The 1% Retail Readiness Test

One of the questions I get asked most often is:

"What do I need to do before approaching a retail buyer?"

I've worked with businesses that were convinced they needed to redesign their packaging, rewrite their presentation and overhaul their website before speaking to a buyer.

I've also met businesses that approached retailers without really thinking through some basic commercial questions.

Neither approach is ideal.

Retail readiness isn't about perfection. It's about preparation.

So, here's a simple test. Ask yourself this question:

What's the one thing most likely to stop a buyer saying yes?

Not ten things.

Not your entire wish list.

Just one.

Maybe it's confidence in your pricing. Maybe it's understanding your category. Maybe it's difficulty explaining why your product deserves a place on shelf. Maybe it's supply capacity. Maybe it's your numbers.

Whatever immediately comes to mind, write it down.

Now ask yourself:

What could I do this week to make that 1% better?

Now, I'm not asking you to solve it.

I'm not asking for a six-month project plan.

I'm asking for one small improvement.

If your pricing confidence is lacking, perhaps you spend half an hour reviewing competitor pricing.

If your proposition feels unclear, maybe you refine the one sentence you use to explain your product.

If capacity concerns are holding you back, perhaps you spend time mapping out what growth might actually look like.

Nothing dramatic. Just progress.

Because in my experience, businesses rarely become retail ready overnight.

They become retail ready through dozens of small improvements that build confidence and credibility over time.

Retail buyers don't expect perfection.

They do expect preparation.

So rather than trying to improve everything this week, pick one area.

Make it 1% better.

Then do the same again next week.

It might not feel like much in the moment, but small improvements have a habit of compounding into significant advantages.

That's the thinking behind my LinkedIn series, Better by Degrees.

Not perfection.

Just continual progress.

One final thought

If a retail buyer looked at your business tomorrow, what would be the one thing you'd hope they didn't ask about?

There's a good chance that's exactly where your next 1% improvement lies.

Over to you:What's the one thing that's currently preventing your business from being more retail ready? I'd love to hear your thoughts