We're about to cross 10,000 Shopify orders at Boostcous. So naturally, I'm throwing myself into something I know almost nothing about: landing Boostcous on retail shelves.
From 10,000 DTC Orders to Retail Shelves: My Next Challenge
DTC Is Different
DTC is relatively simple: Make ads, build a website, customers buy from you. Doing it well and profitably is harder. It's what I spent the first 6 months of Boostcous perfecting. Shoutout to some incredible mentors in this space, especially Connor Rolain.
Retail Reality
But retail? That's a whole new ball game. You need to meet buyers in person and hope they're in the right buying cycle. Go to trade shows and get recognized. Design packaging that stands out on a shelf with 50 other options.
That's what my next 6 months are focused on.
So I'm making the rounds:
- This week: UNFI Holiday Show @ Mohegan Sun
- Next week: Summer Fancy Food in NYC (Booth 7103B-M)
- August: Newtopia Grocery run with Startup CPG
Our Advantage
The good news? Our DTC success gives us a real story to tell. Millions of eyeballs on the brand. Thousands of survey responses telling us exactly where customers want to find us in stores. Those are metrics we can bring to every buyer meeting. And looking back at all the lessons I've learned in DTC, I know this foundation will help as we tackle retail.
What's Next
The leap from DTC to retail is significant. It means new packaging, new relationships, and showing up at trade shows to build recognition. But the data from our online customers tells us where they want to see Boostcous on shelves.
This journey reminds me of when I first started launching Boostcous on my 35th birthday. Every new chapter brings its own challenges.
If you're at any of these events, come say hey! And if you've made the leap from DTC to retail, I'm all ears.