I'm going to give a couple notes here. I currently work for a CPG startup that has distribution in grocery chains. It's not the same category as your product, and I could be wrong, but this isn't coming from nowhere either
Getting distribution will be a little tough if you don't have a gimmick. Buyers for major chains don't usually take risks, and if they do pick up a niche product, they're often looking to rip it off with private label, which is an ugly experience.
- Avoid coupons - your conversion will be low, and the people that tend to buy are people that only buy when your product is on deal. You are looking to create actual fans - people who will repeat-purchase at full price. Discounts can have this same effect of cheapening your brand.
- Free samples - usually avoid. It has always been a failure for us, but there are some pretty famous success stories that used them heavily. You don't have distribution, so it will definitely do you no good to give someone a free sample if there's then nowhere they can go buy it.
- I see small batch is a problem, which isn't surprising. Please tell me your packer is in the US and not Spain.
You might want to start by profiling your customer then working backwards. Where do they shop? How do they make buying choices? What influences those choices?
Small shops are an option, as actually is AAFES like someone suggested, but expect that to be a long process. Have you thought about the concessioners that have the contracts for university book stores, national parks, and airports?
Since you're selling a healthy alternative to a bag of gas station chips, you might want to look in places like the above where people have limited choices and therefore aren't as price sensitive.
BTW - Your packaging is beautiful. Love it.
Nice, thanks for the feedback. Maybe you could help us out finding distributors
Manufacturing and packaging will be done in the USA. No worries there.
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