What Separates Good Wholesale Strategies from Great Ones?
After years of heavy direct-to-consumer investment, many brands are rediscovering the power of wholesale retail partnerships to create visibility, influence consumer decisions, and scale more efficiently. And the brands pulling ahead are the ones rethinking what makes wholesale effective in today’s retail environment.
So, what separates a good wholesale strategy from a great one? Let’s break it down.
Strengthening Retail Partnerships
At the core of wholesale success is the brand–retailer relationship. The best-performing brands no longer treat retailers as mere distributors but as extensions of their own sales and marketing teams. They align incentives, share data, and co-create programs that benefit everyone on the sales floor: associates and shoppers.
Retailers value this alignment. As Brian Dillman said during our discussion:
“One of the coolest things about ENDVR for us is it enables the flow of cash from the brand to the retail floor staff when they complete missions… At the end of the day we have retailers that genuinely appreciate we’re helping their successful staff up their earning potential. It’s huge for us.”
This kind of partnership, where the brand invests directly in the people representing them on the floor: strengthens trust and ensures buy-in from retailers. Instead of competing priorities, both sides are motivated to grow together.
Increasing Visibility on the Floor
When working with wholesale, visibility is everything. Brands succeed when their products aren’t just stocked but are understood and recommended with confidence by associates. Unlike ecommerce, where paid search or a homepage feature guarantees visibility, in-store competition happens at eye level and in conversation with a salesperson.
Jason Cowie summed it up well:
“Putting a program together that is compelling will help you as a brand be even more top of mind with retail employees… especially for accessories, because maybe that’s not what drew the consumer in the store in the first place.”
Consider a bike shop example. A shopper may walk in for a new bike, but whether they also leave with a helmet, gloves, or high-performance chain often depends on the associate’s recommendation. Great wholesale strategies give staff reasons: through education, incentives, or gamification; to keep the brand top of mind in those conversations.
Equipping Sales Associates to Drive Growth
Associates are seen as the face of your brand when in-store. Their influence over the purchase decision is unmatched, especially in specialty retail where active lifestyle products are often technical or high-consideration. Brands investing in associates are reaping measurable gains.
1. Incentives that Motivate Action
Brands are moving beyond one-size-fits-all programs. Cash rewards, tiered milestones, product seeding, and performance pricing are all being layered together to keep associates motivated:
“We tend to find that a combination of instant cash, product rewards, and performance pricing probably has the greatest impact.” – Jason Cowie
With 84% of associates saying rewards are extremely or very important to their engagement; this mix allows brands to reward both volume sellers and top performers, creating broad engagement while still celebrating excellence
2. Recognition that Builds Pride
Monetary rewards matter, but recognition is proving just as powerful. Leaderboards, badges, and certifications are turning sales into a source of pride for associates.
“Building pride… having the leaderboard and gamifying it and giving recognition to those who are performing at a high level… that could help them boost their resume as they move up within their roles.” – Brian Dillman
For ambitious associates, being recognized as an expert in a category doesn’t just help the brand, it supports their career progression. That creates a virtuous cycle of motivation and advocacy.
3. Education that Fuels Confidence
Training programs are no longer optional. Shoppers expect informed, authentic guidance, and associates need product knowledge to provide it. In fact, 39% of shoppers now directly ask retail staff for personalized recommendations, and 74% of associates say it happens daily. Great wholesale strategies integrate micro-learning, in-store demos, and ongoing education so associates can confidently position products against competitors.
The Wholesale Difference in 2025
The distinction between good and great wholesale in 2025 is clear:
- Good wholesale ensures distribution and availability.
- Great wholesale ensures advocacy, recommendation, and growth; on top of distribution and availability.
Great brands don’t stop at putting products on shelves. They create programs that empower associates, align with retailer goals, and make their products impossible to ignore at the point of purchase.
As integration between digital tools and retail ecosystems deepens—like the ability to badge expert stores on dealer locators—wholesale is evolving into something more powerful than ever before. Brands that lean into this will find themselves leading the active lifestyle category into its next era of growth.
If your brand is ready to take the next step: equipping retail teams with the tools, incentives, and insights they need—ENDVR makes it simple. Sign up today to start building stronger retail partnerships, motivating associates, and driving measurable growth in every store.
