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For brands that sell to retailers

Wholesale Customer Testimonials From Stockists

A shop owner deciding whether to stock you does not care how much consumers love the product in the abstract. They want to know whether it sells off the shelf, whether reordering is painless and whether you turn up when something goes wrong. The people who can say that are your current stockists. Build a request below that asks them the questions a buyer would.

  • Questions a retail buyer actually weighs
  • Versions for independent shops and larger buyers
  • Kept apart from your consumer reviews
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New message

SubjectWould you tell other shops what stocking our small batch preserves is like?

Hi Helen,

Other shop owners thinking about stocking our small batch preserves keep asking us what it is really like from behind the counter. You know better than we do. Would you share a few honest lines?

- How does it sell at The Corner Pantry? Do customers come back for it?

- What is reordering like for you?

- How have we handled anything that went wrong?

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The problem, solved

Why trade proof is so thin

Stockists are often your biggest fans. They are just rarely asked, and never asked the right things.

Situation 1 of 5

We only have consumer reviews

A buyer reading "my kids love it" learns nothing about margin, turnover or how you handle a damaged delivery.

How StoryProof solves it

Keep stockists as their own contact list and send them a request written for retailers, separate from anything consumers receive.

Stockist request

Ask a retailer for a testimonial

Fill in one stockist’s details. Independent shop owners and buyers at larger groups respond to different framing.

Retailer type
  1. Request to an independent owner

    Subject: Would you tell other shops what stocking [our small batch preserves] is like?

    Hi [Helen],

Other shop owners thinking about stocking [our small batch preserves] keep asking us what it is really like from behind the counter. You know better than we do. Would you share a few honest lines?

- How does it sell at [The Corner Pantry]? Do customers come back for it?
- What is reordering like for you?
- How have we handled anything that went wrong?
- What would you tell another shop owner who is unsure?

Please leave out prices or margins. Type it, leave an audio note or record a quick video: [your StoryProof link]

Thank you,
[Owen]
  2. Note for the next delivery box

    Print it with the QR code of your collection link.

    Thanks for stocking [our small batch preserves], [Helen]. If you have two minutes, scan this and tell other shops what it is like to sell. An audio note is fine. We read every one.

Templates fill in on this page. What you type is not saved.

What retail buyers want a stockist to tell them

Ask about these, in roughly this order of how much a new buyer weighs them.

Buyer worryQuestion to ask a stockistKeep out of the published quote
Will it sell?How does it move, and do customers come back for it?Unit sales and revenue figures
Is ordering painful?What are reordering and delivery like?Order values and minimums
Will they support me?How were problems or damaged stock handled?Names of staff who handled complaints
Does it suit my shop?What kind of customer buys it from you?Details of their other suppliers

In StoryProof

Collect stockist proof with StoryProof

  1. 1

    Keep stockists in their own list

    Add retailers as contacts and put them in a smart list so trade requests never go to consumers.

  2. 2

    Ask by email and in person

    Email the request, and print the QR code for delivery boxes and sales visits.

  3. 3

    Check for trade figures

    Read each reply before approving. If it quotes prices or margins, ask for a version without them.

  4. 4

    Tag and show on the trade page

    Tag by shop type and region, and choose stockist testimonials for the wholesale page widget only.

What happens next: Ask new stockists after their first reorder, not their first order. A reorder is the moment they know the line sells.

Before you start

Limits to plan around

  • Group buyers may need sign off

    Buyers at chains often cannot be named without head office approval. Budget the time, or agree to describe them by type and region.

  • Do not swap goods for quotes

    Offering free stock or better terms in return for a testimonial turns it into a paid endorsement. Ask without conditions.

  • No wholesale platform sync

    StoryProof does not connect to wholesale ordering platforms. Stockists reach the form through the link you send or print.

  • Consumer and trade proof differ

    Keep them on different pages. A retailer’s view on margins confuses a consumer; a consumer’s delight tells a buyer little.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Short answers to what usually comes up next.

When is the best time to ask a stockist?

After their first reorder. At that point they know the product sells in their shop, and the experience of ordering twice is fresh.

Can a stockist mention sales figures?

Only if they are comfortable sharing them publicly and you are comfortable with what they reveal. Most brands prefer general statements such as "it sells steadily and customers come back for it".

Where should stockist testimonials go?

On your wholesale or trade page, the stockist sign up form and in trade outreach emails. Keep them off consumer product pages.

What if a stockist is lukewarm?

Thank them and listen. A lukewarm stockist is telling you something about the product or the service, and their words are not for publishing.

Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.

Let your stockists sell the line to other shops

Send a retailer request to three stockists who reordered recently and put their answers on your trade page.

Get started (opens in a new tab)

Last updated 2026-11-07.