Retailers are always on the lookout for the next big thing and in this series the buying teams of three high street giants are prepared to take an enormous gamble by asking members of the public to supply them with the next bestselling product. This is a chance of a lifetime for unknown designers and producers to pitch directly to the retail industry's power-brokers and have the opportunity to get their product stocked in prestigious shops. Over six months, retail entrepreneur Theo Paphitis will be following both buyers and suppliers as they experience the highs and guaranteed lows of bringing a product to market - from initial pitch to shop shelf - and whilst many won't make the grade, for a lucky few it will be a life-changing experience.
This time, a leading pharmacy chain opens its doors to just ten lucky hopefuls. Selected from hundreds of applications, each person has ten minutes to impress the buyers. The health, beauty and pharmacy market is worth over 26 billion pounds, so this is big business. With products ranging from a sophisticated fertility monitor, a teenage skincare range, eczema lotions, massage tools, wet wipes for men, through to talking vegetables and baby carriers, there are some tough decisions to be made and lots of disappointments.
Meanwhile, at an iconic department store, buyer Eleanor visits Sophie and Maria's studio to discuss their teenage training bras. She is shocked to discover they have over 20,000 pounds of stock stacked up in their office before they have even secured an order from a retailer - and she's got some more bad news for them. Plus glassblower Charlotte waits nervously for a studio visit from buying director Ed Burstell to see if the store will stock her.
