Our Approach
Find. Mind. Grind.
Three disciplines. One relentless commitment to getting your brand on the shelf — and keeping it there.
We open doors others can't find.
Every challenger brand faces the same wall: getting in front of the right buyer, at the right time, with the right story. Most never get past the gatekeepers.
At Acorn Solutions we don't knock the door, we arrange the meeting. With three decades of direct relationships across every major UK and Irish retailer, Conor Nicholl has built the kind of access that can't be bought, only earned. From Tesco to Henderson, Sainsbury's to SuperValu — we don't send the prospective email, we make the call.
We don't just open doors. We prepare you for what's on the other side. Category analysis, competitive positioning, and a pitch that speaks the buyer's language — not yours.
Deliverables
- New listings & supply opportunities
- Category & GAP analysis
- Buyer introductions across NI, ROI & GB
- Competitive benchmarking & positioning
- Range review preparation & support
What you'll walk away with
An agreed market-entry strategy, that matches both your ambitions and the buyers' expectations.
We protect the relationships you've earned.
Getting listed is the beginning, not the destination. The brands that last on the shelf are the ones that nurture every relationship in the supply chain — from the category manager to the colleagues on the shop floor.
Acorn Solutions provides the ongoing account management that most challenger brands simply can't staff for. Quarterly reviews, stakeholder nurture, contract negotiation, and the quiet diplomacy that keeps your brand protected when the shelf gets competitive.
When problems arise — and they will — you want someone in the room who's been there before. Someone who knows the signs, reads the room and understands the politics, the personalities, and the path to resolution.
Deliverables
- Account management for existing listings
- Stakeholder nurture & quarterly reviews
- Crisis & contract negotiation
- Range defence & SKU rationalization support
- Supplier performance management
What you'll walk away with
Retained relationships, protected listings, NPD conversations and the confidence that your brand has a voice in every review.
We turn shelf space into sell-through.
A listing without sell-through is just rent you're paying for shelf space. The grind is where Acorn Solutions earns its keep — turning distribution into demand.
From promotional planning to in-store activation, trade marketing to seasonal launches, we execute the campaigns that move product off the shelf and into the basket. This isn't strategy on paper. It's boots on the ground.
Have you thought about attending trade events but unsure which are the best fit for the next steps of your brand journey? Let Acorn provide the Solution – we can help identify, plan and represent your brand at the events that will make a difference to your journey.
We know what works in each channel, each retailer, each region. That specificity is the difference between a promotion that moves the needle and one that costs you margin.
Deliverables
- Promotional planning & execution
- In-store activation & merchandising
- Trade marketing & seasonal launches
- Shopper marketing strategy
- Pull-through analysis & optimisation
What you'll walk away with
Measurable sell-through improvement, an agreed promotional calendar that delivers Return On Investment (ROI), a noticeable improvement of on-shelf presence, and not just volume.
The Process
How every engagement unfolds.
Analyse
We study your category, competitors, and opportunity landscape.
Plan
We build a bespoke route-to-market strategy.
Do
We execute — introductions, listings, activations.
Review
We measure, learn, and optimise for the next cycle.
Ready to plant?
Let's see what your brand could become.
A 30-minute discovery call. No deck. No pitch. Just a conversation about where you are and where the shelf is.
Book a Strategy Call