Retail launch checklist
- Wholesale price that still leaves you a margin
- Suggested retail price
- Line sheet with images, sizes, and minimums
- Retail-ready packaging and labels
- Supply that can fill purchase orders on time
Launch channels
Retail, DTC, or TV shopping: which launch channel fits?
Last updated: November 2026 · Published by Cydney Mar
Your launch channel changes your product launch checklist: retail, direct-to-consumer, and TV shopping each set different rules for price, packaging, and inventory.
Should I launch my product in retail, DTC, or on TV?
Start with direct-to-consumer if you want to test demand and learn directly from buyers. Choose retail when supply is dependable and the product sells on a shelf without explanation. Consider TV shopping when the product is easy to demonstrate and supply can scale fast. Cydney Mar has sold through all three, including 15+ years on QVC.
Retail vs DTC vs TV shopping, compared
Every channel is judged on the same six criteria. Terms vary by retailer and network; confirm them directly.
| Criteria | Retail (stores) | Direct-to-consumer (DTC) | TV shopping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who sets the shelf price | The retailer, usually guided by your suggested retail price | You | The network, under its own terms |
| Who holds the customer relationship | The retailer | You, including customer data and feedback | The network |
| Pricing you must plan for | A wholesale price that leaves room for the retailer margin | Full retail price, minus marketing, fulfillment, and returns | Network terms, which vary; confirm them directly |
| Inventory demands | Deliver purchase orders complete and on schedule | Flexible; you can start with a smaller first run | Substantial inventory ready before the airing |
| What you must prepare | Line sheet, wholesale pricing, retail-ready packaging and labels | Product pages, photography, fulfillment, and a marketing plan | A demonstrable product, presentation points, and on-air readiness |
| Often fits when | Supply is dependable and the product sells on a shelf without explanation | You want to test demand and learn directly from buyers | The product is easy to show and supply can scale quickly |
Channel-specific launch checklists
DTC launch checklist
- Product pages that answer buyer questions
- Photography that shows scale and detail
- Fulfillment and returns process
- Marketing plan for your first hundred buyers
- Pricing that covers marketing and shipping
TV shopping launch checklist
- A product that is easy to show on camera
- Clear presentation points and demonstrations
- Inventory ready before the airing
- Pricing that works under the network terms
- Presenter preparation and practice
Experience across all three channels
Cydney Mar in retail, TV, and DTC
Cydney Mar sold her own collections on QVC for more than 15 years in 8 countries, with more than 800 hours of live television. She designed Cirque du Soleil's first Boutique Collection, led design for Edwin Jeans in North America, and counts more than $300M in retail, TV, and DTC sales across her career.
In their words
“She has been instrumental in my company's success as she gave me so many useful tips and wonderful advice.”
“She creates fashionable, money-making silhouettes to sell in all price ranges.”
How we chose these criteria
The six criteria reflect the decisions that most change a consumer product launch: price control, customer relationship, pricing structure, inventory, preparation, and fit. Each channel is described with the same kinds of general facts. This comparison was written by Cydney Mar, who publishes this site; it is not an independent review.
Back to the full product launch checklist
Common questions
- Should I launch in retail, DTC, or on TV shopping?
- It depends on your product, margins, and supply. Direct-to-consumer gives you control and customer data, but you must find every buyer yourself. Retail can bring volume but needs wholesale pricing and dependable supply. TV shopping can move large quantities quickly but demands inventory and strong on-air presentation. The channels page compares all three on the same criteria.
- Does Cydney Mar help with TV shopping launches?
- Launch and Scale in Cydney Mar's pathway covers taking a product to market through retail, DTC, or TV. Her own TV experience includes more than 15 years selling her collections on QVC in 8 countries and more than 800 hours of live television. A QVC presenter she met in 2012 credits her with practical on-air presentation advice.
- Can you give me an example of a product launch?
- Yes. Cydney Mar sold her own collections on QVC for more than 15 years across 8 countries, with more than 800 hours of live television. Each airing worked like a launch in miniature: the product, samples, supplier, costs, and inventory all had to be ready before going on air, or the moment was wasted.
- What does a go-to-market strategy for product launch include?
- A go-to-market strategy for product launch includes the target customer, positioning, pricing, the sales channel, launch timing, the marketing plan, and how you will measure results. For physical products it must also include supply: whether your factory can deliver the quantities your channel expects, on time, and at the cost your price depends on.
- Do people find new products through search?
- Yes, many do. HubSpot's 2026 marketing statistics report that 32.9% of internet users aged 16 and over discover new brands, products, and services via search engines. That is why clear product pages that answer buyers' real questions belong on your launch checklist alongside social media, retail, and other channels.
- What is a product launch event?
- A product launch event is a planned moment that introduces a new product to buyers, press, retailers, or customers, in person or online. It can be a store event, a livestream, a trade show booth, or a first TV airing. An event only works if inventory is ready to ship, so treat it as the last item on the checklist.