How We Helped 900.care Crack Retail and Break Through Their E-Commerce Plateau in Under 12 Months

Top 3 Results

GTM Strategy → 500+ Retail Locations in 10 Months: From zero physical presence to national deals with Carrefour (310 hypermarkets), Casino, Cora. Built 42-person sales force opening 1-2 stores daily.

Market Access 15x Expansion: Jumped from 6% market coverage (online only) to 96% addressable market.

Category-Leading Performance: Above-average sell-through rates from launch despite radical product innovation. Smart positioning + proven retail codes = instant traction.

The Problem: Distribution Delusion

900.care had stood the f*ck out with their eco-refillable personal care that eliminates 90% of what you're paying for (water, plastic, transport). They dominated e-commerce, becoming France's biggest online shower gel seller.

But revenue flatlined.

Only 6% of French consumers buy hygiene products online. They were all over a tiny slice while ignoring the massive opportunity.

Their previous retail attempt (Monoprix) failed because of three positioning failures:

1. Price positioning: Too premium for price-sensitive category

2. Brand awareness: Zero recognition = zero trust

3. Merchandising: Confusing packaging that didn't communicate value

Positioning + GTM Realignment

Step 1: Packaging

Thomas hit the streets with competitor products, testing 50+ iterations on three metrics:

• Noticed (visual impact)

• Understood (concept clarity)

• Wanted (purchase intent)

New Positioning Strategy:

• Lead with familiar category codes (clear "gel douche" labeling)

• Visual differentiation through kit concept (bottle + refill shown together)

• Borrowed interest from market leaders (gourmand fruit visuals)

• Added sensory cue (smell tab for trial)

Step 2: Bottom-Up GTM Strategy

Instead of top-down retail pitches, built proof through:

• 42-person sales force covering independent retailers

• 1-2 store openings daily (Leclerc, Intermarché, U)

• Performance data to de-risk national buyer decisions

Step 3: PR

Leveraged 200k+ community for social proof:

• LinkedIn campaigns targeting retail buyers

• 500+ likes/comments creating FOMO for buyers

• "Sandwich strategy": bottom-up performance + top-down pressure

Results

10 Months Post-Strategy:

• 0 → 500+ retail locations

• National retail partnerships: Carrefour, Casino, Cora

• Performance metrics: Above category averages from launch

• Revenue mix: 10% retail (€1M+ run rate) within months

Customers were churning because it's easier for most to buy shower gel at the supermarket than remembering to buy it online. Distribution solved retention.

The Strategic Lesson

900.care's breakthrough came from accepting the market reality: they had a massive distribution problem (6% vs 94%).

Three GTM Principles:

1. Normalise the weird: If your product is genuinely different, everything else should follow category conventions

2. Physical availability: Market access is so so so important

3. Bottom-up proof beats top-down pitches: Show don't tell for retail buyers

The best positioning strategy is being positioned where customers actually buy.