The retail landscape has shifted dramatically in recent months, and few understand those changes better than Skip Lockrem of Parallel Retail Group, one of the industry’s leading manufacturer representatives’ organizations. We sat down with Skip to talk about retail trends, what brands need to succeed at major retailers like Best Buy and Target, and how startups can prepare for retail in a post-COVID environment.
About Parallel Retail Group
Q: Tell us more about Parallel Retail Group. What is your role at the company?
Parallel Retail Group is an omni-channel retail services firm made up of strategists, merchants, manufacturers, consultants, and operational experts. The company is committed to driving sustainable sales and long-term success for both retailer and brand partners.
As VP of Sales, Skip focuses on leading emerging technology brands—particularly in Home and Connected Car—into high-value channels like Best Buy. “My job is to help brands scale responsibly and profitably,” Skip explains. He has been with Parallel Retail Group for over three years.
What Manufacturer Sales Representatives Actually Do
Q: What activities do manufacturer sales reps perform on behalf of clients?
“Great question!” Skip says. “We treat our manufacturers’ goals as our own.”
Parallel Retail Group acts as an extension of a brand’s Sales and Planning team, supporting:
- Strategic roadmap development
- Growth initiatives and channel management
- Visual merchandising and messaging
- Improving the customer experience
- Digital strategy
- Product positioning
The team’s leadership brings insider experience from major retailers and distributors—including Target and Best Buy—which gives clients a competitive advantage. “We bring substance. That’s often the difference-maker,” Skip adds.
What Top Rep Firms Look for in New Clients
Q: As a top rep group for Best Buy and Target, you must receive many inbound requests from startups. What do you look for—and what are the red flags?
“One of our biggest differentiators is that we focus,” Skip explains. “We say ‘no’ a lot. That allows us to go deep in key categories and build strong, mutually beneficial relationships.”
What They Look For:
- A clear market differentiator
- Brands aligned with long-term retail success
- Opportunities where both the retailer and supplier can win
Red Flags That Make Them Decline:
- Companies not driven by data or insights
- Brands unclear about their purpose or market positioning
- Extreme bias or unrealistic expectations in negotiations
- Lack of funding or understanding of brand-building investment
- Teams that underestimate digital retail’s importance
“We ask a lot of questions,” Skip notes. “We have to say ‘no’ more often than ‘yes’ in order to protect our customers, our firm, and the manufacturers.”
How Retail Is Changing Post-COVID
Q: How do you see the retail industry evolving? What advice would you give startups entering retail today?
According to Skip, the retail environment is undergoing major consolidation. “The strong get stronger, and the digital learning curve has skyrocketed. Customers want to shop at fewer locations, but expect a broader assortment of high-quality brands.”
Retailers like Best Buy and Target now have access to more aspirational brands than ever before.
Advice for Product Startups:
- Think digital first. Ensure your brand can win online before entering physical retail.
- Set pricing that works across channels. Avoid price points that only work for Amazon or Costco.
- Pressure-test your DTC model. A strong direct-to-consumer foundation reduces the pressure of immediate retail expansion.
- Plan for brick-and-mortar long term. Even digitally native brands eventually need physical retail for brand building and customer experience.
What Makes Retailbound Different
Q: What do you enjoy about working with Retailbound? How are they different from other agencies?
Skip jokes: “Ha! Too much to list!” But then he explains:
“Retailbound approaches potential manufacturers the same way we do at Parallel Retail Group—strategically and with long-term success in mind. Anyone can sell a product in. But not everyone is willing to invest in sell-through and brand longevity.”
Some agencies will take on any product and blast it to every rep they know until someone says yes. Skip warns that this creates problems: “If an agency isn’t asking hard questions upfront, they’re doing the manufacturer a disservice.”
Retailbound, on the other hand, follows a proven process:
- Get brands retail-ready
- Educate rep partners like Parallel Retail Group
- Support in-store and online channel marketing programs
- Ensure sell-through success
“You just can’t beat this level of teamwork from both agencies,” Skip concludes.
