🚀 go-pugleaf

Getting a retail chain to actually carry your products "on the shelf" is
almost impossible for a small company. In most cases, you probably wouldn't
be able to support the volume it would require anyway. If Egghead carries
a couple of copies at every one of their outlets, you're probably looking at
more copie sthan you'd normally sell in a year.

What they *will* do however is place special orders from you if someone
wants to buy a copy. *Maybe* if they get enough such orders, you might be
able to get them to start stocking your product (you can hope anyway).
Many companies have accounts, etc. with retailers like Corporate Software
and Egghead. It is less hassle for them to buy your product from the
retailer than it is to buy it from you, so they'll order your product from
teh retailer, give them your address & phone and the retailer will call you
up and place an order. Sounds kind of inefficient, but you'd be surprised
how many outfits do business this way. Expect to give the retailer between
30%-50% discount on your retail price.

How can you do this? Well, when you get an order (or you can even place an
order yourself for your own product just to get the ball rolling), suggest
they go through Egghead - you won't make as much, but you'll start building
up a distribution channel (plus it adds some to your credibility when you
tell someone they can buy your product thru Egghead).

If you are trying to distribute a programmer's tool, try Programmer's Shop
and Programmer's Connection (get their address out of any Computer Language
or Dr. Dobbs Journal). They love to do drop shipments (and so should you).

It takes a long time to get retailers interested in your product. If you
really want to contact the "right" people try and make the PC trade
shows (eg, COMDEX) and try and meet as many people as you can.

Good luck.  Warren

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Warren Harrison                                          warren@cs.pdx.edu
Department of Computer Science                                503/725-3108
Portland State University