Retail Launch: Q4 2026
What does a retail buyer check before saying yes to a new brand? In four weeks you’ll find out, fix the gaps in your margins, compliance and supply, and leave with a brand that’s ready for the shelf.
- Free for startups
- No equity taken
- Run by Growth Studio
What you’ll leave with
Your Buyer-Ready Pack: a price ladder from factory to shelf that still works after the retailer’s margin and promotions, the product, compliance and supply details buyers check, and a shortlist of retailers that fit your brand, plus a before-and-after readiness check you can rerun before you approach a buyer.
Why now
Shelf space isn’t growing. UK grocery sales are forecast to rise by more than £45 billion by 2031, mostly through inflation and population growth rather than people buying more (IGD, June 2026). A new brand usually has to win space from one already there, so buyers look hard at whether it will sell and whether the numbers work.
Smaller brands do well with new products, but keeping a listing is harder. Smaller manufacturers account for 22% of new-product sales in UK grocery against 15% of the market, yet lower rates of sale leave their lines more at risk when retailers review ranges (Circana, July 2024). Getting margins, compliance and supply right first gives a listing a better chance of lasting.
Who it’s for
- UK consumer product brands, including food and drink, beauty, personal care and household
- Brands already selling online, in independents or at markets, with customers who come back
- Founders aiming for their first supermarket, high street chain, department store or wholesaler in the next 6 to 12 months
How it runs
9 November to 7 December 2026. A workshop each week, with discussion hours and a cohort chat in between.
Week 1
See your brand as a buyer does
Kick-off and quick-fire networking with your cohort. Learn how supermarkets, high street chains, department stores and wholesalers choose new brands, run a readiness check and pick the retailers that fit.
Week 2
Make the numbers work
Build your price ladder from factory cost to shelf price, with the retailer’s margin, trade terms and promotions in it. Then a Discussion Hour where founders and experts test each other’s numbers.
Week 3
Show you can deliver
Barcodes, labelling and product rules for your category, insurance, retailer ordering systems, and a supply plan that keeps the shelf full when orders grow.
Week 4
Tell the buyer why
Pull it into the case a buyer needs: why your product, why their shelf and how you’ll help it sell. Rerun your readiness check with expert review. The Sprint closes with the cohort’s awards.
Who you’ll meet
The Growth Studio team and specialists in retail, pricing, product compliance and supply chain, with feedback on your work each week and a cohort of founders getting their brands ready for retail.
What it costs you
Nothing. Sprints are free for startups, and no equity is taken.
Here’s how that goal gets into your calendar.
- 1
Find the Sprint that fits you
Look through the open Sprints for an outcome your business needs. Each one tells you what you’ll be working towards, and applying is free.
- 2
Apply to join your fellow founders
Every Sprint has entry requirements so the work suits the startups taking part. Your cohort will be working towards the same outcome, with experience of their own to share.
- 3
Make room and get stuck in
Each week brings a hands-on workshop, a discussion circle and time to get to know your cohort. You’ll complete a deliverable, then build on it the following week. When something has you scratching your head between sessions, take it to the cohort chat.
- 4
Finish with something you can use
Depending on the Sprint, that could be a finished trade pack or a submitted certification application. You’ll also know who to call when you need another founder’s opinion or an expert’s advice.