Case Study: A Consumer Goods Exporter Found Importers via Google Maps

The company

A Chinese kitchenware manufacturer (knives, cutting boards, utensils) with strong OEM business and a desire to build its own wholesale accounts in the US and UK.

The problem

Wholesale buyers (importers, online retailers, specialty stores) were hard to identify. The company’s previous approach — attending a US trade show — cost $25,000 and produced 12 leads, none of which converted.

What we did

1. Maps-based importer discovery. Searched “kitchenware wholesaler,” “home goods importer,” “cooking supply distributor” across major US and UK markets. 1,800 targets with websites and verified contacts.

2. Product-gap outreach. “You stock knives but not cutting boards — we make both. One shipment, one supplier, better margin.” Personalized around each retailer’s actual catalog.

3. Visual sequences. Product photos and short demo videos in follow-ups. Consumer goods are bought with the eyes.

The results

• 28% open rate, 6.9% reply rate
• 23 sample requests
• 5 wholesale accounts opened within 4 months
• First reorder within 5 months

How this applies to you

Consumer goods importers are findable on Maps, and they respond to catalog-aware, visual outreach. See our consumer goods playbook, or run it with POLALEAD.