You have a great product. You have terrific packaging. Now, to get the customer’s attention, you’ve developed a wonderful sidekick display. And your buyer just approved it!
A game changer. That’s what launching a Walmart sidekick promotion can be. It’s great if you’re looking to increase visibility and sales – but take heed: A sidekick promotion is not without its challenges. From start to finish, a sidekick is work. Work with a big payoff perhaps, but definitely work.
If you’re launching a sidekick display in Walmart, our 8th & Walton team hopes you will avoid these common pitfalls:
- Underestimating the cost
- Assuming Walmart will drive the sales
- Abandoning the process too soon
Instead, our 8th & Walton experts want you to keep these ideas in mind:
1. Proper execution is critically important.
In-store execution is often inconsistent because no two stores are the same. Even though your buyer may approve the promotion, there is certainly no guarantee that every store will execute it flawlessly.
Not only do displays have to be put on store shelves, some of them have to first be constructed – by someone in the Walmart back room.
The reality is that Walmart store teams are busy, so if your display requires any sort of assembly it must be quick and easy to set up. If you have two pages of instructions telling how to build your display, some stores will never build it. And if it’s never set up or if it’s set up incorrectly, you will lose valuable sales.
After you’ve done your best to make sure your display is easy to assemble, the next step to proper execution is to be sure it actually gets put in place. To give your promotion the best chance of success, a third-party service provider can make sure your sidekick is set up in the stores and is properly displayed.Yes, this is an additional cost, but failure to have the support you need can lead to poor execution, ultimately making your promotion weak.
Tip: If you don’t have the staff to manage this properly, consider hiring an in-store service provider to check and confirm that your sidekicks have actually been set up in specific stores.
2. You (not Walmart ) are responsible for promoting your product.
Some suppliers assume that once a sidekick is in-store, Walmart will take care of selling the product. Not so. While Walmart provides the setting for your sidekick, handles its distribution and ensures your product reaches the store, the responsibility of driving a customer to make a purchase lies with you, the Walmart supplier.
So you need to do the marketing. You are the one who must build the strategies to encourage shoppers to pick up your product. This might involve additional efforts such as in-store signage, digital promotions, or even influencer campaigns to get customers excited about your sidekick display and eager to get their hands on your product.
Tip: Build a marketing plan to accompany your sidekick promotion – one that excites your potential customers about using your product and directs them to it in the store.
3. Stick with it until the sidekick is on the shelf — and beyond.
Don’t assume everything will go smoothly from beginning to end, and don’t think that once the sidekick leaves the warehouse, your work ends. Products can get delayed or misplaced in stores, and when that happens, your promotion won’t get the exposure you expected.
You need to own the process all the way to the store shelf and throughout the life of the promotion. This means following up on sidekick placements, checking if your products are displayed properly in the sidekick, addressing any issues quickly, and monitoring all activities.
Tip: Stay engaged throughout the entire process. From shipping to shelf placement and throughout the life of the promotion, be ready to intervene if things don’t go according to plan.
If you are a new Walmart supplier, start off on the right foot. Get expert guidance from 8th & Walton experts with decades of Walmart experience. We would be happy to help you.
Contact us today to learn more about how 8th & Walton can help you build your business with Walmart.
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Conclusion
Launching a sidekick promotion at Walmart can be a great way to boost your product’s visibility. Just be sure to allow enough time and talent for checking all the details of every aspect, and plan to stay engaged throughout the process. It is you who must do the heavy lifting, and your active involvement from start to finish is the key to making sure your sidekick gets all the attention it deserves and all the sales you are hoping for.
