Ep 463: Lessons from Dr. Squatch’s Walmart Launch with Martin Forde

Dec 9, 2024

Martin Forde, Founder of Forde Consulting and former key player in Dr. Squatch's retail expansion, shares insights on scaling brands into retail. He reveals how Dr. Squatch transformed from DTC to a retail powerhouse, emphasizing retail as a vital customer acquisition channel. Martin discusses the impact of bold endcap displays and seasonal products in driving demand. He also highlights the importance of omni-channel presence and leveraging DTC data to negotiate with major retailers like Walmart, making retail strategies more effective.

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Intro

00:00 • 1min

Navigating the Path to Dr. Squatch: A Career Journey

01:29 • 4min

Omni-Channel Success: The DTC Journey

05:31 • 10min

Retail Innovation: Walmart Launch Strategies

15:54 • 10min

The Power of Brand Storytelling in Retail

25:33 • 10min

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In this episode of the DTC Podcast, we’re joined by Martin Forde, Founder and Principal of Forde Consulting. With a background as a key player in the rapid retail expansion of Dr. Squatch, Martin now helps consumer brands navigate the challenges of scaling into retail.

Martin shares how Dr. Squatch evolved from a DTC powerhouse to a retail juggernaut, breaking into major retailers like Walmart with bold strategies that continue to inspire.

Key insights include:

The Retail Advantage: How treating retail as a customer acquisition channel fuels overall growth.

Endcap Success: The design strategy that turned a bold, disruptive retail display into a velocity machine.

Data-Driven Expansion: Using DTC data to validate retail strategies and negotiate with major partners like Walmart.

Seasonal Products: Leveraging special releases to secure off-shelf placement and drive demand.

Omni-Channel Synergy: Why having a presence on every platform—from Walmart to TikTok Shop—ensures long-term viability.

Tune in to learn how to take your DTC brand to the next level by mastering retail expansion.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Martin Forde and Dr. Squatch's retail strategy

03:00 - Martin's career journey and joining Dr. Squatch

06:00 - Key factors behind Dr. Squatch's DTC and retail success

10:00 - Retail launch strategy: Walmart and beyond

15:00 - Leveraging end caps and seasonal products for retail success

20:00 - Transitioning to omnichannel and building demand in retail

26:00 - The importance of brand awareness for scaling DTC and retail

30:00 - Advising brands on retail expansion and consumer insights

33:00 - How to approach retailers and build key partnerships

Hashtags:

#RetailStrategy #DirectToConsumer #OmnichannelMarketing #BrandAwareness #DrSquatch #EcommerceTips #RetailExpansion #DTCGrowth #ConsumerInsights #ScalingBrands

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