I've spent years on the sales side of Spicewalla, and helping retailers past those snags is my favorite part of the job. Over 1,000 retailers carry Spicewalla now, from gift shops to kitchen and hardware stores to neighborhood grocers.
Here are some patterns that I’ve noticed from the stores that are most successful with our products:
Transparency: Know What You're Selling
Instead of grinding a mountain of spice and shipping from a warehouse pile, we hand-pack and fill every order in small batches in our Asheville facility. The tin that lands on your shelf is about as fresh as a spice tin gets, and you can see, smell, and taste the difference.
You’ll find our best-by date on every tin we carry, printed the day we blended that batch of spices, and marked 3 years after the packing date, for the most superior flavour.
Why should you care?
Because your customer will love the difference. Freshly ground spices are more fragrant, and aroma is what sells a tin before anyone cooks a thing.
Transparency also means straight answers. Ask us what's in a blend or how it's made, and a real person who knows the product will write back.
What this means for your store
Make freshness part of your pitch.
It's the easiest story your staff can tell, and the date on the tin backs it up. Keep one open tester tin of a blend you love near the register so customers can smell it for themselves. When a customer asks something you can't answer, send the question our way, and we'll help you answer it. Then get back to them by text or email and share the knowledge!
Support: Real People, Real Answers
Email customercare@spicewallabrand.com and you'll reach Haley or Rose, our delightful sales associates. We know the product line, we know retail, and we love talking shop.
Our team is here whenever you need help. Sometimes that's an order question. Often it's something bigger, like which blends fit a customer base that doesn't cook much, or how to run a tasting without a kitchen. And if you aren’t demo’ing our seasonings yet, we wrote a whole guide on that last one: 6 Ways to Sample Spicewalla in Your Retail Store. It genuinely sells itself when customers can taste it.
The questions we like best start with "This might be a dumb question, but..." It never is.
What this means for your store
Save that email address somewhere your whole staff can find it. Before your first order, send us a few lines about your store and who shops there. We'll help you choose a starting lineup that fits.
Education: Teaching You to Sell It
When you decide to place your first order, that’s when the fun begins on our end!
Your staff are your best salespeople, and they sell best when they feel confident and knowledgeable. That's why we write for retailers, not only for home cooks. Our blog covers what to order, how to merchandise, how to help your customer find just the right blend for them, how to sample seasonings in your store, the difference between Mediterranean and Mexican oregano, and so much more. Start with How to Recommend the Right Spicewalla Blend to Anyone and Merchandising Spices So Customers Stop and Look.
We also show up in person! Trade shows are where I’ve gotten to know many of our independent business owners, both retail partners and other great brands like ours.
Trade shows & events are a great place to smell and taste new products in person and to ask us about any questions that your staff is getting regularly. Stop by to say hello in early 2027 at the Atlanta Market, Natural Products Expo West, the Fancy Foods Show, or many of the smaller distributor and food service shows. Sign up for our email newsletter to make sure you know where we’ll be.
What this means for your store
Send one post from our blog to your team each month. Five minutes of reading gives a new hire real talking points about Spicewalla, recipe ideas, spice education, etc. It really works! It’s how we teach the staff in our restaurants (Chai Pani and Botiwalla, if you aren’t familiar!) how to sell the spices in their merch area.
We would love to meet and get to know you at our next show; please stop by and say hello!
Shared Success: Minimums and Case Packs Built for Small Shelves
Our growth depends on yours. When a tin sells through in your store, we both win. We built our minimums around how independent retailers actually buy.
Our opening order is just $200, and each case holds only six tins, so you can try out lots of flavours to see what resonates with your customers best. Reorders start at $100.
We want our minimums to be low enough to try a new blend with confidence, and for you to be able to restock your customers' favorites before you run out. Order through Faire or directly with us, whichever fits how you already buy.
What this means for your store
Start small and specific. Pick a handful of blends that match your customers, give them a real spot at eye level, and reorder based on what moves. We'd love to help you build a Spicewalla section one case at a time, growing it as your customers find their favorites.
What Partnership Looks Like in Your Kind of Store
Every store sells differently, and we're excited to help with yours. A few starting points:
Gift and home shops. Collections and gift sets are the obvious go-to. Give them the front table from October through December. My top recommendations are our Grill & Roast 3 Pack (try it in your men’s area along with grilling tools), and our new Signature Sugars 3 Pack (merch this with a cocktail story).
Specialty food and kitchen stores. Your customers cook seriously, and they'll ask about ingredients. Lead with the freshness story, and have staff read up on how each blend behaves in the pan. Consider our founder’s new cookbook, the No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World, alongside the accompanying 10-Pack of unique spices so they can make all the great recipes at home with ease.
Cafés, wellness shops, and bookstores. Your shopper may not cook much. Our teas, gifts, and the brand story carry the sale, so place tins near the register where they read as a thoughtful add-on. Our Mumbai Street Chai in new, gold-accented bags are a great place to start.
Small grocery and natural food stores. Your tins often have to speak for themselves, and they can. Choose blends with an obvious "what do I make with this" answer, and give each one a simple shelf sign that says it. Our new line of easy meal spice packets are the perfect fit for you!
Questions to Ask Any Brand Before You Commit
Whoever you stock, these five questions will help you find brands that are ready to support you on your side of the counter.
How fresh is the product when it reaches my shelf?
The best answer is specific: when it was packed, and how you can check.
What does it take to reorder?
Reorder minimums matter as much as opening ones. They decide how easily you can keep favorites in stock.
Who answers when I have a question?
Look for a name and a person you can reach directly.
What will you teach my staff?
Great partners give your team resources they can use on the floor, not only a sell sheet.
Will you help me choose what to carry?
A good partner asks about your customers before recommending a lineup.
What Good Partnership Feels Like
A good brand partner is one you rarely have to think about. The order arrives on time and in good condition. Your staff knows what to say. Reorders stay small enough to keep up with, and when something comes up, a person you know answers the email.
That's the standard we hold ourselves to. You've got a whole team in Asheville in your corner, and y'all are welcome to lean on us.
Thinking about bringing Spicewalla into your store? Already carry us and want more out of your set? Email sales@spicewallabrand.com, write to Nadine directly at nadine@spicewallabrand.com, browse the full catalogue on Faire, and tag us on social! I'd love to hear about your store!!
Spread love, cook food!
Laura Fairley, Spicewalla's Chief Revenue Officer