Launching in Retail for the Holidays? Read This Before You Ship a Single Box – Megan Young Gamble

What You’ll Learn from This Blog:

• The essentials of holiday retail success and how to prepare your operations, packaging, and marketing so products don’t just hit shelves, they sell through.
• Proven strategies from past launches that show what retailers look for and how small brands can stand out during Q4.
• Where to go deeper with bonus resources like our podcast episodes on omnichannel strategy and digital marketing, plus related blogs to guide your retail prep.

Introduction : 

The holiday season is approaching fast, and for small brands launching in retail, this could be your most important quarter yet… It’s not just about getting your products on the shelf, it’s about making sure they move once they’re there. Over the years, I’ve seen a pattern with new brands: they focus heavily on getting into the store, but underestimate what happens next. Holiday success at retail isn’t just about visibility. It’s about preparation, alignment, and the kind of behind-the-scenes execution that makes retailers say, “We want them back next season.”

If you’re launching into retail before or during Q4, here are a 5 things I recommend putting in motion now:

1. Think beyond launch. Start planning for sell-through -Think about sell-through from day one. It’s easy to focus on launch day buzz, but the real metric buyers care about is how fast your product sells, and if it needs to be reordered before the holidays are over. Start by asking your buyer (if they’re open to sharing) for sell-through benchmarks in your category. Use that data to project inventory needs, create timely promotions, and set up marketing activities that keep momentum going after the initial shelf drop.

2. Lock Your Ops Calendar Early – Get your operations calendar rock solid. That means checking 3PL shipping cutoff dates, confirming final delivery windows with your retailers, and getting clear on any penalties for missed deadlines. Many small brands find themselves scrambling in November because they didn’t realize their warehouse has a Black Friday blackout period or their retailer needs deliveries two weeks earlier than expected. Lock those logistics down early. 

3. Make Packaging Retail-Ready and Holiday-Ready – Make sure your packaging is not only compliant, but also holiday-ready. If you’re part of a holiday display, bundle, or endcap, you’ll need to think about how your packaging performs both structurally and visually. Are your trays retail-ready? Are your labels scannable and correct? A little pre-planning here can make the difference between smooth setup and operational headaches. 

• Need help with Packaging? Connect with GLC  here. 
• Need help with Pallets in Atlanta? Connect with Pallet Pros HERE

4. Optimize Your Product Pages Across Retailers – Start working on your retailer product content now, especially if your items will be sold online too. Product titles, bullet points, A+ content, photography, and short videos all play a role in conversion. And yes, shoppers might pick your product up off the shelf, but many of them looked it up online first. You want to show up consistently across every channel, especially in a season where comparison shopping is at an all-time high.

5. Activate Omnichannel Support – Connect your retail launch to your brand’s owned channels. Just because your product is now in a big-box store doesn’t mean your work is done. Announce your retail availability to your email list, post store locator links on your website and socials, and consider geo-targeted ads that highlight where people can find your product locally. The best-performing launches I’ve seen coordinate messaging across retail, email, social, and paid, and it pays off. 

• Listen to our podcast on omnichannel strategies HERE
• Listen to our podcast on digital marketing HERE

Conclusion:

This time of year moves quickly. The more proactive you are now in September, the better positioned you’ll be to actually enjoy the lift retail can bring in Q4. Because while holiday retail is a huge opportunity, it’s also high-pressure. Your systems, supply chain, and brand presence all need to show up together.

If you need support reviewing your holiday operations, packaging readiness, or retail strategy, GLC is here to help. Let’s connect here 

Want a quick primer on getting your products ready for retail? Read our blog on How To Get My Products In Walmart and Target

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