Shelf Talks
Shelf Talks is the podcast for female founders, CPG entrepreneurs, and product-based business owners who want to get their products into retail stores and build brands that thrive once they're on the shelf.
Hosted by Roberta Townes, a retail buyer with more than 15 years of experience discovering and launching products at national retailers, each weekly episode features honest conversations with female founders who have successfully landed on retail shelves. Together, they pull back the curtain on how they pitched buyers, built wholesale partnerships, scaled distribution, increased brand awareness, and overcame the challenges of growing a product-based business.
Whether you're preparing for your first retail pitch or looking to expand into more stores, you'll gain practical strategies for retail readiness, wholesale growth, buyer expectations, merchandising, and increasing sell-through once your product hits the shelf.
If you're ready to turn your product into a retail success story, you're in the right place.
New episodes drop every week. Subscribe to Shelf Talks and learn what it really takes to get your brand retail-ready and winning in stores.
Looking for even more retail guidance? Roberta's book, Shelf Talk: A Step by Step Guide to Getting Your Product in Retail Stores, is available on Amazon.
Shelf Talks
Retail Readiness Round: Belle Robinson on Winning at Retail Beyond the Pitch
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Getting your product onto a retailer's shelf is only the beginning.
In this Retail Readiness Round, Belle Robinson, founder of ROXII Supercube, shares three quick but powerful lessons every product founder should hear before pursuing retail.
You'll learn:
• Why you need to know exactly where your product belongs before pitching.
• The biggest mistake founders make after getting into stores.
• Why pop-ups and product demos can turn curious shoppers into loyal customers.
• The one retail metric every emerging brand should track to measure success.
If you're preparing to pitch retailers or looking to grow once you're on shelf, this short episode is packed with practical retail advice you can apply immediately.
Subscribe to Shelf Talks for weekly conversations with female founders who are building successful retail brands and the lessons that can help you do the same.
Listen to the full episode released Monday July 6th.
Event Partner: Nourish Summit & Expo (Oct. 5-7, 2027 | Baltimore) - Use code SHELFTALKS10 for 10% off full registration https://bit.ly/4sx0Zba
Looking for more? Visit our Linktree for the latest episodes, free resources, retail tips, and ways to connect with the Shelf Talks community.
https://linktr.ee/shelftalkspodcast
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Contact us via email: Hello@shelftalks.com
Reach out if you know of a female founder with an impactful brand and retail story and leave a review if you found value in this episode! Hello@shelftalks.com
Purchase the book Shelf Talk: A step by step guide to launching your product in Retail Stores by Roberta Townes Buy Book