How to Get Your Product Into Australian Retail Stores in 2026
Breaking Into Australian Retail Doesn't Have to Be Hard
If you've got a great product and you're wondering how to get it onto retail shelves, you're not alone. Most brand owners face the same question: how do I go from selling online to being stocked in physical stores?
The good news: in 2026, there are more paths into retail than ever. Here's what you need to know.
1. Understand the Margin Stack
Before approaching any retailer or distributor, you need to know if your product is viable at wholesale. When you work with Brand Connections, the margin stack looks like this:
- Retailers make 40% — they buy at your wholesale price, the ex-GST RRP less 40%
- Brand Connections pays you your wholesale price less 40%, 30 days end of month — one all-in figure covering storage, pick and pack, freight and any distributor margin
- We recommend keeping around 35–45% real margin after COGS on what you receive
Example: A $50 RRP product (inc GST) is $45.45 ex GST. The retailer buys at $27.27, and you receive $16.36 — 36% of the ex-GST RRP. If your COGS is around $9.80 or less, you're keeping a 40%+ margin on that $16.36. That's viable.
2. Choose Your Distribution Model
You have three main options:
Direct to Retailer
You approach stores yourself, handle invoicing, delivery, and account management. Works for a handful of stores but doesn't scale.
Traditional Distributor
They get you into retail stores but usually require large minimum order quantities (MOQs) upfront. Most only reach retail — they miss entire markets like beauticians, PTs, and wellness professionals.
Consignment Model
You send stock, the distributor sells it, and you get paid 30 days end of month for what's sold. You keep ownership of unsold product until it sells. Brand Connections, for example, works with typically 12–50 units per SKU, on consignment.
3. Look Beyond Traditional Retail
Here's what most brand owners miss: retail stores aren't the only wholesale market.
There's a growing network of ABN holders who buy wholesale but aren't traditional retailers:
- Beauticians and beauty salons
- Personal trainers and fitness studios
- Wellness practitioners and naturopaths
- Specialty clinics and health centres
These professionals recommend and sell products to their clients daily. It's a market that traditional distributors completely ignore — but it's where some of the highest-quality, most loyal wholesale relationships happen.
4. Prepare Your Brand for Wholesale
Before any distributor will take you on, you need:
- Professional packaging with barcodes (EAN/UPC)
- Nutritional panels and ingredient lists (where applicable)
- High-quality product images
- Clear wholesale pricing that allows for industry margins
- Ability to provide samples to prospective stockists
5. Start the Conversation
The hardest part is getting started. Most brand owners overthink this. If your margins work and your product is retail-ready, apply to a distributor and let them tell you what they need.
At Brand Connections, our AI assistant Alex can check your margins in under 3 minutes and tell you exactly where you stand. Start your application here.