retailsellingpartnerships

How to Pitch Your Handmade Goods to Department Stores: Lessons from Liberty’s Leadership Change

aagoras

2026-01-31

9 min read

Practical, store-ready pitch tactics inspired by Liberty’s 2025–26 shifts — prepare your one-page pitch, pricing, and merchandising for buyers like Lydia King.

Hook: Stop shouting into the void — make department store buyers actually want to stock your handmade goods

You're an artisan with a great product, but pitching to department stores feels like banging on a locked door. Long lead times, confusing wholesale terms, and the anxiety of whether a buyer will even open your email are real pain points. Add in the 2025–26 shakeups at iconic stores like Liberty, and many small brands wonder what buyers are looking for now. This guide gives practical, buyer-focused steps — the exact materials and messages that move conversations forward with buyers such as Lydia King and other department store decision-makers.

The evolution of department store buying in 2026 — why Liberty’s leadership shift matters

Since late 2025, department stores have accelerated a long-term transition: from broad, seasonal assortments to tightly curated, story-driven ranges that blend in-store discovery with digital commerce. Leadership changes at legacy players like Liberty amplified that shift — new buying teams are prioritizing responsiveness, sustainability credentials, and digital-first merchandising. What this means for makers:

Less tolerance for ‘catalog’ pitches: Buyers want proof that a product will move—fast.
Data + story wins: Sales metrics, social proof and a compelling provenance narrative are equally important.
Omnichannel readiness: Stores favor brands that can support e‑commerce listings, live events, or AR try-ons alongside bricks-and-mortar placements.

Quick context: what buyers like Lydia King look for in 2026

Clear margin math and wholesale pricing
Reliable lead times and flexible MOQs
Sustainability proofs (materials, traceability, certifications)
Merchandising-ready presentation (planogram ideas, POS assets)
Content & commerce readiness (packshots, shoppable video)

"Retail buying is no longer only about beautiful products — it's about predictability, data and stories that convert online and in-store." — buyer POV synthesized from 2025–26 industry trends

Before you pitch: 9 practical prep steps that make buyers listen

Think like a buying team. Before you send that first email, complete this checklist so your pitch lands as a solution, not a request.

Refine your hero product: Pick 1–3 SKUs that show your best margin, fastest conversion and easiest merchandising.
Create a compact line sheet: One page per collection that includes wholesale price, RRP, MOQ, lead time, net terms and pack info.
Do the margin math: Show how your pricing works for the retailer (standard keystone markup vs. your recommended RRP).
Prepare sales proof: 90‑day sell-through, reorder rates, best channels, and Amazon/Etsy/marketplace data if available.
Gather social & press highlights: Engagement rates, top-performing creatives, and any editorial placements.
Document sustainability & provenance: Materials, local partnerships, certifications, and batch traceability.
Pack merchandising assets: High-res photos, 360 images, videos, and suggested store displays or planograms.
List logistics details: Lead times, safety stock, returns policy, insurance, and customs readiness for international stocking.
Build a one-page pitch PDF: Hero image, USP, three quick metrics, retail-ready specs and a clear call-to-action.

How to write the subject line and first email that actually get read

Buyers receive hundreds of pitches a week. Your goal is to be immediately relevant. Use this tested structure.

Email subject line formulas

[Brand] — Bestseller (30% MoM growth) | Wholesale from £X
[Category] for Spring 2026 — Proven sell-through in indie stores
Quick sample? [Brand] hand‑woven scarves — 3 SKUs, ready to stock

Email body (3 short paragraphs)

Introduction (1 sentence): Who you are & one-line USP. Example: "Hi Lydia — I'm Anna from Willow & Co., makers of zero-waste ceramic mugs that sell at 45% margin to indie stores."
Proof (2–3 sentences): One strong metric + 1 social/press proof. Example: "Our bestselling mug has 12‑week sell-through of 72% at boutique partners; featured in Local Home 2025."
Ask & CTA (1 sentence): Invite them to a low-friction next step. Example: "Can I send one sample pack and a 1-page line sheet for your spring home edit?"

What to include in your pitch pack — the buyer wants speed

Make it effortless for buyers to say yes. Everything should be scannable at a glance and backed by downloadable assets.

One‑page pitch PDF: Hero product shot, RRP/wholesale, units per carton, MOQ, lead time, and 3 metrics.
Line sheet (CSV and PDF): SKU, size, color, net price, RRP, case pack, weight and barcodes.
Sales proof deck (6–8 slides): Top channels, repeat rates, sell-through charts and customer testimonials.
Merchandising pack: Planogram suggestions, shelf-ready packaging specs, and POS assets for in-store visibility.
Digital assets: High-res product shots, lifestyle images, short video (15–30s), and copy for e‑commerce pages.
Operational doc: Fulfillment lead time, returns policy, EDI readiness and contact for logistics.

Price and margin: how to set a wholesale price buyers can’t ignore

Retailers usually expect a minimum 2x markup from wholesale to RRP (keystone), but many categories now demand higher margins because of rising operating costs. Here’s a simple formula and examples to make your case.

Wholesale pricing checklist

Calculate your landed cost (materials + labor + packaging + shipping to retailer + duties).
Add desired profit per unit for your business sustainability.
Set a wholesale price that allows the retailer to apply 2–2.5x markup (or justify variance with category data).
Offer tiered MOQs with scaled pricing — smaller first orders at slightly higher cost, with faster replenishment discounts.

Example: Your landed cost = £8. You want £3 profit per unit. Wholesale price = £11. Recommended RRP = £22–£27.

Merchandising & in-store success: what convinces a buyer to reorder

Buyers think in sell-through and space efficiency. Give them merchandising tools that make your product a safe, high-turn option.

Shelf-ready packaging: Easy to unpack and display. Topshelf presentation increases impulse sales.
Turn indicators: Show velocity (units/week) and stock-to-sales ratio from other accounts.
Cross-merchandising ideas: List complementary categories or store departments where your item can live.
Seasonal stories: Build hooks for gifting, events and limited-edition drops aligned with the store calendar.
In-store demo plan: Offer short pop-ups, maker appearances or live demonstrations to drive footfall and PR.

Real-world tactics for follow-up and relationship-building

Persistence is part science, part etiquette. Use data-driven follow-up and add value every time you touch base.

Wait 7–10 business days after the first email. If no reply, send one succinct follow-up with a new data point (recent press or a sell-out).
If you hear no, ask for feedback: "Is it timing, scale, or price?" — buyers appreciate honesty and may keep you in mind.
Invite them to micro-tests: propose a 4-week trial with sell-through targets and replenishment options.
Respect the buying cycle: buying teams often plan 3–6 months ahead; align your timelines to store seasonal windows.

Case study: small-batch candle maker who cracked a department store buy (anonymized)

A UK candle maker approached a leading store during a buyer reshuffle in late 2025. Key moves that won the deal:

Sent a one-page pitch highlighting a 60% sell-through across five local shops and 12% repeat purchase rate.
Included a merchandising mockup and a small pop-up plan to drive launch-week traffic.
Offered a flexible MOQ: 50 units for a trial bay, with a 30% replenishment discount if the bay hit KPI.

Result: a 12-week trial that converted to national stocking after a 4-week replenishment based on exceeding the rebuy KPI.

Advanced strategies for 2026 — stand out with tech and sustainability

Buyers at modern department stores expect brands to be digitally and ethically mature. Use these advanced tactics to differentiate.

1. Omnichannel readiness

Provide high-res product feeds compatible with the retailer's PIM or marketplace.
Offer shoppable video or short-form content for the store’s social channels.

2. Micro-batching & nearshoring

Smaller, faster reorders reduce inventory risk for buyers — pitch a plan for rolling replenishments.

3. Certifications & traceability

Transparent supply chains, QR-enabled provenance tags and third-party certifications (e.g., GOTS, FSC) resonate strongly.

4. Data partnerships

Offer to share anonymized sell-through and customer feedback data post-launch to support replenishment decisions.

Common buyer objections and how to counter them

Prepare concise rebuttals for typical pushbacks you’ll hear in buyer meetings.

"MOQ is too high": Propose staggered shipments, smaller initial bay quantities, or consignment pilots.
"We’re risk averse": Reference other accounts, provide sell-through and offer a performance-based reorder discount.
"Margins are thin": Explain your cost structure, show tiered pricing and outline marketing support to drive turn.
"Logistics are complex": Share a fulfillment SLA, insurance proof and customs documentation for cross-border deals.

Checklist: your pre-pitch pack (print or digital) — download-ready

One-page pitch PDF
Line sheet (PDF + CSV)
Print or package 3 professional samples
6-slide sales proof deck
Merchandising & POS suggestions
Operational doc (lead times, returns, liability insurance)
Contact list for logistics & PR

Final notes: mindset and cadence for long-term buyer relationships

Getting into a department store rarely happens overnight. Treat each interaction as the start of a relationship. Be punctual, transparent and proactive. After a pitch — send a thank-you note, summarize next steps, and update the buyer if you hit any new milestones. Remember: buyers like Lydia King value partners who make their job easier.

Actionable next steps — get your pitch ready in 7 days

Day 1–2: Build one-page pitch & line sheet.
Day 3: Collect and format digital assets (images, short video).
Day 4: Print or package 3 professional samples.
Day 5: Draft the outreach email with subject-line tested above.
Day 6: Identify 3 target buyers at department stores and customize one-sentence hooks for each.
Day 7: Send the first email and schedule a 7–10 day follow-up.

Closing thought

The buyers leading change at department stores are not guarding gates; they’re hunting for partners who reduce friction and drive predictable sales. By translating your maker story into retail terms — margins, lead times, merchandising, and measurable demand — you stop being "another artisan" and become a dependable retail partner.

Ready to pitch? Download our free Retail Pitch Toolkit at agoras.shop, or submit your one-page pitch for a fast, expert review from our buying-house consultants — get tailored feedback and a prioritized checklist to win your first department store listing.

agoras

Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.