Therese Oertenblad – Start To Wholesale

Start To Wholesale is Therese Oertenblad’s self-led program for small product brands moving from direct-to-consumer sales into retail. Its 12-week challenge combines weekly prompts with pricing and sales-material exercises, and can be followed at a faster or slower pace.

Wholesale skills covered in Start To Wholesale

• Master the wholesale pricing formulas that keep margins profitable
• Develop sales materials including line sheets and catalogues that sell
• Learn how to pitch Liberty, John Lewis, Anthropologie, and Selfridges style stockists
• Apply the 12-week challenge Therese uses to sign the first 3 wholesale accounts
• Build a wholesale-ready brand presentation for buyers and trade shows
• Implement the onboarding and order-management systems that protect cash flow

Start To Wholesale at a glance

The program is structured around weekly prompts for founders developing a retail channel alongside their direct sales. It is aimed at moving an existing product brand toward its first three stockists, rather than developing a new product idea.

Founders can begin the pricing and line-sheet exercises within the first two or three weeks. The challenge is self-led, so its weekly structure can be followed more quickly or more slowly than the 12-week schedule.

Inside the program

The pricing module includes a workbook and a calculator template for GBP, EUR and USD. It addresses the margins involved in wholesale pricing, including the effect of a 50 percent retailer markup.

A sales-materials module explains the different roles of a catalogue and a line sheet, with line-sheet templates for presenting products to buyers. Foundational lessons address wholesale positioning, while outreach modules focus on identifying suitable buyers.

The 2024 release includes MP4 video lessons, PDF workbooks and an XLSX pricing calculator, alongside documents and spreadsheets. The materials support the challenge’s weekly exercises and the development of a wholesale presentation.

Building a wholesale channel

The course looks at wholesale as a way for a product business to reach customers through retail stockists rather than relying solely on direct-to-consumer sales and paid marketing. It addresses the possibility of repeat orders as part of a wholesale channel.

Its pricing exercises consider the relationship between a product’s trade price and the margin needed when a retailer adds its markup. The sales-material work prepares founders for conversations with retail buyers, including buyers at established department stores.

Who Start To Wholesale is built for

Start To Wholesale is intended for small product businesses, including makers and designers selling through channels such as Etsy or Shopify. It also suits sustainable and purpose-led brands seeking retail shelf space, as well as founders with an established direct-to-consumer product who have not yet pitched a buyer.

The program assumes that founders already have a product people buy. Its structured weekly approach is intended for creative entrepreneurs who want to develop distribution through stockists.

Therese Oertenblad’s buyer-informed approach

Therese Oertenblad founded Small Business Collaborative and hosts the Let’s Talk Shop podcast. Before working with creative and purpose-driven brands, she was a sales team lead and retail buyer; she began working with those brands in 2018.

Her approach draws on her experience on the buying side of retail, including the presentation materials buyers use to assess products. Therese reports that her clients have secured stockists including Liberty, John Lewis, Anthropologie and Selfridges.

Also on GenkiCourses for ecommerce: Private Label Masters – VIP by Tim Sanders and SCALE AI for DTC and Agencies – Mike Futia.

Frequently asked questions

What does Start To Wholesale cover?

The course covers wholesale positioning, pricing, sales materials and buyer outreach through a 12-week challenge with weekly prompts.

Who is the course designed for?

It is designed for makers, product designers and purpose-led brands that already have a product selling direct to consumers and want to expand into retail.

What materials are included?

The materials include MP4 video lessons, PDF workbooks, documents, spreadsheets and an XLSX pricing calculator in GBP, EUR and USD.

How long does the course take?

The challenge is designed for 12 weeks, but it is self-led. The pricing and line-sheet work can be undertaken within the first two or three weeks.

Does the pricing calculator cover UK, European and US currencies?

Yes. The calculator template supports GBP, EUR and USD.