5 Trends in Independent Retail to Watch

Recent reports have shown that retail sales continue to grow and beat expectations and the independent retail sector continues to remain strong. But what is driving growth and change in this space? We’ve found that the inside scoop on what’s going on in retail tends to come from real conversations about what different entrepreneurs are seeing in their own business, as well as from trade shows and conventions they’ve attended.

With over 2,000 suppliers and over 10,000 active buyers on Tundra, we’ve been able to get a pulse from our community on what’s going on in independent retail.

Here are a few interesting trends we’ve noticed:

• Bigger appetite for US and Canadian brands. We’ve seen that buyers are excited to shop from US and Canadian brands because they know these brands will create high quality products that customers will love. Order fulfillment is also easy as they have lower minimums and faster lead times since shipping is domestic. At Tundra, our focus on US and Canadian brands means we have a vast assortment of top-notch products that can get to our buyers’ stores quickly.
• Rise of niche and specialty retailers. We’ve met with buyers who were looking for very specific products or who targeted a specific audience, for example tie-dyed socks, or self-defense products for teenage girls. This is especially true with e-commerce where you can tap into a sizable market globally that makes even a niche business very substantial. At Tundra we’ve seen many niche products successfully gain new accounts because of our ability to easily connect them with a broad base of retailers searching for unique products.

Examples of the unique products we carry (L to R): Phone Soap — a UV sanitizer for phones; Grey Unpaper Towels — reusable cloths to replace one-time use paper towels; Bee Buddies — TLC for dogs’ sensitive paws and snout.

• Small businesses are embracing omni-channel retail. It used to be that you were either a brick-and-mortar retailer or a “dot com”. As a retail expert that has worked in everything from big box retail to pure direct-to-consumer brands, I’ve seen the evolution of omni-channel retail in large companies, and it is fascinating to see this new dynamic even in small business. We’ve found that more and more retailers we’ve met are selling through multiple channels — with not just physical retail but also online through their own store, and through social media. Even online boutiques are figuring out how to set up pop-up stores in physical locations. We’re thrilled to see our community of savvy Tundra buyers navigate multiple channels to meet their customers where they want to shop.
• Blurring the lines between buyers and suppliers. Many product manufacturers will eventually choose to have their own retail store or e-commerce site to be able to sell directly to their consumers. They often have a need to carry additional items in their store to round out their assortment. Similarly, many retailers may decide to create their own products or white label a product they know their customers have been looking for. We’ve noticed this trend within our Tundra community as well, where our suppliers are beginning to order from other brands. It’s exciting to see more brands support each other on their growth journey.
• Emergence of many smaller online-only boutiques. The abundance of tools that help you start your own small business dramatically lower the cost to start a company, including sites like Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, and the ability to launch brands just by marketing to your followers on Instagram. With a wide range of products and no membership fees, we believe Tundra is an important part of the modern entrepreneur’s toolkit, streamlining sourcing so storeowners can quickly discover products and stock their stores cost-effectively. New retail startups have told us they’re looking for suppliers that offer a low minimum order so they can test the market and scale as demand grows. One of the things we’re very proud of is that so many of our suppliers are able to offer minimums of $100 or less, and some even allow no minimums. It’s part of our community’s commitment to fuel entrepreneurship.

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