Buyers get pitched all day
A store buyer sees many brand emails a week. Generic ones that could go to any shop get deleted.
Industries · Ecommerce
Ecommerce cold email software that gets your brand onto store shelves and into partner deals.
FirstSales finds retailers, buyers and partner brands that fit your products, spots something real like a new category, a new store or a buying window, and writes each buyer a short email about it. It follows up until they reply, and stops the moment they do.
$1 for 3 days · Cancel anytime · No contract
- 01
Written only from the catalog, terms and brand story you add to the knowledge base
- 02
Separate campaigns for wholesale buyers and partner brands
- 03
Unlimited mailboxes, with 21 days of warm-up
- 04
Start for $1 for 3 days, then from $29/mo
The problem
Most brands wait for buyers to find them, and most buyers never do.
Trade shows and marketplaces help, but the buyers who would love your line are busy running their stores. The brands that grow wholesale write to the right stores at the right time and follow up until it fits.
Timing is everything
Buyers plan seasons ahead. Email after the order is set and you wait a whole season.
One email is never enough
A buyer who likes your line may still need the terms, samples and a second nudge. Without follow-ups, they forget.
How it works
From your catalog to a sample request, in three steps.
Set it up once, review as much as you like, and let FirstSales research, write and follow up.
- 01
Connect a separate domain
Add mailboxes on a cold email domain, not your main store domain. SPF, DKIM and DMARC are checked and warm-up starts.
- 02
Teach it your brand
Add your catalog, wholesale terms, lead times and brand story. Describe the stores you want, and FirstSales builds the list.
- 03
Send, follow up and book
Each email names something real about the store. Follow-ups stop on reply, and interested buyers get your meeting link.
What you get
Outreach that sounds like a brand rep who has been in the store.
Everything an ecommerce brand needs for steady wholesale and partner outreach, in every plan.
Only your products and terms
The AI writes only from your knowledge base, so it never quotes a price or product you do not have.
A real reason to write
Every email starts with something true about the store, such as a new category, a new location or a buying window.
Buyers and partners apart
Run wholesale outreach and brand partnership outreach as separate campaigns, each with its own list and offer.
Clean lists
Every contact is checked before each send, and Dirty contacts are left out to protect your domain.
Follow-ups that fit the season
Follow-ups spaced over weeks, stopped as soon as someone replies or opts out.
A workspace per brand or market
Run each brand, region or sales rep in its own workspace. Unlimited workspaces and team members.
Reasons to write
Buyers add new lines when their store changes, so write when it does.
A cold email to a buyer lands when it names something real about their store. These are the moments that open a shelf for a new brand, with a sample first line for each.
A new category on the shelf
A store that just added a category is still looking for the brands to fill it.
Sample first line Saw you started stocking kitchen linen this month. Are you still building out the range?
A new location opening
A second or third store needs more stock and often a few new brands.
Sample first line Congrats on the new store on Harbor Street. Are you adding brands for the opening?
A seasonal buying window
Buyers plan seasons ahead. Write before they lock the order, not after.
Sample first line Most shops plan holiday orders about now. Is there still room in yours for a gift line?
A brand they carried left
When a brand leaves a store, the shelf space is open for a fit.
Sample first line Noticed the ceramics range left your site. Are you looking for something to replace it?
A new online shop or marketplace
A retailer that just launched online needs more products to list.
Sample first line Saw your new online shop went live. Do you plan to list more home goods there?
A local or values focus
Stores that feature local, handmade or low-waste goods want brands that match.
Sample first line Your shop leans into handmade and local. Our candles are poured in small batches near you.
Set up wholesale outreachthat reaches buyers before they set the order.
Four parts of the app do the work a sales rep and a research assistant would do by hand.
- Connect
Send from a separate, trusted domain
Add Gmail, Outlook or SMTP mailboxes on a cold email domain, so your store emails and order emails stay safe. Mailboxes are unlimited, so spread volume across as many as you need with sending rotation.
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC check. Per domain, with the exact fix if a record is missing.
- 21-day warm-up. Three phases before full volume.
- Health grade. Each mailbox gets a grade and hourly monitoring.
- Teach
Teach it your catalog and terms
Add your products, wholesale prices, minimum order, lead times and brand story. The AI writes only from what you add, so every detail matches what you can ship.
- Knowledge base. Catalog, terms and brand story in one place.
- Offerings. Wholesale and partnership offers, each with its own buyer and message.
- Lead list from a description. Every contact checked before each send.
- Write
Emails about their store, not your logo
Each email starts with something true about the store, such as a new category or a new location, and asks one simple question. No blasts, no hype.
- Writing profile. Keeps your brand voice warm and clear.
- Approval queue. Approve, edit or reject drafts before they send.
- A/B tests. Test two openers and keep the one buyers reply to.
- Reply
Turn replies into sample requests
Replies land in the Unibox. Interested buyers get your meeting link, and the sequence stops on any reply or opt-out.
- Unibox. Every reply from every mailbox in one inbox.
- Stop on reply or opt-out. No follow-up after a no.
- Meeting link. Interested replies get your booking link.
A sequence that sells the line, not the logo
Buyers say yes to brands that make ordering easy, so each email removes one reason to wait.
A wholesale buyer has to know the product fits, the terms work and the stock will arrive. A short sequence that answers one of those at each step reads like a good rep. FirstSales writes each step for each store and stops the moment they reply.
Email 1 · Day 1
Name something real about their store and ask if a line like yours fits.
Saw you added a candle shelf this season. Would a hand-poured line fit your spring buy?
Email 2 · Day 4
Send the facts a buyer needs: line sheet, wholesale terms and minimum order.
Here is our line sheet with wholesale prices, the first-order minimum and lead times.
Email 3 · Day 9
Offer a low-risk start, such as samples or a small first order.
Happy to send a few samples so you can see and smell them before you order.
Email 4 · Day 16
Close the loop politely and offer to write again next season.
If spring is already set, should I check back before you plan the summer buy?
Plain guide
How to cold email store buyers and partner brands.
What works when you write to busy people who run shops and buy for them.
- 01
Know the store first
Look at what they carry, how they display it and who shops there. One true detail beats a long brand story.
- 02
Write before the buying window
Buyers plan seasons ahead. Ask when they plan the next one, and write a few weeks before.
- 03
Make ordering easy
Have your line sheet, wholesale terms, minimum order and lead times ready to send in one reply.
- 04
Offer a low-risk start
Samples or a small first order lower the bar for a buyer who has never heard of you.
- 05
Keep buyers and partners apart
A store buyer and a partner brand want different things. Give each their own campaign and offer.
- 06
Use a separate domain
Keep cold outreach off the domain your store and order emails use, so customer email stays safe.
“One of the biggest pains in cold email is making sure that you have your DNS setup correctly. Firstsales has created a system to make sure you have done this correctly.”
Who you write to
A new line in a store passes a few people, and each one checks something different.
Whether you sell to shops, chains or online retailers, the yes rarely comes from one person. These are the people, what they care about and the angle that gets a reply.
- 01
Store owner
- What they care about
- Products that sell through and fit the feel of the shop.
- The angle that gets a reply
- Name something specific about their store and why your line fits it.
- 02
Head buyer or category buyer
- What they care about
- A balanced range, fair margins and a buying calendar that works.
- The angle that gets a reply
- Lead with the category they are building and the terms they need to decide.
- 03
Merchandiser
- What they care about
- Products that look good together on the shelf and online.
- The angle that gets a reply
- Show how your line sits next to what they already carry, with clear images on request.
- 04
Ecommerce or marketplace manager
- What they care about
- Clean product data, good photos and stock that stays in stock.
- The angle that gets a reply
- Offer product files and photos ready to list, plus honest lead times.
- 05
Operations or inventory lead
- What they care about
- Reliable delivery, simple reorders and no surprise shortages.
- The angle that gets a reply
- Be clear about lead times, minimums and how a reorder works.
- 06
Partnerships lead at another brand
- What they care about
- A collaboration that brings both brands new customers.
- The angle that gets a reply
- Suggest one simple idea, such as a shared bundle or a gift set.
Before and after
Wholesale outreach, before and after FirstSales
What changes when each email reads like it came from someone who knows the store.
The usual way
Trade shows and brand blasts.
- The same pitch to every shopBuyers can tell it was sent to many.
- Emailing after the order is setA whole season lost.
- One email, then silenceInterested buyers forget.
- Buyers and partners mixedNothing fits either one.
- Bought lists uncheckedBounces hurt the domain.
- Replies scatteredSample requests wait.
With FirstSales
Store-by-store outreach.
- A real detail about the storeA reason to reply.
- Before the buying windowIn time for the next order.
- Patient follow-upsStopped on any reply or opt-out.
- One audience per campaignEach email fits the reader.
- Contacts checked firstDirty contacts out before each send.
- UniboxEvery reply in one inbox.
Before you send
wholesale outreach checklist
Run through this before each new campaign. FirstSales handles most of it for you.
- A cold email domain that is not your store domain
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC set on every sending domain
- Warm-up running for 21 days
- Catalog, wholesale prices and minimum order in the knowledge base
- Honest lead times and stock levels
- A line sheet ready to send on request
- Every contact checked and Dirty contacts left out
- One type of store or partner per campaign
- Drafts reviewed in the approval queue
- Your meeting link ready for interested replies
Real objections
What buyers say to a wholesale cold email and what to say back.
Most buyers are not planning an order the day your email lands. These are the objections you will hear most, with a calm reply for each.
What they say
What you say back
“Our buying for this season is done.”
Ask when they plan the next season and offer to write back a few weeks before.
“We already carry something like this.”
Agree, and point to the one thing that is different, such as size, price point or story.
“Your minimum order is too high.”
Offer a smaller first order or samples if you can, and say what the reorder looks like.
“Send me your line sheet.”
Send it with two or three products picked for their store and a line on why each fits.
“We only work with brands we know.”
Offer samples and a short note on where you are made and how you ship.
“How did you get my email?”
Say plainly that you found their store through public sources, and offer to take them off your list.
Why brands switch
Wholesale outreach: FirstSales vs a typical tool
Many tools send one template to a list. FirstSales writes each email from your catalog and something real about the store.
| What you get | Typical tool | FirstSales |
|---|---|---|
| Emails written only from your catalog and terms | Varies | AI writes only from your knowledge base |
| Opens with a real detail about the store | Varies | Included |
| Separate buyer and partner campaigns | Varies | Unlimited workspaces |
| SPF, DKIM and DMARC check | Varies | Included, per domain |
| Mailboxes | Varies | Unlimited on every plan |
| 21-day warm-up | Varies | Included |
| Contact check before each send | Varies | On every send, no add-on |
| Starting price | Varies | $29/mo |
| Start your $1 trial | ||
What people say
From people who use it
Real words from real users. No paid reviews.
“I've been using FirstSales.io for several months now, and I can confidently say it has revolutionized how I approach lead generation and customer acquisition.”
Paweł Stelmach
Small business owner
“User Interface, Ease of Use, Able to hit the inbox in the first attempt.”
Sadashiv B.
Founder, small business
“His honest and insightful feedback helped us transform @synchrowork when we started on LTD to what we are building now.”
Sushant Kumar
@sushantkr49
Questions,answered plainly.
Can’t find yours? Write to us.
01Does cold email work for ecommerce brands?
Yes, for wholesale and partnerships: writing to store buyers, retailers and other brands. Each email names something real about the store, and FirstSales writes only from the catalog and terms you add.
02Can I cold email my shoppers?
Cold email fits business buyers, not private shoppers. Rules for emailing consumers are stricter and differ by country, so use FirstSales for wholesale and partner outreach. This is not legal advice.
03Who should an ecommerce brand email?
Usually store owners, head buyers and category buyers at shops and retailers, plus partnership leads at other brands. Each role gets its own angle.
04Will it quote the wrong price or product?
Not if the knowledge base is current. The AI writes only from what you add, so update it when a price, minimum order or product changes.
05Can I run wholesale and partner outreach apart?
Yes. Give each audience, brand or market its own workspace with its own knowledge base, mailboxes and campaigns. Workspaces and team members are unlimited.
06How do we protect our store domain?
Send from a separate cold email domain. FirstSales checks SPF, DKIM and DMARC, warms each mailbox up for 21 days in three phases and gives it a health grade with hourly monitoring.
07How do I try it?
Start for $1 for 3 days. Connect a mailbox, add your catalog and terms, and read the first drafts in manual mode. No contract: cancel any time from your dashboard.
Outreach that keeps going after you log off.Leads, emails, follow-ups and replies, handled.
Connect unlimited mailboxes and let AI agents find leads, write each email and follow up. Or send your own templates in manual mode. From $29/mo.
$1 for 3 days · Cancel anytime · No contract