To get your products into independent boutiques, make them retail-ready first (a wholesale price that still pays you, a suggested retail price and packaging that can sit on a shelf), put it all on a one-page line sheet, then pitch only shops that say publicly they take submissions, exactly the way each one asks. The rest of this post is the detail, from someone who reads these pitches between customers.
I run a small shop. Most of the pitches I pass on aren't bad products. They're pitches that make me do work I don't have time for: chasing a price, guessing at minimums, or wondering whether the brand has ever looked at my shelves. Everything below is about removing that work.
What does "retail-ready" actually mean?
It means a shop can buy your product, price it and put it out without fixing anything. In practice that's three things.
A wholesale price and an MSRP. Wholesale is what the shop pays you. MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) is what the customer pays. The common starting point is keystone: the shop doubles your wholesale price. Before you pitch, check that you still make money at wholesale, not only when you sell direct. The wholesale price calculator works it out from your costs, or backwards from a retail price.
Packaging that protects and sells. I'm buying something I can resell. If I'd have to repackage it, add a price tag it has no room for, or explain it from scratch to every customer, it's a harder yes.
A short story I can repeat. One or two sentences: who makes it, where, and why it's different. That's what I'll say at the register.
What should go on a line sheet?
A line sheet is the working document a buyer reads first. Keep it to a page or a short PDF:
- One clear photo per product, on a plain background
- Product name and SKU
- Wholesale price and MSRP side by side
- Case pack, opening minimum and reorder minimum
- Lead time, payment terms and how to order
- Your website, Instagram and wholesale email
Shops ask for these things by name. Driggs Mercantile in Brooklyn asks for "clear photos, descriptions, wholesale prices, website and social links." Catbird asks for "materials, wholesale prices, turnaround, and current stockists." Home Malone in New Orleans wants "wholesale and retail cost of each product; minimum, first-order and re-order quantities; turnaround time; holiday order cut-off dates; and any nearby stores that carry your work."
Of the 434 shops Open Shelf lists, 33 name a line sheet as part of how to pitch them. If you don't have one yet, start with the free line sheet template (PDF, Excel and Google Sheets, no email needed).
How do I find boutiques that accept new brands?
Start with shops that say so publicly.
That's why we built Open Shelf: every listing links to the shop's own submission page. Browse by city on the cities page. It has guides for 20 cities, from New York and Los Angeles to Nashville, Detroit and New Orleans. One note on the numbers: 20 of the 434 listed shops currently say they aren't accepting submissions, so always check the listing before you write.
Then check fit, because a shop being open doesn't mean it's open to you:
- Location rules. 87 listed shops say they take local work only. Fern and Skye in Denver is for "Colorado-based makers only." Home Malone stocks items "designed and produced in the Deep South (TX, LA, MS, AL, GA, SC, FL)." The WonderMart in Brooklyn stocks only goods made or designed in New York State.
- Mission fit. The OMCA Store in Oakland mainly wants California-made products "with a clear link to the museum's mission, exhibitions or galleries."
- Style and price. Look at what's already on the shelves. Can you name one or two brands you'd sit next to? If you can't, it may not be the right shop.
How should I pitch a boutique?
Exactly the way it asks. On Open Shelf, 222 listed shops take pitches by email and 238 use an online form (some do both), and many spell out the details. Driggs Mercantile wants the subject line "ATTN: BUYER." Experiment PDX in Portland wants "Maker Application for Experiment." If a shop gives you instructions, following them is the first test.
Keep the email short: who you are, what you make, why it fits their shop, your wholesale range and your line sheet. The pitch guide has a fill-in-the-blanks email template, and we'll cover email pitches in more depth in a separate post.
Two things not to do:
- Don't walk in. 48 listed shops say no walk-ins. Craft Contemporary Shop in Los Angeles says "No walk-ins, appointments or phone calls." Paperish Mess in Chicago reviews work online only ("don't stop in with photos or products").
- Don't send samples unless the shop asks. Rules vary. Catbird accepts mailed samples but says they're non-returnable. The OMCA Store says "Unsolicited samples can't be stored or returned."
Should I offer wholesale, consignment or both?
Decide before you pitch, because many shops tell you which they want. Wholesale means the shop buys your stock up front. Consignment means you're paid only when something sells, and the shop sets the split. Some shops do both: Fern and Skye runs consignment at a "50/50 split, monthly payouts; wholesale also considered."
Read the fees, too. Some programs charge you to be on the shelf. The WonderMart charges a "Brand Partner Fee of $35/month, billed separately (not deducted from payouts), plus a 50% commission on sales." That can still be worth it. Just put the fee into your numbers before you say yes. Our post on consignment vs. wholesale goes through the math.
What happens after I pitch?
Usually, nothing for a while. 127 listed shops say they reply only if they're interested. Paperish Mess responds "only to work they want to carry now and keep other submissions on file for openings." A few give a timeline: Driggs Mercantile says "Response in 3–7 business days."
My advice from behind the counter: follow up once, kindly, after a week or two, with something new (a bestseller, a seasonal item, a new stockist). Then move on to the next shop on your list.
When you do get a yes, make the first order easy: ship on time, pack it well, and send an invoice that matches your line sheet. Reorders come from the brands that are easy to work with.
For the long version, with more shop examples, read the full guide: how to get your products into boutiques.
FAQ
Do I need a line sheet to pitch a small boutique?
Not every shop asks for one, but it answers the questions a buyer would otherwise email you about: prices, minimums and lead time. 33 shops on Open Shelf name it in their pitch instructions.
How much should I charge a boutique?
Most shops expect to roughly double your wholesale price at retail (keystone). Use the wholesale price calculator to check you still profit at wholesale.
Can I just drop by the shop with samples?
Only if the shop says so. 48 listed shops say no walk-ins, and a busy afternoon is the worst time to catch an owner.
What if a shop doesn't reply?
Many don't unless they're interested. Send one polite follow-up after a week or two, then move on.
Is it free to be stocked?
Often, but not always. Some consignment and rental programs charge fees, like The WonderMart's $35/month Brand Partner Fee plus a 50% commission. Read the terms on the shop's page first.