How to get your product in to Whole Foods Market – Part 3 Learn the lingo!
So unless you are a well heeled super funded food start-up you will unlikely get an audience with your regional Whole Foods market office. There are 11 regions for Whole Foods Market across the United States. Here is a listing of all of them. The best approach for a small start-up is the grass roots approach, which means going store to store, one by one, trying to get them to carry your product. Now not all grocery chains allow this, in fact, most do not. But Whole Foods is different. They like the experience for the shopper to be slightly different at each store. So if you’re local, you’re encouraged to go right to your store and pitch your product. Yeah, it seems a little awkward, but this is the way to do it in the beginning. So here are a few tips before you walk blind in to your local Whole Foods Market.
#1. Whole Foods uses the term, ‘ Leader .’ So never go in and ask for ‘The manager,’ or the ‘The buyer’
If you are trying to sell an item that belongs in the grocery section – go to any cashier and ask for ‘The Grocery Leader.” For bakery, “The Bakery Leader” and so on. The are very informal at Whole Foods, so it’s cool to say ‘Hey, who’s the person I try to sell my stuff too?”
#2. Dress code . Remember, the Grocery Leaders are regular working folks. I find alot more common ground when I’m dressed as casual as they are, usually jeans and a t-shirt. And, if this is your product, your baby, you should go in yourself to show it. The Grocery Leader will respect you for that. Save the fancy clothes and sales teams for when you are big time, when you need to present for national distribution.
#3. Grocery Leaders work early in the morning. The Grocery Leader that I sold Aunt Erma’s Mandel Bread too works from 5:30 am to 1:30 pm. This is good news for those of you that have a ‘day job.’ If you don’t mind getting up early, you’ll have a good shot at a face to face with a Grocery Leader before the store usually opens for business, and still have plenty of time to get to your day job. If it’s your first time, don’t be afraid to drive up to the loading dock (usually at the back of the store) and ask for the Leader.
Coming up next. What do I say? What will they ask?