Episode 4

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. Whilst many won't make the grade, for a lucky few it will be a life-changing experience.

The fledgling suppliers face the harsh realities of the cut-throat world of retail. The open days are over but the hard work is only just beginning. The retailers may like the producers' ideas, but a series of tricky price negotiations and crunch design meetings mean that not all products will pass their prototype stage. Business inexperience is beginning to show through as blunders are made and professional advice ignored.

At the home retail giant, Steven Biddulph continues down his determined road of UK manufacture while Catherine Gray's attempts to design a vase with a difference hit a wobbly patch. The department store designers' dreams continue as Professor Weston talks money, while Charlotte Sale is in a race against time to produce her entire order in one day - or risk making a loss. At the pharmacy chain, Elaine Weston's teen skin care range faces the toughest test of all - a focus group of young girls, who she hopes will want to splash the cash on her creams.