I love Wholesale as a strategy to scale a brand. It’s a highly leveraged strategy that can enable you to sell large volumes of product to a small number of customers. 

However, right now, it’s tough to make money from wholesale, when so many retailers are having to close their stores due to COVID-19 pandemic lock-down measures. 

Whereas, Ecommerce retail is going completely bonkers! 

Just because shops are shut and customers are largely house-bound, doesn’t mean we’re not still spending money on essentials as well as retail therapy.

Today on the podcast I’m joined by Claire Behrmann, owner of the incredibly successful brand Jellystone Designs, which in the past has predominantly been a wholesale and export brand. 

Right now, of course, she’s having to focus more on Ecommerce sales and marketing, to sell direct to consumers. 

But taking these actions now does not need to be the death of wholesale.

Listen as Claire speaks about the relationships she’s developed with her stockists.

She also speaks about connecting with her customers directly and how that has helped improve product design and development as well as brand awareness and demand. 

Listen online now.

Does selling direct to customers negatively impact wholesale?

This is a question I get asked a lot, and in my experience – it depends on how you are handling the sales and marketing direct to customers on your own website.

If you are super aggressive with your sales and marketing tactics, offering deep discounts and going on sale straight after product launches, then yes – this will absolutely have a negative impact on your wholesale business. Your retailers just can’t compete with that.

However, if you have an emphasis on building brand awareness, increasing consumer demand, and selling direct to consumers in places where you don’t have stockists, then you are golden. This sort of marketing serves to increase sales for both yourself as well as your stockists.  

Bottom line is – don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Similar to Vicki from Bubblebubs’ advice on last week’s Podcast episode – Claire also recommends selling your brand through multiple channels.

That means: on your own Ecommerce website, via wholesale, at trade shows and expos, and on other platforms as well.

That way, when one channel goes down for any reason, you still have other avenues to keep sales ticking over. 

Get your question answered

Now, be sure to head to our Rockstar Productpreneur community to ask your #askcatherine questions! I can’t wait to hear them.

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Links mentioned in this episode:

Rockstar Productpreneur Facebook Group

Jellystone Designs website, Facebook and Instagram

Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode:

Read the Transcript

Listen on iTunes

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When You Need To Pivot From Wholesale To Ecommerce