, pack formats & unit economics
04:54 – Cash flow realities & funding large POs
05:44 – Which product categories win in retail
07:16 – Why retail packaging makes or breaks brands
08:58 – Retail margins & payment terms explained
12:54 – How retailers judge performance (resets & cutoffs)
14:49 – One retailer vs mass rollout strategy
15:27 – How brands actually get into major retailers
17:40 – Realistic timelines from outreach to shelf
18:59 – What retail buyers care about most today
22:38 – What happens in buyer meetings & pitch calls
24:52 – Negotiating terms with big retailers
27:52 – What happens after you get the “yes”
30:51 – How brands expand doors & shelf space
33:55 – Driving traffic to retail stores
38:14 – How retail increases brand value & exit potential
View all episodes
By Brand BuildersMost eCom founders dream of getting into retail.
Very few understand how the game actually works.
Today’s guest is Connor McPherson, founder of Icon Outreach — the team that has opened 30,000+ retail doors for 42+ brands, securing launches with Walmart, Target, Costco, Kroger, Tesco, Woolworths, Coles, and more.
Connor helps modern DTC brands turn retail from a risky guessing game into a repeatable growth channel. In this episode, he breaks down what retailers actually look for, why most brands fail on shelf, and how to build a retail strategy that works long term.
What You’ll Learn:
🔥 How to know if your brand is actually ready for retail (and which retailers to target)
🔥 The real economics of retail — margins, trade spend, payment terms, and cash flow risk
🔥 Why most DTC brands fail on shelf — and how to avoid costly launch mistakes
🔥 How buyers think, what they care about, and how to pitch them properly
🔥 What it really takes to get on shelf and stay there
🔥 How to use retail to build brand, distribution, and long-term enterprise value
If you want to turn your DTC brand into a real retail powerhouse — not just land a flashy launch — this episode is for you.
Chapters:
00:00 – Why most eCom brands fail at retail
01:55 – Is your brand actually right for retail?
03:08 – Choosing the right retailers (Walmart vs niche)
03:58 – Pricing, pack formats & unit economics
04:54 – Cash flow realities & funding large POs
05:44 – Which product categories win in retail
07:16 – Why retail packaging makes or breaks brands
08:58 – Retail margins & payment terms explained
12:54 – How retailers judge performance (resets & cutoffs)
14:49 – One retailer vs mass rollout strategy
15:27 – How brands actually get into major retailers
17:40 – Realistic timelines from outreach to shelf
18:59 – What retail buyers care about most today
22:38 – What happens in buyer meetings & pitch calls
24:52 – Negotiating terms with big retailers
27:52 – What happens after you get the “yes”
30:51 – How brands expand doors & shelf space
33:55 – Driving traffic to retail stores
38:14 – How retail increases brand value & exit potential