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July 11, 2025 48 mins

Retail won't save you and free samples won't land the deal.

In this episode, I'm joined by retail strategist and former grocery buyer Allison Ball to bust some of the biggest myths about getting your product on shelves. From the real cost of sampling to the metrics that actually matter to retail buyers, this conversation is a must-listen for any founder dreaming of Whole Foods or Target.

If you've ever wondered how to pitch without losing profit or how to compete when big brands dominate the shelf space, this one's for you.

What You'll Learn:

  • Why free samples often backfire (and what to do instead)

  • The buyer psychology founders overlook and how to build for it

  • What a pitch deck really needs (hint: it's not fancy design)

  • The KPIs buyers care about and how to align your business around them

  • The difference between in-store and online storytelling—and how to win at both

  • How to build brand pull-through before ever landing retail

About Allison
Alli Ball is the founder & CEO of Food Biz Wiz and the creator of Retail Ready®, an online program that has provided strategic support, curated curriculum, and values-aligned community for over 3,000 producers of packaged products in the food industry. 

As a former grocery buyer-turned-wholesale consultant, Alli has helped thousands of emerging brands understand what it takes to get on the shelf and have high sales once you're there. Find her on her website here or on Food Biz Wiz®, her award-winning podcast about wholesale strategy, which contains a library of 250 episodes.

Connect with Allison

Allison@alliball.com

Website: www.foodbizwiz.com

Instagram: @foodbizwiz

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aball/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foodbizwiz 

Food Biz Wiz Podcast: www.alliball.com/foodbizwiz


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