How to prepare for a Range Review: A founders checklist
Range reviews can make or break your retail growth, but preparation is everything. Use this founder-friendly checklist to walk into your next meeting confident, prepared, and ready to win shelf space.
1. Align with the Retailer’s Goals
Before you even step into the room, take time to understand the retailer’s objectives. Each retailer has unique priorities, whether it’s increasing category sales, driving shopper loyalty, or boosting margins. Position your product as a solution that directly helps them achieve these goals. Founders who can clearly demonstrate alignment with retailer objectives consistently outperform those who only talk about their own brand. At Aisle 7, we help founders craft this alignment so buyers can instantly see the value of their product.
2. Master Your Numbers
Retailers expect you to know your numbers inside and out. This means having a clear understanding of your sales performance, trends, and velocity per store, as well as profitability, margins, and the impact of promotions. You should also be prepared to talk about your supply chain readiness , can you scale up quickly if the retailer doubles your orders? Presenting your data in clear, visual dashboards makes it easy for buyers to understand the value you bring, and demonstrates that you’re a reliable and professional partner.
3. Know the Shopper & Your Differentiation
A strong pitch isn’t just about your product , it’s about the shopper and how your brand solves a problem for them. Be ready to explain who buys your product, what needs it fulfills, and how it aligns with broader trends such as health, convenience, or sustainability. At the same time, differentiate your brand from competitors by highlighting what makes you unique. Founders who can combine shopper insight with a compelling differentiation story position themselves as indispensable partners to the retailer.
4. Plan Promotions That Drive Sales
Retailers need to know that you will support sell-through. This means having a clear promotional plan, whether that includes trade spend, in-store activations, or marketing support such as social campaigns and PR. Importantly, your plan should be consistent and scalable so the retailer can trust that execution will match promises. Demonstrating how your promotional strategy drives incremental sales, rather than just eroding margins, positions your brand as a low-risk, high-value partner.
5. Present & Follow Up Like a Pro
First impressions matter, and so does what happens after the meeting. Ensure your presentation is concise and polished, with a one-page brand story, clear visuals of your products, and a leave-behind pack that reinforces key messages. After the meeting, follow up promptly with any requested information, and maintain professional communication without being pushy. Reliability and professionalism leave a lasting impression on buyers, showing that you’re a brand they can trust to deliver both on-shelf and in partnership.
Takeaway Ideas
- Brands aligned with retailer goals are far more likely to succeed.
- Present simple, visual dashboards to make data easy to digest.
- Turn insights into a story that resonates with both buyers and shoppers.
- Demonstrating sell-through potential shows you’re a low-risk, high-value partner.
- Reliability and professionalism leave a lasting impression on Category Managers.
FEATURED EXPERT
Briony O’Keeffe
Co- Founder & Director
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