Store Operations
Store Policies
Out-of-Town Vendor Policies & Guidelines
6min
To ensure a smooth onboarding process and ongoing management of your products, out-of-town vendors must follow these guidelines:
- Move-In Timeframe: Vendors are expected to move in within 2-3 weeks of acceptance. For vendors shipping products, your package must arrive at the destination store within this timeframe. Please review our Vendor Move-In Policy for further details.
- Shipment Delays: If the vendor anticipates any delays in moving in, they must notify the applicable store manager at least 24 hours ahead of their expected delivery date. Makers can extend their start date by a maximum of 5 days. If vendors do not communicate within this timeframe, their membership will automatically start after the 5-day extension period.
- Shipment ETA and Tracking Number: Vendors must provide store staff with an estimated delivery date and tracking number in advance. This helps staff anticipate deliveries and prepare accordingly.
- Shipping Costs: Vendors are responsible for all shipping costs. The store does not cover inbound or outbound product shipping fees.
- Planogram Requirement: Out-of-town vendors must include a planogram with their shipment to guide staff in setting up and displaying merchandise accurately. After assembly, staff will provide a photo for final approval. Vendors may request one remerchandising adjustment if needed.
- Entry Shelf Setup: Store staff can set up entry shelves on a vendor’s behalf. Vendors must provide clear, detailed instructions for shelf assembly, setup, and merchandising.
- 2ft, 3ft, and 4ft Displays: These displays must arrive fully assembled or be built using an external service like TaskRabbit. Store staff will typically not assemble these displays, however, exceptions may be made on a case by case basis. Please check directly with the store manager to see if their team has the capacity to build a display on a vendor’s behalf. Once the shelf is assembled, staff can merchandise and arrange products according to the provided instructions.
- Labeling Requirements: All products must be labeled before arrival. Staff cannot add, edit, or replace product labels on your behalf.
- Label Format: All product labels must be typed—handwritten labels are not accepted. Labels must also comply with our Labeling, Coding & Pricing Guidelines.
- Inventory Listings: All products must be entered into the inventory system before arriving at the store. Items not in the system cannot be sold.
- Staff Limitations: Store staff will not add, change, or update inventory entries. Please ensure all records are complete and accurate before shipping your products.
- New Product Approval: Store management must approve any new products before shipment. Unapproved products may be returned at the vendor's expense. To receive approval, please complete our New Product Application Form.
- Overstock: All overstock products must fit within the designated bin. Excess products cannot be stored beyond this space.
- Monitor Stock Levels: Vendors should monitor their stock levels in MVPOS and plan restocks accordingly.
- Shipment ETA and Tracking Number: Vendors must provide store staff with an estimated delivery date and tracking number for all shipments in advance. This helps staff anticipate deliveries and prepare accordingly.
- Display Changes: Once vendors have moved in, staff may accommodate more substantial display changes on a case-by-case basis. To confirm whether a store can fulfill your request, please contact store management in advance.
- Restocking: As a general rule, restocking or display adjustments should take a single staff member 20 minutes or less to complete. If a request exceeds this timeframe, it will be considered a special request and all special requests must be approved by management. Examples of special requests include:
- Building or assembling displays
- Complete stock changeovers or re-merchandising
- Adding or replacing labels
- Return Shipping Cost & Timeframe: Vendors must cover the cost of product returns when moving out or make arrangements for products to be returned within 30 days of the contract end date.
- If a vendor does not organize return shipping with store management within 30 days once their end contract date has passed, their items will be shipped to our head office in Vancouverfor storage at a fee charged to the vendor. More information on our return shipping policy can be found here.
- Packing Fee: A $50 packing fee aplies if store staff need to pack and ship unsold products and/or displays, plus applicable shipping costs.
Updated 18 Mar 2025
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