Episode Number:

38

August 18, 2025

In this episode of The eCom Growth Show, Danan Coleman sits down with Robyn Johnson, CEO and Co-Founder of Marketplace Blueprint, to unpack the challenges and strategies of expanding from Amazon into brick-and-mortar retail. With over a decade of experience selling on Amazon, eBay, and other ecommerce platforms, Robyn brings a wealth of insights on protecting your margins, managing cash flow, and avoiding common pitfalls when taking your products into physical stores.

Meet Robyn: The Amazon Growth Strategist

Robyn Johnson has been hailed as one of the country’s top experts on selling and marketing products on Amazon. As CEO of Marketplace Blueprint, her agency helps brands of all sizes manage and scale their Amazon presence—from listing optimization and advertising to compliance and inventory strategies. Starting with just $100 from her emergency fund, Robyn built a seven-figure eCommerce business and now works with companies doing up to $50 million in Amazon sales annually.

Resellers: The Hidden Threat to Retail Expansion

Robyn stresses that resellers can be a silent brand killer when expanding into retail. Price erosion, buy box suppression, and ad restrictions are all possible outcomes if not managed well.

  • When moving into retail, resellers can cause price erosion and block your ability to run Amazon ads.
  • Protect your Amazon channel by creating materially different SKUs for retail (e.g., size, packaging, added features).
  • Ensure retail products cannot be directly compared to your Amazon listings.
Strategic Move: Differentiate retail SKUs to maintain pricing integrity and keep Amazon's algorithm from penalizing your listings.

Cash Flow: The Make-or-Break Factor

Robyn points out that cash flow mismanagement is one of the top reasons retail expansions fail. Inventory commitments and delayed payments can drain your resources quickly.

  • Retail expansion ties up more inventory and often comes with longer payment terms.
  • Plan for higher MOQs, larger packaging runs, and delayed revenue.
  • Don’t jeopardize your existing Amazon cash flow to fund retail experiments.
Pro Insight: Always run a cash flow forecast before committing to retail orders—protect your core revenue stream first.

Safety & Compliance: Non-Negotiables for Retail

Robyn emphasizes that retail compliance standards are far stricter than Amazon’s. Skipping these checks can cost you big contracts.

  • Big box retailers have stricter compliance requirements than Amazon.
  • Be prepared for Prop 65 warnings, bilingual packaging (for Canada), and industry-specific certifications.
  • Join trade associations to access resources, networking, and compliance guidance.
Smart Play: Preempt compliance issues by consulting with a safety testing company before approaching retail buyers.

Trade Shows & Sales Reps: Your Gateway to Retail

Robyn notes that trade shows remain one of the most effective ways to secure retail buyers and partnerships.

  • Trade shows are a primary path to securing retail buyers.
  • Choose events that match your target buyer profile; visit them in advance before exhibiting.
  • Sales reps with existing relationships can place your products in specialty and boutique stores.
Growth Hack: Use trade shows not only to find buyers but also to learn how your competitors position themselves to retail.

MAP & Distribution Agreements: Protecting Your Brand

Robyn underlines that MAP and distribution agreements aren’t just legal formalities, they’re your frontline defense against channel conflict.

  • Clearly define where and how your products can be sold.
  • Enforce MAP policies consistently to avoid legal risk.
  • Use distribution agreements to block unauthorized Amazon sales.
Key Move: Consistency is crucial. MAP policies lose their power if you make exceptions.

Marketplace Blueprint: Managing Your Amazon Channel

Robyn highlights that Amazon management is a full-time job, and outsourcing can free up resources to focus on growth. Her team handles the Amazon workload so brands can focus on product development and distribution. Their services include:

  • Listing optimization & SEO
  • Advertising management with ROI-focused KPIs
  • Compliance issue resolution
  • Inventory & product extension strategy
Big Advantage: Freeing your internal team from Amazon operations allows you to focus on scaling other sales channels.

Connect with Robyn Johnson:

Final Thoughts

Expanding into retail is an exciting growth opportunity, but it demands a strategic approach that safeguards your existing revenue streams. From creating differentiated SKUs to navigating compliance requirements and securing reliable cash flow, success hinges on preparation and foresight. By leveraging experts like Robyn Johnson and Marketplace Blueprint, brands can confidently bridge the gap between online dominance and in-store success.

Want more proven strategies to grow your eCommerce brand? Tune in to The eCom Growth Show, where real founders and industry experts share the playbooks that help brands thrive on and beyond Amazon.