_Open Shelf · Free cheat sheet · print it, pin it, share it_ # Boutique pitch subject lines *10 that get opened. 10 that get deleted.* The subject line is the first thing a buyer reads, often on a phone, between customers. Of the 625 shops in Open Shelf, **25 spell out the exact subject line they want**. The rest still sort their inbox by it. The rule is simple: **if the shop gives you a subject line, use it word for word.** Then add your brand and what you make. ## 10 that get opened 1. `ATTN: BUYER – Hollow Pine candles, line sheet attached` Driggs Mercantile in Brooklyn asks for “ATTN: BUYER.” Use their words, then say what it is. 2. `Hollow Pine – Product Submission` “Product Submission” is the most-requested phrase in our list (Magpie, Lundeen’s, CITRINE, Frances, The Store at Mia). 3. `Maker Application for Experiment` Experiment PDX asks for this exact line. Using it proves you read their page. 4. `Linesheet Submission: Hollow Pine stoneware, $14–$38 wholesale` Pema New York asks for “Linesheet Submission.” A price range up front saves a back-and-forth. 5. `Vendor Submission – Hollow Pine, soap made in Fishtown` The Phoenix (DC), Thread Spun and KinKa ask for “Vendor Submission.” A local hook helps where shops favor local. 6. `Ana Ruiz – Artist Submission` The Store at MAD wants your name first. Artists and galleries often file by person, not brand. 7. `Hollow Pine – Consignment Inquiry` Altar Ego Apothecary asks for this. Naming the terms you want tells them which pile you belong in. 8. `The Lake Book, Jo Park – Attn: Book Buyer` Edmonds Bookshop and Annie Bloom’s want title, author, then “Attn: Book Buyer” or “Attn: Stocking Query.” 9. `Wholesale: Hollow Pine linen napkins for your holiday table display` No set format? Name the product and where it fits in their store. 10. `Following up: Hollow Pine line sheet + new winter scent` One follow-up, with something new to say. Keep the original subject so they can find the thread. ## 10 that get deleted 1. `Hi!` Says nothing. A buyer can’t tell it’s a pitch, so it can’t be filed. 2. `Collaboration opportunity` Reads like an influencer or ad sales email. Say it’s a product. 3. `Quick question` Bait. When the “question” turns out to be a pitch, trust is gone. 4. `Re: our conversation` A fake reply to a talk that never happened. Shop owners remember who they talked to. 5. `YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!!!` All caps and exclamation marks look like spam, to people and to filters. 6. `Exclusive offer for your store – today only` Pressure. Buyers decide on their own schedule, usually by season. 7. `Product Submission (to a shop that asked for “ATTN: BUYER”)` Close isn’t good enough. Following instructions is the first test of how you’ll handle reorders. 8. `Hollow Pine FW26 Collection Lookbook Vol. 3 – Sustainable Small-Batch Artisan Home…` Too long. Phones cut it off before the useful part. 9. `To whom it may concern` Tells them it’s a mass email. Use the shop’s name. 10. `Following up again (3rd time)` One follow-up is fine. Three feels like pressure, and the answer was in the silence. > **Worth knowing:** 155 shops in our list say they reply only if interested. No reply is usually a no, not a lost email. Send one kind follow-up after a week or two, then move on. --- **From Open Shelf — independent US shops that accept new brands** [joinopenshelf.com](https://joinopenshelf.com) · The full pitch guide, with an email template: [joinopenshelf.com/guide/how-to-pitch-a-boutique/](https://joinopenshelf.com/guide/how-to-pitch-a-boutique/) Want shops to find you? [Founding Featured spots, $39 or $79](https://joinopenshelf.com/brands/featured/). Pitching New York? [The NYC Pitch Pack](https://joinopenshelf.com/pitch-packs/nyc/). _Shop examples are from published pitch instructions in the Open Shelf directory (625 shops, checked Oct 2026). “Hollow Pine,” “Ana Ruiz,” and “Jo Park” are made-up examples._