RangeMe FAQs

create a custom email template

There’s no doubt about it: attending trade shows is crucial to your business’ success. Trade shows give both large and small retailers the opportunity to discover new brands, meet with existing suppliers, and make valuable business connections.

As important as trade shows are, attending them can be a hectic experience. It is easy to become overwhelmed and disorganized when preparing for and attending a show, which is why planning for all phases of the event is so important. Luckily, RangeMe offers tools to help organize your trade show experience, save the brands you’re interested in, and streamline your communications with prospective suppliers. Incorporate these best practices for using RangeMe at your next trade show for a seamless experience!

Before the show

Going to a trade show is a great time to meet new brands face-to-face and reconnect with existing customers. Your days will be jam-packed with meetings, product demos, education sessions, and will often include happy hours and networking sessions. To make the best use of your time at the show, it’s important to get organized and plan out which brands you’d like to check out in person before the show.

This is where RangeMe comes in. Incorporate RangeMe into your pre-show plan by creating a target list of brands you want to meet. We recommend starting to build your list with the brands you’ve already noted interest in or been in conversation with on RangeMe.

You can find these brands in two different places: your Messages inbox or your Interested and Saved folders. Suppliers will indicate which trade shows they are attending on their product listing page, so be sure to check there for brands you’d like to meet in person!

Once you’ve identified a list of suppliers you’d like to meet at the show, create a custom message template to send to these suppliers to schedule meetings at the show.

During the show

Suppliers will do their best to get your attention as you walk down the aisles. It’s easy to get distracted, so use RangeMe to cut through the noise and conveniently find and track the brands you’re interested in.

To help you quickly identify which brands are on RangeMe, we’ve equipped suppliers with RangeMe signage for their booths. When you do discover a brand you’re interested in, open your RangeMe mobile app to save them for follow up later.

After the show

As you decompress and review all of the information you gathered during the show, don’t forget to reference the brands you saved to your Saved folder on the app. What’s great about reviewing a brand on RangeMe is that you can learn important information at a glance, including things like distribution, certifications, MSRP, etc. These details can help you further narrow down the brands you want to pursue.

To streamline your follow-up communications (and not send one-off emails like you may have done previously), start your conversations in RangeMe to keep everything in one place. Before you send off your follow-up messages, make sure to to save yourself time.

With these best practices for incorporating RangeMe before, during, and after a trade show in mind, you’ll be set up for success at any trade show you attend!

RangeMe Collections will help you find inspiration and discover new products and trends with the click of a button! Navigate to Collections to discover products recommended for you, trending on Instagram, outperforming in sales in their category, and more!

In order to view these products select the “Collections” tab from your navigation bar as shown below.

Once you have navigated to Collections from your dashboard you will be able to select one of a number of different collections each outlined below:

Submissions:

The submission collection will allow you to browse brands that have submitted their products directly to your retail organization. . This collection will only be available to retailers who leverage RangeMe Retailer Submissions to manage their inbound supplier's submissions and have had brands in their selected categories submit to their retailer.

Recommended Products For You:

This collection allows you to browse products that are similar to products you’ve previously saved or sampled. The more products you take action on the better the results will be, start saving products of interest to improve your results!

Trending on Instagram:

Browse brands with the fastest growth in Instagram followers over the past month. This collection show brands who have had a significant increase in followers rather than suppliers with the greatest number of followers. This allows you to have more insight into emerging brands.

Nielsen Top Performing Products:

According to data provided by Nielsen, suppliers within this collection will have sales growth per store that exceeds their category average. All buyers, even those who do not subscribe to Nielsen, will have access to this collection. Learn more about how buyers subscribed to Nielsen can take advantage of this data on RangeMe here!

Curated Collections:

Curated Collections are created for you based on what’s generating a buzz in the industry. These Collections are rotating and may not always be available for every category.

Trade Show & ECRM Program Collection:

Suppliers in your category attending an upcoming ECRM program or have indicated that they are attending one of the trade shows from the RangeMe trade show list will be presented here.

Note: if you’d like to request a trade show be added to the RangeMe tradeshow list reach out to our team at [email protected]

Email preferences allow you to select how frequently you would like to receive specific email notifications from RangeMe.

In order to set your email preferences you will need to be logged in to your RangeMe account:

Move your cursor to the top left hand corner of your dashboard and select Settings

Click the Email Preferences tab

Next to each type of email, you can choose how frequently you want toreceive new product updates and whether you want to receive other notifications at allby clicking On or Off

In order to change the email associated with your account go to Settings > Profile.

To make any changes to your Profile, go to Settings and select Profile where you can enter account and password details.

First and last name, as well as job title, will be shown to any suppliers that you connect with. It is also important to keep in mind that any communication from RangeMe, including platform updates and account alerts, will be sent to the email address provided in this field.

Note: Please be aware that you will need to verify your email address by responding to our confirmation emailbefore you can submit your product profiles for approval.

Please be aware that the phone number field requires a country calling code. Listed below are the calling codes for each of the RangeMe regional platforms:

US=+1

NZ= +64

AU= +61

Password details can also be edited from your profile.

In order to change your password:

Enter your original password

Enter the new password you would like to change it to

Confirm your new password

Click Change Password

Company settings allows users to manage and update any company details.

In order to change your company details for your RangeMe account:

Move your cursor to the top left hand corner of your dashboard and select Settings

Select Company

Make any required changes and click Save

Please keep in mind that your company name and logo will be shared with suppliers with whom you connect. Also, the company address you provide in your profile will be the address sent to suppliers when you request samples.

Note: If you are unable to select your address through our address automation please select Can't Find YourAddress directly below the address field. This will allow you to enter your address manually.

Under Settings, go to Category Subscriptions to select the categories you manage or that best represent the types of products for which you are looking.This way only relevant products are shownto you.

Note: We will only show you products that fall withinyour selected categories.

In order to change your company's category subscriptions for your RangeMe account:

Move your cursor to the far left of the category you would like to select and click the empty box Refine

Select all categories that apply

Once you have added all relevant categories click Save

Eachcategory can be filtered into two sub-category levels, in order to filter your categories:

Move your cursor to the far rightof the category you would like to filterand click the

Deselect any level one sub-categories you would like to exclude

Repeat for level two sub-categories to further refine your category selections

Once you have added all relevant categories click Save

Note: Categories can also be filtered on your dashboard through the feature.

Buyer can also add keywords used for products in their category to refine their categories even further.

How do I export data from RangeMe?

1. From Dashboard, go to your Interested or Saved folder.

2. Click the “Export” button to begin preparing your spreadsheet. Once the export is ready, click “Download.”

3. Your file is ready! If you exported data for products you’re Interested in, simply repeat the steps from your Saved folder.

I can’t open the export file.

The downloadable spreadsheet is a .XLSX file. Make sure you have compatible software such as Microsoft Office 2007 or newer to open and view.

Can I export data for products that are not in my Interested or Saved folders?

You can only export data for products that you requested samples, connected, or saved.

Note: The export feature is not a default feature. If you are unable to export, please feel free to contact [email protected] for more information.

Buyers will need to confirm their email in order to select categories and discover new products on the platform.

Note: Buyers will need to confirm their email a second time when linking their ECRM Marketgate account for single sign-on, read more about single sign-on here.

We do this tomake sure that buyers do not accidentally list an incorrect email. Doing so would cause the buyer to miss supplier responses.

If you haven’t received an email from us, please check your spam/junk/clutter folders. To confirm your email and ensure any future communication is not missed, please add [email protected] to your safe sender's list. This is a quick once off task. Below are instructions for some of the most popular email clients.

Apple Mail (OS X and iOS devices)

Both Apple Mail on OSX and Mail on iOS devices have a similar process for adding senders to Contacts. By selecting the From, or Reply-to on an email message from us, choose "Add to Contacts”

Outlook 20xx

When opening an email from us, an alert at the header of the message, "Click here to download pictures..." should display. Click this and select, "Add Sender to Safe Senders list":

Outlook.com

After opening an email message from us, an alert message should display with, "Parts of this message have been blocked for your safety." Beneath this, click the link with, "I trust [email protected]. Always show content":

Yahoo! Mail

When opening an email message from us, a "+" symbol should display next to From: and the our name. Select this and an "Add to contacts" pop-up should appear. Select "Save":

Gmail (Webmail and mobile)

Getting all future emails from us to appear in the "Primary" tab (instead of "Promotions", or elsewhere) is a quick, two-step process. First of all, drag-and-drop the email message from beneath the tab it's currently filed under, to the "Primary" tab:

Once done, a message alert will appear with, "This conversation has been moved to Primary. Do this for all future messages from [email protected]?". Select "Yes":

Gmail on mobile devices doesn't provide a way to prioritize messages. However, touching "Show images", then "Always show images from Sender" will ensure that images always display in the inbox:

Android (Default client)

On Android devices, open the email message from us and touch the picture that displays before the message. Touch "Add to Contacts".

Windows Live Desktop

After opening an email message from us in Windows Live Desktop, an alert in the preview pane with, "Some images in this message are not shown." will display. Select the link, "Add to Safe Senders list".

AOL Mail

In the preview pane for an opened email message from us in AOL Mail, select our name under the email's subject line and select "Add Contact" from the drop-down menu.

RangeMe buyers attending ECRM sessions will now be able to connect their ECRM and RangeMe accounts. Once a match is found and confirmed the buyer will be able to toggle seamlessly between their ECRM and RangeMe accounts.

If a buyer is logged into both their RangeMe and ECRM accounts and clicks the RangeMe link from their ECRM account they will be routed directly to their Discovery Dashboard.

[email protected]

If the buyer is not logged into their RangeMe account they will need to confirm the link via email. The link will not be established and access from Marketgate to the RangeMe account will not be available until the request to connect has been confirmed.

Note: If you do receive a confirmation email follow these confirmation instructions.

If a user match is not found, but a company match is present the user will be prompted to create a new account that will be automatically included in the buyer group of said company.

If no company match is found the user will be prompted to create an account and a new buyer group will be generated in the system.

Note: If a match is not found but you know a buyer group for your company exists to reach out to or your account manager for assistance!

RangeMe is the best way to discover suppliers and save time. Follow these easy steps to get started:

1. Log In to Your RangeMe Account

Log in to your RangeMe account to begin discovering suppliers on your RangeMe Dashboard. Keep in mind that the categories you selected at login will determine what suppliers will show up on your dashboard.

2. Select your Categories

Under Settings at the top right-hand side of the page, go to "Your Categories" to select the categories you manage so only relevant products are showcased to you.

3. Refine Your Selection

Use the refine button at the top left of your dashboard to refine down your selection and find suppliers you are interested in. Products can be refined by attributes like pricing, certifications, drop ship capable and more!

4. Check Your Dashboard

Once you have refined your selection, suppliers will be showcased on your RangeMe Dashboard. From the Dashboard, you can select brands or products you like to view additional detailed information or you can take immediate action by selecting save, sample, or message.

Be sure to also download the RangeMe Mobile App to discover suppliers from anywhere, at any time.

You can download the app from the App Store here or start discovering on any mobile device at rangeme.com

RangeMe helps save time and streamlines the product discovery process by enabling suppliers to create detailed product profiles that contain all the information buyers lookfor while evaluating products.

Ourunique algorithm and targeted filtering ensures that only products relevant to you, basedon the categories and preferences that you select, are displayed.

This process makes it easier for you to track down new and innovative products that your consumers will love!

Edits can be made to a published product at any time, but will not show in the product profile until the draft has been submitted. Some changes made to a product may be instant while others will require approval by RangeMe. This article will go into more detail on how to edit and submit changes to your product profiles.

To edit product profiles:

From your brand page, find the product you would like to update or edit

Click your product, or the drop-down and select Edit

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Click the drop-down in the top right corner of the product listing and select “Edit”. Edits will not reflect on the product profile until the changes have been submitted. Any changes made in edit mode will automatically save and remain a draft until you select the "Submit" button in the top right-hand corner of the form shown below.

Once changes have been submitted, depending on the fields that have been edited, the product profile will either instantly update or will be listed as a pending update until it has been reviewed. A product will only need to be reviewed if a critical field has been changed, read more about critical fields .

Note: You will receive an email confirmation after your product has been approved and is live on the platform. If your product is not approved, you will also receive an email notification stating the reason it was not approved and the next steps to get approved.

When adding a user to your team you will need to enter their name and email, the brands you would like this user to have access to and their user role. Please ensure that you are inviting trusted individuals within your organization or third party vendors working on behalf of your brand.

1. Select “Settings”

2. Navigate to Company Settings: Team Access

3. Click “+ Invite User”

assigned role

4. Enter Email Address

5. Indicate Brands

Note: If you select all brands this user will have access to any brands you add in the future unless you edit their permissions

6. Select Desired User Role

Users will have different permissions, determined by their . You can assign an existing user role with preset permissions or create a custom role.

Note: You will be able to change and update a user's permissions after a user has accepted your invite. The user will not be updated when a change has been made to their permissions.

7. Add a Custom Message (Optional)

Once your invite has been sent the new user will appear under your existing users in a pending state, this user will be sent an email inviting them to join.

They will receive an email inviting them to get started, if they have an existing account they will be invited to add your company and if not they will be prompted to create an account.

Click here to start Section 1: Qualifying Your Sample Request

With RangeMe, it’s easy to connect with buyers relevant to your categories, and easy for buyers to discover innovative products. To help navigate sample requests, we have put together a comprehensive guide on product samples. These articles follow the order of how you, the supplier, would research, send, and follow up on sample requests.

By working with buyers on RangeMe, we’ve compiled the tips, tricks, and best practices for setting you up for success.

Section 1: Qualifying Your Sample Request

Whether your goal is to land a big box retailer, mom and pop shop, specialty store, or e-tailer, these strategies will support you as you convert opportunities into partnerships.

Section 2: How to Send a Sample

You have a product that’s caught their interest. Now use these tips to present buyers with a sample that exceeds their expectations!

Section 3: Following up on Your Sample

It’s in the buyer’s hands now. Here are a few things to consider when following up on your sample.

Start reading to improve your connect rates, up-level your sample game, and refine an important business process. .

Buyers on RangeMe assign greater importance to certain product profile fields that contribute to a brand's level of “Retail Readiness” when evaluating products. These fields can be added or adjusted in Basic Edit Mode.

Keep reading to learn which fields are most important to buyers.

Product image

This is the single most important field of your product profile for attracting buyer attention to your products.

As the first thing buyers see about your brand on their buyer dashboard, your product image is often the deciding factor determining whether or not a buyer will choose to view additional details on your product profile.

Get Verified today

Check out this article for more in-depth information and tips about your product images.

MSRP & Cost

The MSRP and Cost profile fields are used to calculate Gross Margin for buyers, and will therefore have a huge impact on whether a buyer considers carrying your product or not. Buyers will often set a minimum-maximum range when searching for products so that they only see products with acceptable Gross Margins.

Note: MSRP & Cost are simply soft estimates and buyers understand that the final cost will ultimately be negotiated between you and them.

Distributors

Be sure to list any distributors that you are already working with. These are very important to buyers in the product discovery process as they give buyers an idea of your business’ development, and it’s often an added bonus for buyers if a supplier works with one of their distributors.

If your distributor is not listed as an option, please submit a ticket to request that we add it!

Currently Sold At

Listing any retailers that your products are currently sold at shows buyers that you have experience working with retailers, and can help give your brand credibility. Make sure to also indicate the number of stores you are stocked in for each retailer you list.

If your retailer is not listed and is not nationally recognized, you can select “Independent Retailers.”

Barcodes

Having a barcode demonstrates to retail buyers that you are retail-ready and have potentially already worked with retailers in the past, so be sure to include up-to-date barcodes for any products you are listing.

Check out this article for more in-depth information about barcodes.

Need help getting a barcode? Browse RangeMe Services to find a labeling service provider who can help.

Verification

Being RangeMe Verified increases your visibility with buyers and signals to them that you are ready to do business. Being Verified shows buyers that you have key information for your brand and products that are necessary for your product to be stocked in-store, such as insurance and proper labeling.

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By getting these important profile fields in tip-top shape, you will optimize your visibility on RangeMe and be more appealing to buyers!

Why should I get my brand RangeMe Verified?

Finding a great product is often just the beginning of the process when buyers choose to bring a new product into stores. Many retailers have a lengthy onboarding process and it’s important for buyers to know that a potential new supplier is ready.

To help quality suppliers stand out, and to help buyers source products with confidence, RangeMe verifies brands that meet business-ready requirements criteria that have been determined with our retailer partners such as proof of insurance and barcodes.

There are many benefits of being RangeMe Verified, such as:

Being Verified proactively shows buyers you are ready to do business.

Verified brands get up to 7x more views and are more likely to appear at the top of search results.

Your brand and products receive a verified badge and can be easily discovered when buyers filter for “RangeMe Verified Only.”

How do I get my brand RangeMe Verified?

To complete your RangeMe verification, you will need to fulfill each of our retail-ready requirements. In order to submit these requirements to our team for approval, you will need to be a RangeMe Premium supplier. You can learn about upgrading to RangeMe Premium here.

RangeMe Premium suppliers will also need to complete their brand page in order to submit their brand to be Verified. You can read more about completing your brand page here.

Once your brand page is complete, click “Get Verified” on the top navigation bar to get started.

You will need to provide the following requirements for each product within your brand, and provide the additional business information listed below. Most of the requirements are pulled directly from your product listings so you may already be well on your way to getting Verified!

Product Image

Product(s) under your brand have high-quality product images.

Product UPCs

Product(s) under your brand have a UPC, EAN or ISBN.

Insurance

Y our brand has:

Proof of insurance

Insurance type

Coverage amount

Start date and end date of coverage

Business Type

Your brand has listed:

Type of business

EIN number

Nutritional Information

Product(s) have an image of the nutrition label (if applicable)

Packaging

Product(s) under your brand have:

Item dimensions

Item measurement

Items per case

Ingredients

Product(s) have ingredients listed (if applicable)

As a reminder, if you are not already a Premium supplier you will need to upgrade to RangeMe Premium to complete your verification this can be done anytime.One Verified brand is allowed per account. If you have multiple brands you want to get Verified, please contact our team.

Before your product can be published on the RangeMe platform, it must be approved by our Product Approval team. The approval process confirms that your brand and products meet the requirements for being listed on RangeMe and shown to our buyers on the platform. Our goal is to make the product discovery process easier for both suppliers and buyers by making sure that the products on the platform are filled out correctly, and are intended to be sold in retail locations.

After you click Submit for Approval, one of RangeMe’s product specialists will review your product within 24 to 48 hours within the workweek, oftentimes within a few hours.

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Note: If your product is not approved we will send you a written explanation to the email you signed up with explaining why it was not approved and what the next steps are.

During the review process, we determine whether your product profile is retail-ready and appropriate for the retail buyers on RangeMe. We make this determination by considering a number of different factors based on the information you have provided in your product profile. This is why it is important to include as much detail as possible about your company and your product.

Here are some common reasons why products will not be approved:

Unacceptable Product Image (see: What Makes a Good Product Image )

Unrealistic Pricing (e.g. Gross Margin of 0\% or Cost of $0.01)

Not a consumer-packaged product or not appropriate for RangeMe (see: Who Uses RangeMe )

Product listing includes multiple products (e.g. bananas, oranges, and apples)

The product name, description or other fields are written in a language other than English

Product is listed in the incorrect category

If your product profile meets all our requirements, it will be published by our approvals team to immediately start being visible to buyers on RangeMe.

You may make edits to your products or profile at any time. Once you are done editing, click the green submit button at the top of the page to publish any changes that have been made. Any fields that require your product to go into pending status after being re-submitted are called critical fields. Learn more about what that means .

Staying abreast of every retailer’s category review schedule, let alone knowing when a retailer is reviewing a specific category, can be a challenging task. RangeMe helps Premium suppliers tackle this challenge by sending a monthly alert, called a Category Review Alert, notifying you of upcoming retailer review periods. Continue reading to learn the who, what, where, when, and why of the premium Category Review Alert offering.

Click here

Who

All suppliers who upgrade to RangeMe Premium will receive an email alert of upcoming category reviews from a handful of our retail partners.

Keep in mind that not all retailers use category reviews to evaluate and bring on new products. Some retailers review on an ongoing basis while other retailers may review a category once or twice a year.

What

A Category Review Alert is an email we send out to keep you in the loop of upcoming review periods. You may see alerts for categories that are inapplicable to you. That just means your category is not up for review yet by those retailers.

Where

These alerts will be sent via email. If you’ve unsubscribed from our mailing list in the past, let us know so we can re-subscribe you.

When

We will strive to send out alerts of upcoming category reviews that are 1-2 months out so you have ample time to prepare. This alert is sent one time a month, on the first Tuesday of each month.

Why

To stay competitive and in-the-know of how retailers review products, it’s important to keep your RangeMe profile and product listings up to date. The months leading up to a category review period is when buyers are most active. Don’t let a buyer pass up your product because of outdated information! Read here to learn what you can do to put your best (digital) foot forward on RangeMe for a category review.

to review your profile.

Description:Learn how to create a RangeMe profile that will increase your brand’s visibility and expand your reach with retail buyers.

In this webinar session we cover:

The Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Industry and Buyers

Where RangeMe fits in your sales and marketing strategy

How to make your RangeMe profile stand out to buyers

Interested in attending the webinar? Register for a session here.

More Information: For more information about setting up your RangeMe profile and increasing your visibility with buyers, read our helpful guides below.

The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Best-in-Class Profile

How It Works

Retailers on RangeMe

How Do Buyers Discover Products?

Why You Should Be Sharing Your RangeMe Profile

Only verified retail buyers with an account on RangeMe will be able to view your published product profiles.

RangeMe is a closed platform which means that ONLY these verified retail buyers will be able to view your product profiles. No suppliers on the platform will be able to view your products at any point nor will you be able to view other suppliers' products.

If you would like to view your product from the buyer's perspective, you can go to your Brand Page and select Preview for the product you would like to view.

This will generate a preview of how your product profile appears to buyers.

Note: When using the share function of your profile, you are able to create direct links to your profile. Anybody who accesses this link will be able to view your published products from a buyer view including any images, descriptions, and pricing.

If a buyer has indicated that they would like to connect, a message will open between you and the interested buyer in RangeMe Messaging.

At this point, the buyer may ask additional questions about your product,request a sample,or even request to schedule a meeting to verify your profile details and discuss the possibility of carrying your product.

We always recommend starting a conversation with any buyer who has requested a sample. Ways to start a conversation can include saying hello, asking if they would like any additional samples or confirming the address you will be sending samples to.

Please remember, suppliers will never be required to send samples, it is entirely up to you to determine if you would like to do business with any interested buyers. Should you decide you would not like to work with a retailer all we ask if that you reply and let them know that their business is not a good fit for your strategy at this time.

When signing up for our platform through a referred retailer’s link, that retailer will get exclusive access to your products for your first few weeks on the platform.

This means that no other retailers will be able to view your products until this period of exclusivity has ended. After this period of exclusivity ends, other retailers on the platform will be able to view your products too!

Note:Our team does not have the ability to extend the period of exclusivity, nor can it be re-added once the time period has ended.

You can tell if your page is exclusive, and how long you have left in your exclusivity by checking your RangeMe Home Page.

Please be aware that this retailer exclusivity only applies within the RangeMe platform. You are, of course, free to reach out to any other retailer by other means outside of our platform.

RangeMe messages allow you to communicate with buyers who have indicated interest in your brand or products. You will also receive any responses from quotes or information you have requested from our partnered service providers.

You will be notified of unread messages on your dashboard. When a message is received, an alert with the number of unread messages will appear next to Messages in the top right corner of the navigation bar. See the image below.

email preferences

You will be notified of an unread message if a buyer has indicated interest in your product, has responded to a previous message, or if a service provider has responded to a quote request or previous message.

Note: It’s important to remember that you will only be able to message buyers who have connected with you or requested a sample.

You can update your, to receive emails notifying you of any new messages. You can always adjust your email preferences in your profile settings.

Uploading attachments toMessages

To upload an attachment with your message on RangeMe, click on theicon and select the file(s) you want to include. See below for supported file types. If you’d like to remove an attachment from your message before sending, click on the “X” next to the file.

When your message and attachments are ready, click “send.”

Supported file types:

Images: PNG, JPG

Documents: PDF, Word Doc and DocX, PowerPoint, Excel, and Excel X

Downloading attachments

To download an attachment, click on the icon next to the file you want to download.

What is a buyer dashboard?

When a buyer logs in to their RangeMe account they are brought to their dashboard. Brands and products are matched to buyers’ dashboards based on the categories they have selected -- like coffee/tea, beauty, pet, apparel, etc. Buyers can select as many categories as they like and suppliers will be able to select up to two categories per product so they can match with the appropriate buyers.

Buyers are able to refine their dashboard by setting filters or search keywords and trends. To note, a keyword search pulls information from within a supplier’s brand name, product/variant name, product description, and Unique Selling Propositions (USP’s). When buyers come across a product that they like, they can click the product or brand card to view more details or take action from their dashboard.An action is defined as a buyer requesting a sample, sending a message, or shortlisting a brand/product for future review.

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What are brand cards?

A brand card is how a buyer will preview your products or brand from their dashboard before viewing more details. Buyers have an option on their dashboard to let them view by brand cards or individual product cards. Most buyers prefer to browse by brand, but an example of both a brand card and an individual product card can be seen below.

Brand card:

Product Card:

Brand/Product Cards will include:

MSRP Range

Margin Range

Cover Product

Cover Image

Logo

Number of Products

Verified badge (for Premium suppliers)

ECRM badge (brands attending upcoming ECRM programs)

To preview your brand card as it appears to buyers select the gear in the top right hand of your brand page. Once you have clicked the gear, select the "View brand card as a buyer" option to see what your brand card looks like to buyers.

To learn more about your brand page and how it appears to buyers click.

Suppliers are able to upload all their products to RangeMe as product profiles. Once you've uploaded your first product, a brand page will be created for you.

If you are an existing user to get started:

Step 1: Login to your RangeMe account

Step 2: From your Dashboard, click Add New Product and complete any applicable fields in edit mode.

In order to start setting up a Brand Page, you will need to have one published product on your RangeMe profile. Publish your first product here.

Feel free to watch this short video or read the steps provided below to learn how to set up your Brand Pages!

Step 1: Log in to your RangeMe account

Once logged in, you will be taken to your RangeMe profile.

Step 2: Add your Brand logo

Hover over and click on "Add Logo".You’ll be prompted to upload a logo from your computer. Acceptable file types are PNG, JPG, and JPEG in the size of 200x200 pixels. Once uploaded, you can reposition your logo by dragging it. Click “Save” to display your logo on your profile. If necessary, you can resize your logo and re-upload it.

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Step 3: Add a cover image

Click on "Add Cover Image" where you’ll be prompted to upload an image from your computer. Your cover image is one of the first things buyers see on your brand page. Be sure to choose an image that will make a good first impression and represents your brand. Your cover image size should be 1600x400 pixels. If necessary, please resize your image and re-upload it.

Note: Not sure what your cover image should look like? A good idea for your cover image is to showcase your product line up with your company tag line and any certifications your brand may have.

Step 4: Add more information

You will want to fill out the following fields to complete your brand page:

Tag line

Brand story under the Profile tab

Reorder products shown in the Product tab

Select your brand product cover product

Link your brand’s social media accounts.

Embed a YouTube or Vimeo video under the Profile tab

Your brand overview includes your details about your company that can be viewed on the right side of your brand page. If you would like to make updates to this section, see this article on how to update each field.

As part of the Premium Membership, you will be assigned a platform specialist who will be able to help you build and refine your brand page. You can subscribe or request more information here.

Ready to set up your brand page? Click to get started.

Cost is defined by our platform as the wholesale price - the per-unit cost of a product to retailers. The cost you list should not include any anticipated distribution or shipping costs. Buyers understand these specific details will be worked out later and are not included in your cost.

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) is the price point that the manufacturer suggests a retailer sells their product at. This price should reflect the estimated value of a product to consumers.

Cost and MSRP are used to calculate the Gross Margin (or the return) of a product.

It is encouraged to input more information about your pricing in the "pricing comments" field in your product profile form. You may want to clarify your minimum purchase quantity or any other details about your pricing. Please note that unrealistic prices such as $0.01/$0.02 for products will not be approved. Feel free to review this help center article for more information on pricing comments.

Buyers understand that these figures are just estimates, so the final cost is still up for negotiation between you and any interested retail buyers.

Are your products not getting approved?

Pricing is a mandatory field because it gives buyers an idea of how much an item costs, and how much they can possibly make in return. In order to have your products approved and published, the products will need to reflect realistic pricing. What this means is you should not insert any pricing such as $0.01/$0.02 for Cost/MSRP respectively to try and avoid pricing.

You also want to make sure that your pricing does not include any shipping or distribution costs as all these terms are negotiable.

As part of Premium, you will gain access to the Industry Insights feature! With Industry Insights, you will be able to compare MSRP & Margins for all products within your category, as well as other information on trending packaging types, keywords, and what MSRP/Margins buyers have shown the most interest in. You can subscribe or request more information here.

Product Images

Your product images are the first thing a buyer will see when they view your product on RangeMe. It serves as a major factor in whether or not they will click your product to view further details.

Check out this help center article for more information

Image Requirements

A picture of your product as it would appear on a retailer's shelf

A clear, close up and professional image on a solid white background

Must be one of the following accepted formats: JPEG, PNG, or JPG

Must be at least 1000x1000 pixels with maximum 2MB file size

Here are some things you should avoid:

Grainy or low pixel photos

The product takes up less than 75\% of the total space in the image

Any words, logos, or watermarks in your image

Sideways or upside-down products

Images of anything other than the product (e.g. labels, drawings, catalogs, an image of a cow when selling beef, etc.)

Product without its packaging if it is sold in packaging

Dark or shadowy images

More than one product in the image

Read more about what makes a good product image on our Retail Success Guide here.

Cover Image & Logo

Personalize your brand profile with a cover image and logo. Logo dimensions are recommended to be 200x200 pixels. The recommended cover photo size is 1600x400 pixels. If your images are not the correct dimensions you may need to resize your image and re-upload it from your computer.

There are many free services available on the web that can be used to resize your image. You can check out tools and tips on creating a brand page to attract buyers here. If you have a Facebook and/or Twitter, we suggest using those cover photos since they are the same size and aspect ratio to what we require on RangeMe.

The accepted formats for both cover images and logos include JPEG, PNG, or JPG.

As part of the Premium Membership, you will be assigned a platform specialist who will be able to help you create cover images or edit product images for your brand page. You can subscribe or request more information here.

Need help setting up your Brand Page? .

The product overview is the first of four sections that make up the RangeMe product upload form. This form includes five fields that help inform buyers about your product:

Product Name

Category

Product Description

Unique Selling Propositions

Approvals & Certifications

1. Product Name

This field should include only the name of your product. Your product name should be in English or a commonly understood word such as “Crepes.”

Try to avoid product names that are too long, include a SKU number, or are a name of a website.

Category

Buyers on RangeMe are matched with products based on the categories and subcategories that they subscribe to. When selecting categories, be as accurate as possible so you appear in the right buyer searches.

Categories are organized by Segment > Category > Subcategory. In order to find the category that best fits your product:

Type in a keyword to search the categories

Click add if you find one that fits your product

If you cannot find your category through our search tool:

Select the most fitting Segment from the "Segment" dropdown

Select one of the Categories for this Segment from the "Category" drop-down

Select a Sub-category from the drop-down

Click "Add Category"

3.Approval and Certifications

This field allows you to choose any regulatory approvals and certifications you have obtained for your product.

Examples: Certified Organic, TGA, Kosher, Women-Owned Business (WOB), WOSB, etc.

Listing any approvals or certifications your product has received is a great way to promote your product to buyers searching for these certifications. To list an Approval or Certification, you want to type the name directly onto the field and select it. You can also scroll through the selections. Each product listing can have more that one certification and/or approval.

Note: You will need to provide buyers with the documentation to approve each one of your claimed approval or certification.

4. Unique Selling Propositions (USPs)

The Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) field allows you to list up to three key attributes that set your product apart from competitors. These attributes should be features that differentiate your product from others in its category. Shorter USP's will help to improve your search results.

5.Description

The description field allows suppliers to provide buyers with important additional details on their product. We recommend keeping it short with the most relevant information on your product to help buyers decide if your product would be a good fit for their stores. Please keep in mind that there is a 200 character limit.

In the second section of the product upload form, item details include all the fields that are specific attributes that apply to your product. The fields included in the item detail section are:

Item Name

Item Image

Suggested Cost & MSRP

Pricing Comments

Barcode

Ingredients

Nutritional Label

Packaging Dimensions

Item Measurements (oz, fl oz, unit count) / Amount

Units Per Case

here

1. Item Name

Item names differentiate from your product variations if you have multiple flavors, sizes, scents, etc.

In order to include multiple variants, you will need to complete this section of the item details tab. Once completed, click “next” at the bottom of the page. This will prompt you to add a new variant if needed. Need more information on variants? Click .

2. Image

Your product image is the first thing a buyer will see when they view your product and it serves as a major factor in whether or not they view further details on your product.

Image Requirements

An actual photo of your product as it would appear on a retailer's shelf

A clear image on a solid white background

The image should be clear, close up, and take up at least 80\% of the frame

In an accepted format: JPEG, PNG, and JPG

Must be at least 1000x1000 pixels with a maximum 2MB file size

If you are uploading an image: Click "browse" in order to select an image saved to your computer.

If you are trying to replace an existing image, Click the red "X" on your product, then click “add photo”.

3. Suggested Cost & MSRP

Cost and MSRP/RRP are used to calculate Gross Margin, i.e. the return on a product for retail buyers.

Suggested Cost is loosely defined by our platform as the per-unit cost of your product for retailers to purchase.

Note: RangeMe is a platform for product discovery, product details will always remain negotiable. Wholesale or shipping negotiations can be discussed with potentially interested buyers once they have connected with you, they should not be factored into your product's suggested cost.

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price(MSRP)/ Recommended Retailer Price (RRP)* is the price that the manufacturer or supplier suggests a retailer sells their product at. This price should reflect the estimated value of your product to consumers.

*Price should be inclusive of GST (Australia and New Zealand only).

4. Pricing Comments

This field allows you to enter any additional comments or clarifications regarding either your cost or MSRP/RRP. For example, you can use this field to discuss minimum order quantity, pricing flexibility, and other pricing considerations.

Note: These comments will appear in the Pricing section of a product preview.

5. Barcode Type & Number

Barcodes are one of the most important things buyers look for when reviewing your product. To add your barcode number, from the product basic edit page:

Select the appropriate "Barcode Type"

Barcode types:

UPC- or a Universal Product Code is a twelve digit barcode used mainly in the United States and assigned by GS1 US, an organization that sets standards for international commerce

EAN-13- or European Article Numbers (also referred to as International Article Numbers) is a thirteen-digit barcode used worldwide

ISBN- or International Standard Book Number is a thirteen-digit numeric book identification

Don’t have a barcode? Simply select the option “I don’t have one”

Note: Select "Item doesn't have a barcode" if your product does not require a barcode. You will need to enter a barcode in order to get RangeMe Verified if you are not exempt.

Enter the number without hyphens or spacing in the field below

Note: Your check digit will need to be accurate in order for your barcode to be accepted.

6. Ingredients

Include a list of ingredients or materials that make up the product (applicable to food, beauty, healthcare, edible toys, etc).

If your product doesn't fall under an applicable category please select "Item doesn't have ingredients." If you are in an applicable category and not exempt you will need to list ingredients in order to be RangeMe Verified.

7. Nutritional Label

Add an image of your nutritional label as it appears on the packaging of your product.

Note: Although the nutritional label is an optional field, if your product falls under an applicable category a nutritional label will be required to get RangeMe Verified.

You will then be prompted to this page:

8. Packaging

Item Dimensions:

Height- As positioned normally on the shelf: The distance from the bottom to the top of the item.

Width- As positioned normally on the shelf: The distance from the left to the right of the item.

Depth- As positioned normally on the shelf: The distance from the back to the front of the item.

Item measurements (oz, fl oz, unit count) / amount:

Add the weight (oz), volume (fl oz), or count (for multipacks and non-food products) for your product. Most non-food products should choose a count of 1.

Numbers of items per case:

The number of items refers to the units that will be shipped in one case to distributors or retailers.

The third section of the product upload form is the distribution section. This section will cover any fields that help a buyer understand if your distribution strategy and capabilities align with their retail store(s).

Step 1: Country & State of Origin

This is where you specify which state and country your product is mainly manufactured in.

Step 2: Product Availability Field

This field allows you to indicate if your product is currently available in any retail store(s).

If your product is not currently available in stores, select “No” and enter a date when your product will be ready for retail.

If your product is currently available in retail stores:

Under "Is this product available now?", select Yes

Click "Add retailers"

Select any retailers your product is available in

Provide the number of locations that carry your product for this retailer

Note: If your retailer is not nationally or regionally recognized or approved on the platform please select either independent convenience, grocery, optical stores, pharmacy, gym or retailer.

Any retailers listed in this field will appear to potential buyers as “Independent Retailers” in addition to how many stores you are in. See the example below:

Step 3: Distribution Capabilities

Indicate where you are able, or willing to ship your products.

Select whether your distribution capabilities are "National", "State" or "Unspecified".

National- If you select “National” you are indicating to buyers that you are able to distribute your product nationally.

State- If you select “State” you are indicating to buyers that you are capable of distributing to specific states. Be sure to indicate which states in the text box below.

Global- If you select “Global” you are indicating to buyers that you are able to distribute your product globally.

Note: if you don't see a distributor that you work with listed, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Step 4: Drop-Shipping

Please indicate whether or not your product is capable of drop-shipping." If a supplier is capable of drop-shipping, that means they are able to fulfill the retailer's orders and deliver directly to consumers.

Note: This field is most relevant for any e-commerce retail buyers on the platform.

Step 5: Private Label

Please indicate whether or not your product is available for “Private Label.” If a product is available for private label, the supplier is willing to rebrand this product to the retailer’s private label brand.

Step 6: Storage Temperature

Please indicate whether or not your product will require cold storage (e.g. refrigerated or frozen products).

The product upload forms marketing section is the fourth and final section. This section is optional but highly recommended. A green checkmark will not populate for this section. The three marketing fields in this section are:

Marketing Budget

Additional Product Photos

Product Video

Annual Marketing Budget for this Product

This field allows you to select the price range that best describes your marketing budget each year for this product. Select a range from the drop-down box or leave this field blank.

Note: If you have a marketing budget, please provide the appropriate details. Though not required, some buyers look specifically for brands with a marketing budget.

2. Marketing Images

This field allows you to upload additional images to showcase in your products’ image gallery at the bottom of your product listing. This section may include branding advertisements, press clippings, POS display images, and related social media photos.

Please ensure that you upload clear, close up images, on a white background. Accepted formats are JPEG, PNG,or JPG. Images should be at least 1000x1000 pixels.

Note: Your Marketing Images will appear as a Gallery to the buyer's view.

There is no limit on the number of images you can upload on the Marketing Images field. However, please ensure that they are relevant to your product profiles and each file is 2MB or under in size.

Product Video

Upload videos that bring your products to life by entering either a YouTube or Vimeo URL. The video links must be public in order to show.

Examples include but are not limited to:

PitchMe video Film yourself or someone from your business selling the benefits of your product. This should be no more than 90 seconds and can simply be filmed on a smartphone and uploaded to YouTube.

Product demo video A professionally created product demo video.

TV Commercial TV advertising to support your brand.

Organizing your product by variants is a great way to present your brand page when you have a large assortment of products. If you are a supplier with one product that comes in only a handful of variants, you may prefer to list each as a separate product, and that's okay.

How you choose to organize and present your products and variants to buyers is entirely up to you. The best way to present a brand will be unique for each supplier and vary across industry, strategy, and more.

Variants will be organized as "Items" in the "Item Detail" section of a product profile.

To add a variant:

When adding or editing a product, go to the "Item Details" section of your product profile.

2. Complete all fields that apply to your "primary item" or parent product then click "Next".

3. A "primary item" will be the item displayed on the brand profiles product card. This will populate and the option to "Add Item Variation" will appear, to continue with more variants, select "Add Item Variation".

4. Both variants/items will now appear, at this point, you may edit existing items, continue adding new variants, or select next to complete your product profile.

5. To change the "primary item" or delete an item select the drop-down for the product you wish to take an action on. See image below.

RangeMe works with our retail partners to create categories that best fit those used by retail buyers to source new products. A product category should be selected based on the category or "section" of a retail store that this product would be located.

Each product can have up to two categories applied, it's important to remember that these categories will only be used to match your product to the dashboards of the right category buyers. The categories you apply to a product cannot be viewed directly by buyers on the platform.

Select "Don't see your product's categories? Select it here" from the category dropdown and view the full hierarchy in order to determine the best fit for your product!

Products not getting approved?

You want to make sure to select a relevant category for your type of product. It does not have to be a perfect fit as you want to think more about the types of buyers who will be browsing said categories.

Do note that if you offer one of the following types of products/services, you will need to choose a specific category:

Retailer Services - If you are looking to offer a service to the buyers on the platform, you will need to select this as your category. The pricing can simply be set to $1/$2 for the Cost and MSRP as buyers know that the prices for these services will vary.

Live Pet - This category is strictly for suppliers who are looking to offer live pets. Note that any products in this category that are not pets will not be approved.

Sharing your RangeMe brand page is a great way to have your existing buyer contacts review your product catalog online, even if they don’t have an account with RangeMe. It gives you the advantage of sharing all the relevant information a buyer needs, while also giving you valuable data on how they interact with your brand and products on RangeMe.

Here are a few tips to enhance your shares for better results:

1. A personal message should be personal

Did you meet the buyer at a tradeshow? Or have you already been exchanging emails or phone calls? If you’ve already been in touch with a buyer, a great start to the conversation is to reference where you met or share existing information from your previous interactions.

click here to learn more

Even if you’ve never interacted with a buyer before, you can still personalize your message. Relevance is key here. For example, if you know the buyer is in the middle of a category review, mention in the subject and body that you’re submitting your products for this exact reason.

Because buyers receive thousands of emails a month, this will help cut through the noise and let the buyer know this isn’t just a cold email.

2. Subject lines that get opened

Before a buyer sees your personalized message and your beautiful RangeMe profile, they will read your email’s subject line. If possible, personalizing the subject line is ideal. Otherwise, the goal of your message’s subject is simply to get them to open the message. When drafting a personalized message take into consideration these three tips:

Clear before clever: Your subject line should clearly tell buyers what they will get out of opening the email (but a little intrigue is okay!).

Short and sweet: The subject line should be less than 50 characters as subject lines can sometimes be cut off on mobile devices.

Don’t resort to crazy tactics to get them to open your email. Keep it short and relevant to the audience. Then it’s time to...

3. A/B test to win

A/B testing is a great way to optimize your email content by figuring out what actually works for your audience. Here’s how you do it: First, try two different subject lines amongst a group of contacts. Then see which has a higher open rate. Going forward, use the winning subject line. You just optimized your email open rates and potentially your life.

Are you interested in knowing if a buyer opened your email? Click here to learn how to get this feature plus additional insights on buyer activity.

Better Results

Using these three tips can drastically help improve your messages to buyers and help you get noticed in a sea of other brands. Regardless of the content you put in your message, make it count.

To share your brand, go to your profile to get started. If you want to learn how to share your brand, .

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About the Author

A veteran at building customer success and support teams, Kevin is currently the VP of Customer Success at RangeMe. Kevin's two passions are playing in his band and seeing our amazing suppliers and buyers succeed on RangeMe!

Suppliers will not be able to publish profiles or link their ECRM Marketgate account via single sign-on without confirming their email. We do this tomake sure that suppliers don't accidentally list an incorrect email or link the wrong ECRM Marketgate account. Doing so would cause the supplier to miss any messages they might receive from potential interested buyers.

If you haven’t received an email from us, please check you spam/junk/clutter folders. To confirm your email and ensure any future communication is not missed, please add [email protected] to your safe senders list. This is a quick once off task. Below are instructions for some of the most popular email clients.

Apple Mail (OS X and iOS devices)

Both Apple Mail on OSX and Mail on iOS devices have a similar process for adding senders to Contacts. By selecting the From, or Reply-to on an email message from us, choose "Add to Contacts”

Outlook 20xx

When opening an email from us, an alert at the header of the message, "Click here to download pictures..." should display. Click this and select, "Add Sender to Safe Senders list":

Outlook.com

After opening an email message from us, an alert message should display with, "Parts of this message have been blocked for your safety." Beneath this, click the link with, "I trust [email protected]. Always show content":

Yahoo! Mail

When opening an email message from us, a "+" symbol should display next to From: and the our name. Select this and an "Add to contacts" pop-up should appear. Select "Save":

Gmail (Webmail and mobile)

Getting all future emails from us to appear in the "Primary" tab (instead of "Promotions", or elsewhere) is a quick, two-step process. First of all, drag-and-drop the email message from beneath the tab it's currently filed under, to the "Primary" tab:

Once done, a message alert will appear with, "This conversation has been moved to Primary. Do this for all future messages from [email protected]?". Select "Yes":

Gmail on mobile devices doesn't provide a way to prioritize messages. However, touching "Show images", then "Always show images from Sender" will ensure that images always display in the inbox:

Android (Default client)

On Android devices, open the email message from us and touch the picture that displays before the message. Touch "Add to Contacts".

Windows Live Desktop

After opening an email message from us in Windows Live Desktop, an alert in the preview pane with, "Some images in this message are not shown." will display. Select the link, "Add to Safe Senders list".

AOL Mail

In the preview pane for an opened email message from us in AOL Mail, select our name under the email's subject line and select "Add Contact" from the drop-down menu.

If you do not have a RangeMe account, you can sign up here.

If you already have a RangeMe account, to log in:

Go to the login page here

Enter the email address you used to register for RangeMe and your password

Click the Log In button

In order to logout of your RangeMe account:

In the top right-hand corner, click the drop-down arrow next to your name

Select Logout

RangeMe account profile includes the following details:

Name

Job title

Email

Phone number

Time zone

Password

Notifications

Only one user can be associated with each RangeMe account. If another member of your company would also like to contribute to your product profiles we recommend upgrading to RangeMe Premium so that you can utilize Team Access. For more information on how to upgrade to Premium, click here.

If you would like to close your account, contact our team at [email protected].

Note: When updating your email address you will receive a confirmation email. Your address will not update until you have clicked on the link in your email to confirm your new email address.

In order to access “Your Profile” details, please log in to your RangeMe account:

Click Settings -> Your Profile

Simply add or edit your personal details and click Save Changes

click here

Want to learn more about changing your password? Please .

If you have forgotten your password and cannot log into your account follow the steps below:

1. On the Log in page select Forgot Password and follow the prompts.

clicking here

If you are logged into your account and wish to change your password:

1. Click Settings > Change Password

2. Enter your old password

3. Enter the new password you’d like and type it again to confirm it

4. Click Save Changes

If you prefer, you can reach out to our support team by and asking for a temporary password to access your account.

Supplier company details include the following:

Company name

Company email and phone number

Years trading

Annual gross revenue

Product industry

Business type

Trade shows you are attending

Address

Company logo

Your company name, company contact, email address, phone number, country, years of trading and company logo will be visible to the buyers when viewing your products. Please ensure that all these details are up to date and accurate.

Don’t see your trade show? Please feel free to reach out to our support team by clicking here to request a tradeshow be added to the platform.

If the address field is unable to auto-populate your address, please select “Can’t find your address” directly below the address field. From this link, you will be able to enter your address manually.

In order to access your company settings, please log in to your RangeMe account:

Click Settings -> Company details

Simply add or edit your company details and click Save Changes

Please be aware that RangeMe has separate platforms for buyers in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. You will need to create an additional RangeMe account for each platform in which you would like to register as a supplier.

Note: You will need to use a different email address for each platform you would like to register for.

If you would like to showcase your products to our US retail buyers, you can sign up for the RangeMe American Platform here.

If you would like to showcase your products to our AU retail buyers you can sign up for the RangeMe Australian Platform here.

If you would like to showcase your products to our NZ retail buyers, you can sign up for the RangeMe New Zealand Platform here.

Your profile will be invisible to buyers on RangeMe until you have a published product.

To unpublish a product, simply click the drop-down menu in the top-right of each product card and then select "Unpublish". Once you have unpublished all of your products, your account will be hidden from buyers. You can tell if a product is unpublished if it has a gray draft banner across it.

here

If you would like to make your profile visible to buyers once again, simply republish at least one of your products by clicking the green “Submit product” button.

If you’d like to remove your profile completely from the platform please reach out to our support team by clicking .

RangeMe suppliers attending ECRM sessions will now be able to connect their ECRM and RangeMe accounts. Once a match is found and confirmed suppliers will be able to toggle seamlessly between their ECRM and RangeMe accounts.

If a supplier is logged into both their RangeMe and ECRM accounts and clicks the RangeMe link from their ECRM account they will be routed directly to their brand page.

[email protected]

If the supplier is not simultaneously logged into their RangeMe account they will need to confirm the link between both accounts via email. The link will not be established and access from Marketgate to the RangeMe account will not be available until the request to connect has been confirmed.

Note: If you do receive a confirmation email follow these confirmation instructions.

If a user match is not found, but a company match is present the new user may request access from the owner.

Note: RangeMe suppliers attending ECRM sessions will be granted team access (a RangeMe Premium Feature) free of charge.

The new user will not be able to access the account until the account owner has approved access. If the new user attempts to log in prior to approval they will be provided with the following prompt at login.

If the system does not detect either a user or company match, the supplier will be prompted to create a new account.

If your Marketgate account was not matched and linked to the correct RangeMe account or have any questions about the single sign-on process, please reach out to or your ECRM account manager for assistance.

Buyers have several actions they can take when responding to products they are interested in. The number of times a buyer has viewed or saved either your brand page or individual products can be seen in the following ways.

here

Buyer Views- Suppliers can see buyer views of their brand or individual products by clicking on the eyeball icon which represents a view that occurs when a buyer sees a brand or product on their dashboard, in an email, or in collections.

Buyer Saves- Saves allow buyers to save your product to review at a later date. This action makes it easier for buyers to discover products before, during, and even after category reviews. The number of times a buyer has saved your brand or individual products can be seen below.

Please Note: Suppliers will not be able to view which buyer has saved or viewed their product unless that buyer has also requested a sample or asked to connect through messages.

If you would like to see who has viewed your brand, we recommend taking a look at RangeMe Premium! As part of the premium membership, you will be able to view Profile Insights. With Profile Insights, you will see what buyers have viewed your brand and what actions they take while visiting your profile. You can subscribe or request more information .

First time logging into RangeMe? Follow this list.

If you are a new supplier on RangeMe you will land on your supplier home page. This is where you can follow step by step instructions on how to publish your first product and complete your RangeMe profile.

here

Returning RangeMe Suppliers

RangeMe suppliers can now explore their RangeMe account and view important details on their brand(s) at a glance from the supplier home page. Suppliers can navigate back to their home page at any time by clicking the Home tab at the top of the page in the navigation bar.

If you have more than one brand simply select “Switch Brands” under your brand name in the top left-hand corner of the page to view a different brand.

From the home page suppliers can review Profile Insights, recent activity on RangeMe, and improve their profile with step by step instructions. Premium Suppliers can now submit their brand to retailers directly from their home page and view which retailer has recently visited their profile from their Premium Insights.

Check out your new supplier home page .

One of the most important components of your submission is the custom message you can include when submitting to a retailer. Read on for tips on how to craft a compelling submission message, including an example of a strong message.

Message length and tone

While including a message is optional when submitting your brand, you should always include a message with your submission. This is your opportunity to convey compelling information about your brand that can capture a buyer’s attention. As with all your communications with retailers, the tone of your message should be professional, friendly, and polite.

Your message should be as concise and straightforward as possible. Because buyers are reviewing multiple submissions, you want to keep your message short and to the point, with only the most relevant information. RangeMe helpfully caps your message at 500 characters, so you want to choose your words carefully.

It can be tempting to include your brand story or “elevator pitch” in this message, but in the context of a submission, you actually want to avoid sharing this kind of information. Instead, let your RangeMe profile provide that in-depth background about your brand, and use your submission message to focus on the most relevant information that buyers want to see when reviewing products.

Message content

For your message, you want to include a quick introduction to yourself and your brand quick as in 1-2 sentences. A good format is to include your name, your role, and a general statement about the products your brand offers.

You then want to list a few brief points that demonstrate your brand’s existing success and how your products will provide value to retailers. Your ultimate goal with this short message is to show how your products will contribute to growth in your category for that retailer.

You can do this in several ways:

Sales performance and distribution

Include compelling numerical data about your current distribution and your sales performance such as the number of stores you are carried in and the sell-through rate of your products to demonstrate to buyers that you are already performing well at other retailers and give your brand credibility.

Press

If your brand or products have been featured in a press release or any type of media, sharing that with buyers can give your brand credibility and demonstrate popularity with consumers. Share the name of the publication you were featured in, especially if it is notable in your industry.

MOQ and lead time

If you offer a lower MOQ (minimum order quantity), be sure to mention that in your message, as buyers are often looking for products with lower MOQs so they aren’t investing a lot of money up front to test products.

If you have a quick lead time and are able to ship your products right away, be sure to call that out in your message, because buyers may be looking to fill inventory as quickly as possible, and this will help your product stand out.

Key differentiators

Tell buyers what makes your products unique and why your product will appeal to their customers. Buyers may be looking for something new and innovative, so if your product fits that description, be sure to call attention to that!

Sample message

This sample submission message includes various factors mentioned above:

a short introduction

key differentiators

statistics on distribution and sales

call out to MOQ and lead time

You can follow a similar format using relevant information for your brand.

If you follow these best practices, you will be able to craft a concise and compelling submission message that includes the most relevant information that buyers are looking for when reviewing your submissions.

Listed below are a number of our larger retail partners that we are able to promote at this time for each of our platforms! The number of buyers using the platform for each varies by retailer.

There are also hundreds of local and boutique retailers using RangeMe. We are constantly bringing on new retail buyers and you never know which retailer will be a perfect match for your products!

For those that are on the US platform and have upgraded to premium, we launched a new feature called Retailer Submissions. Many of our retailers have opted in to allow for the supplier to submit directly to them, and some have even shared their review schedules! If you are not yet on the premium membership and would like to learn more about this feature, click here to learn more.

US

99 Cents Only

Affiliated Foods Inc.

Ahold USA

Albertsons

AmerisourceBergen

AWG

Birchbox

BI-LO

CosmoProf

CVS

Dermstore

Do It Best

Dollar General

EXN Nutrition

Fairway Market

Food Lion

FragranceNet.com

The Fresh Market

Fresh Thyme

Gelson's

Giant Carlisle

Giant Eagle

Giant Landover

Good Eggs

GNC

Haggen

Hannaford

Harvey's

HEB

Hometown Pharmacy

Hy-Vee

iHerb

INFRA Member Retailers

Jet

Lassens

Longs Drugs

Lowe's Foods

Lucky's Market

LuckyVitamin Corporation

Martin's

MDI

Meijer

Newark Natural Foods

Olean Wholesale Grocery Coop

Orchard Fresh

Peapod

Petco

ProHealth

Publix

Rite Aid

Safeway

Sally Beauty

Sam's Club

Schnucks

Sephora

Smart & Final

Southeastern Grocers

SpartanNash

Sprouts

Stater Bros.

Stop & Shop New England

Stop & Shop New York

Target

Tops

The Vitamin Shoppe

Ulta Beauty

UNFI

Vitacost

Wakefern

Wegmans

Well.ca

Whole Foods Market

Winn-Dixie

AU

About Life

Blooms

Coles Supermarket

Costco

Friendlies Pharmacies

Go Vita

Good Life Health Shop

Goodies & Grains

Healthy Life

Honest to Goodness

Khans IGA

Le Max Group

Metcash

Michaels IGA

Night Owl

Ritchies IGA

Sigma

South Fremantle IGA

SPAR

Thomlek IGA

Ventura Health

Vip.com

NZ

Countdown

FreshChoice

Hardy's

Huckleberry

Jess Underground Kitchen

Monday Wholefoods

Natural Health Consultants Ltd

No8 Retail Group

Nosh Food Market

SuperValue

here

The time, money, and complexity often involved in producing a great product can be overwhelming for suppliers. Not every company is going to start out with a large bankroll to fund all of its requirements, the facilities, and equipment needed to transform their idea into a star product that knocks it out of the park on the first try. In short, not every supplier is going to be a PepsiCo or a Kellogg’s right out of the gate, it takes time and help.

What is Contract Manufacturing?

A lot of suppliers need help to get their product made, out the door, and onto retail shelves. They have a great product, but perhaps they don’t have the resources to invest in the needed manufacturing equipment to produce on a larger scale or expand their product offering. And it’s at this point that suppliers will need to turn to contract manufacturers for aid.

So, what is contract manufacturing, you may ask? Simply put, it’s a supplier outsourcing their production to a manufacturer who has the capabilities to produce that productfor that supplier, and most likely a few other suppliers as well. The manufacturer will produce this product for a specific amount of time or volumewhatever the two parties have agreed upon.

Pros and Cons

There are a lot of benefits to contract manufacturing, particularly for smaller suppliers, including cost savings for both sides: Suppliers don’t have to shell out money to keep manufacturing equipment up and running, and manufacturers often have multiple clients, which means they can offer the suppliers reduced costs on things like ingredients.

But there are risks to look out for as well. Quality control might differ between supplier and manufacturer, and relationships need to be well maintained. Pricing and profit are also a risknow that a second company (the contract manufacturer) is involved in the product, how does that affect the product’s price point, and how much does it decrease a supplier’s margin?

Contract Manufacturers on RangeMe

While these challenges can seem daunting, RangeMe is introducing a new Service Provider Category to help suppliers get to market even faster. Product specialties in the Contract Manufacturing Service Provider category will include cosmetics, food, beverages, dietary supplements, and CBD products. RangeMe Suppliers will be able to search for contract manufacturers under the Services tab and find the best partner that meets their needs. By working with one of RangeMe’s partner contract manufacturers, suppliers can decrease upfront costs, manufacturing effort, and time to market by scaling quickly in product development and supply.

Partnering with a contract manufacturer is common in the CPG industry, but finding the right partner can take time. Tapping into RangeMe’s newest category of Service Providers can help suppliers navigate the complex process of bringing a product to life.

Explore Contract Manufacturer Service Providers on RangeMe here.

Need help with a part of your business other than contract manufacturing? Explore other RangeMe Services .

When a new product is submitted to the platform it is sent to our product approvals team for review. A new product that is waiting to be reviewed will appear on your brand page with a pending approval banner. The approval process should not take more than 24 to 48 hours during the workweek. Once a product has been approved it will not need to be reviewed again unless a critical field has been edited.

Note: RangeMe only approves products to be published onto the platform. Having an approved product does not mean you have been approved by a retailer for a submission or open call.

If you edit a critical field on your product then submit for approval, it will appear on your brand page with a pending update status until the product has been reviewed. When a non-critical field is edited the changes will go live immediately after resubmitting.

What are critical fields and why are they important?

Critical fields are the fields in your product listing that must be monitored to ensure the accuracy and quality of the RangeMe platform. These are the four critical fields that are always reviewed by our product approvals team:

MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price) & Cost: Both the MSRP and Cost fields are reviewed to ensure that suppliers are not entering RangeMe with unrealistic pricing. (e.g. Gross Margin of 0\% or Cost of $0.01)

Category: We review product categories to ensure that products are being matched to the most appropriate buyers. This field is very important to us because if a supplier accidentally selects an incorrect category they may not be seen by the right buyers.

Product Name: This field is reviewed to make sure that the name of your product is both appropriate, and relevant to the product that is being showcased. You want to avoid SKU numbers and code names here. Instead, you want to show buyers what your product is since they’re most likely seeing it for the first time.

Image: Our team reviews and rates product images to make sure that they meet our platform standards. We want to ensure that your product images attract buyers. Your image rating improves when a better image is uploaded (For more information on product images, see: What Makes a Good Product Image )

Note: If your product is not approved we will send you a written explanation via email explaining why it was not approved and what should be fixed.