5 Ways Brands Can Build Better Relationships with Retailers

Wholesale is about more than just getting your products on a retailer’s shelf. It’s about building lasting, profitable relationships with those retailers. 

And, If you're looking to strengthen your retail partnerships, you want to make sure you're taking the right approach. 

Let’s go over a few practical ways your brand can go beyond simple transactions to foster deeper, more meaningful relationships with your retail partners.

1. Really Get to Know Your Retailers

A great retailer relationship starts with understanding. 

You want to get past the surface level understanding of your retailers to really understand aspects such as the types of products they’ve purchased from you before; their overall buying trends and seasonal patterns; and other brands or products they carry (whether that’s online or in-store). 

And as much as we’re data driven, sometimes you need to go past the data on your screens and go into their physical stores or explore their online shops. 

See firsthand how they merchandise your products, who else they’re selling alongside your brand, and the customer experience they provide.

Armed with this insight, your team can approach retailers as strategic partners rather than just vendors. Be proactive by offering personalized ideas, creative merchandising strategies, and fresh marketing angles tailored specifically to them.

2. Don’t be Just Order Takers, Become True Consultants

The most successful wholesale brands position themselves as trusted consultants rather than passive order takers. That means actively engaging your retail partners and bringing new ideas to the table.

Send your sales reps or merchandising team into the store for personalized staff training. Demonstrate the best ways to merchandise your products. Have your team share their inspiration behind seasonal collections, including color stories, product origins, and design processes.

Retailers appreciate brands that go the extra mile. Your willingness to engage, educate, and inspire creates a stronger bond and more loyalty in the long run.

3. Provide Unique Experiences

Get creative with your strategies to stand out from competitors. 

Offer retail partners unique opportunities to showcase your products without them needing to carry heavy inventory loads. 

Some proven methods we’ve seen work include:

• Trunk Shows: Host events where customers can preview new collections and shop exclusive pieces directly.
  
  
• Pop-Up Shops: Provide temporary, exclusive product offerings to test new lines or colorways in-store.
  
  
• In-Store Events: Organize workshops or product demos to engage customers.
  
  
• Gift with Purchase (GWP): Collaborate on special offers to drive retail traffic.
  
  
• Microsites: Create digital storefronts specifically tailored to the retailer’s audience.

These strategies help retailers build excitement around your brand, deepen customer connections, and drive incremental sales without added risk.

4. Be Proactive with Communication

Nothing builds trust faster than proactive communication. If you face an unexpected delay in production, cancellation of certain colorways, or shipping issues, communicate early and clearly. Retailers appreciate transparency, and it shows you're dedicated to their success.

Let’s go over some examples of proactive approaches you can take. 

Does your retailer need a substitution? Offer a suitable substitution promptly. Do you have a retailer that’s been inconvenienced one too many times? Offer them a small discount or incentive to make up for them. 

And if you have a retailer that’s not too far from you, you can really show them how much they mean to you by hand-deliving a late shipment. 

The point is to demonstrate that you genuinely care about your retailer’s business and value their partnership.

5. Focus on Service as the Core of Your Relationship

Exceptional service is the cornerstone of lasting retailer relationships. Your retailers need to feel supported and valued. Providing a personalized experience, timely responses, creative solutions, and consistent support helps establish you as a go-to brand partner.

When retailers see your genuine commitment to their success, they'll be far more inclined to give your brand premium shelf space, reorder regularly, and promote your products enthusiastically.

By understanding a retailer’s businesses deeply, proactively communicating, and consistently going above and beyond with creative merchandising and experiences, you build relationships that can weather challenges and grow over the long term.

So get out there, lean into those relationships, and transform your wholesale partnerships from transactional interactions into strategic alliances. 

You can also check out our guide to help you better foster your relationships with retailers here, and in the link below.