For kitchen startups
From your kitchen recipe to a store shelf
What you can do on this page
- See the steps from where you are now to a store shelf.
- Read the stories that fit your next step.
- Ask for a free one-page shelf plan for your own food. A person writes it.
Short answer
A recipe that sells at a market is a good start. To get it into a store you need a way to make it the same way every batch, in a kitchen the rules allow, with a label, a barcode and a price that leaves room for the store.
We take those steps in order with you, so you are not paying for packaging before you know your price works.
This page is for you if
- You make it at home or in a rented kitchen.
- You sell to friends, at markets or online.
- Store buyers have not seen it yet.
The steps, in order
- Check the rules for your foodHome-kitchen (cottage food) rules differ by state and food type. Many foods sold in stores must be made in a licensed kitchen or by a co-packer.
- Write the recipe as a batch specExact weights, steps and checks, so a commercial kitchen or co-packer can make it the same way every time.
- Build the labelProduct name, ingredients, allergens, Nutrition Facts, net weight and who made it.
- Get a barcodeStores scan a GS1 GTIN barcode. You license your own company prefix from GS1.
- Price it backward from the shelfStart from what a shopper will pay, take off the store and distributor share, and check what is left covers your cost.
- Pitch a few local stores firstLearn what buyers ask for before you go regional.
We can help with each step. See what we do.
Stories for you
How a small food maker gets into grocery storesStores need packaging that sells on a shelf, a price that leaves room for their margin, and a way to get stock delivered on time.Read the story →GTIN vs SSCC: what food brands need to knowA GTIN identifies a product; an SSCC identifies a shipping unit. Many retailers and distributors ask for both.Read the story →What is a food broker, and do you need one?A broker is a contract sales rep. They do not buy your product; they sell it into stores and are paid by commission.Read the story →
Not you?
In our product
What you get, as our customers see it.
Real screens from our reports and dashboard, made for a made-up brand. Click any one to open the full sample.
