Product Assortment
Part of DTC wholesale and retail expansion
Preparing product and brand information for retail buyers
Prepare a concise retail buyer case, accurate item records and a controlled product-data handover for an Australian DTC brand.
The pack has four parts: a short buyer note, an accurate record for each sellable item version, Australian safety, labelling and claims checks, and a dated, versioned handover. Ask for the buyer’s onboarding requirements before assembling it.
Help the buyer assess the offer and identify, receive and describe the same goods the brand will supply. Keep proposed, agreed and delivered items distinct.
Lead with the buyer's decision
State the intended shopper, purchase occasion and relevant difference from products the retailer already stocks. Show the proposed range and why each item belongs.
Keep every benefit tied to the finished product. A founder story can explain a design choice, but it cannot establish demand or performance.
If the brand has direct-store orders or customer questions, state the period, product version and channel covered. Direct-store interest does not prove in-store sell-through, so keep projected sales separate from observed results.
A buyer note can follow this pattern: For [intended shopper], this range suits [purchase occasion]; [relevant difference] distinguishes it from [products already stocked]. The proposed range is [items], with [reason each item belongs]; observed direct-store results cover [period], [product version] and [channel].
Prepare a record for each sellable version
Create a separate record for each version sold as an item. Include fields relevant to the item and buyer, such as:
- Product name, SKU, variant and exact contents.
- Dimensions and weight of the retail unit and case pack where needed.
- Materials, care, instructions, warnings and compatibility limits that affect selection or use.
- Images and claim wording that match the current item.
- Proposed wholesale price, order multiple, case quantity, lead time and delivery terms.
- The identifier and data format the buyer requires.
A blank record can follow this pattern: [buyer-required identifier], [sellable item version], [buyer-required fields], checked against [physical item]. Replace the placeholders with confirmed data; do not reuse a record when the sellable version differs.
GS1 Australia’s GTIN page links to a GTIN Management Standard, GTIN Management Decision Tool and GTIN Allocation Rules Quick Guide. Use these to check GTIN-related guidance for the items being prepared.
The National Product Catalogue page identifies “NPC in Retail – Food, Grocery & Liquor”. Check whether the buyer’s requirements call for this catalogue.
Ask which identifier and data submission format the buyer accepts. Confirm the buyer’s specification and compare submitted data with the physical item.
Top 5 reasons to use GS1 Australia’s GTIN tools when preparing for retail buyers
- Ensure unique identification across retailersGTIN prevents duplication and misidentification
- Meet buyer data submission requirementsMany retailers require GTINs for system integration
- Support compliance with national product catalogueNPC in Retail – Food, Grocery & Liquor is linked to GTINs
- Avoid supply chain errorsAccurate GTINs reduce order and delivery mistakes
- Enable automated inventory managementRetailers rely on GTINs for stock tracking and replenishment
Check claims and required information
Identify the requirements for the exact goods before supply. The ACCC’s Product Safety Australia site and its page “Product safety standards and how to comply” explain the product safety checks.
The ACCC says mandatory standards apply to certain products; not every product sold in Australia must meet one. Where a mandatory standard applies, it must be met before supply, and supplying goods that do not comply is an offence.
Requirements can cover performance, composition, contents, manufacture or processing, design, construction, finish, packaging or labelling. Mandatory information standards may include ingredient labelling for cosmetics or care labelling for clothing and textiles.
Use business.gov.au’s “Labelling your products” guidance for product-specific labelling checks. For pre-packaged goods, trade measurement laws cover the position, size and format of measurement information; goods packed in Australia must also display the packer’s name and address.
Most retail food products sold in Australia must have a country-of-origin label. The Food Standards Code also covers food-label information such as use-by and best-before dates, ingredients, additives and allergens, nutrition information, health advice and claims, and the supplier’s name and address; Food Standards Australia New Zealand provides food-labelling information.
Country-of-origin claims must be accurate and truthful; false or misleading origin claims can lead to penalties under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The ACCC can require businesses to back up product or service claims and may investigate and take compliance or enforcement action.
Check claims about origin, ingredients, contents and performance against suitable records. Keep each important claim’s wording, product version and support together, and place a material limit beside the benefit it qualifies.
A packaging mock-up does not show that the finished label meets a requirement. Keep the brand’s page and retailer feed aligned to the same version, and arrange to review buyer-edited listings where the relationship allows.
Hand over a controlled pack
Send a short buyer note, current item records and a price-and-terms sheet. Put a version and date on each.
Keep a change log with the date, affected item version, change and current revision. Issue an updated, dated pack when a change affects the information sent to the buyer.
Identify contacts for commercial questions, item data and product safety. Agree how changes to packaging, ingredients, dimensions, claims or availability will reach the retailer.
Before accepting a purchase order, compare it with the approved range and terms. A different pack size, exclusive variant or launch date may require a new record and supply check.
Mark what is proposed, agreed and due to be delivered in the handover. Make the status of each item clear to the buyer.
