Peter Torrington has over 30 years’ experience leading commercial strategies for major brands across Europe, Asia, and Australasia, including senior leadership roles with Colgate-Palmolive, Chief Sales Officer at Whittaker’s, and CEO of The Produce Company. Through Ask Pete, he now works with New Zealand brands such as Bostock Brothers, Kiwigarden, Serious Food Co, and Grin Natural Products to expand locally and internationally.
This guide focuses on solving NZ brand founders’ biggest blockers — from structuring and funding your startup, to pitching retailers, scaling online, and preparing for exit.
Peter Torrington | AskPete
From Idea to Shelf: The Tactical Playbook for NZ Consumer Brands
Clear, NZ-specific answers on funding, trademarks, retail pitching, ecommerce, and building a brand worth acquiring.
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How to Kick-off and Fund a NZ Consumer Brand Startup:
Part 1: How to Structure and Protect Your BrandPart 2: How to Fund Your NZ Product Brand (Without Venture Capital)Part 3: How to Pitch to NZ Retailers as a New BrandPart 4: Which Ecommerce Platform Works for NZ Brands?Part 5: How to Exit a NZ Consumer Brand — Without VCConsumer Brand Case Studies:
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Girl Native: Building New Zealand’s Indigenous Beauty & Skincare Brand
Six Barrel Soda: Building New Zealand’s Craft Soda Brand
Ārepa: Building New Zealand’s Brainfood Brand/w=3840,quality=90,fit=scale-down){kind=icon}
FTN Motion: Building New Zealand’s First Electric Motorcycle Brand Consumer Brand Case Studies
Six Barrel Soda
Building New Zealand’s Craft Soda Brand
FTN Motion
Building New Zealand’s Electric Motorcycle Brand
Ārepa
Building New Zealand’s Brainfood Brand
Girl Native
Building NZ’s Indigenous Skincare Brand
Part 1: How to Structure and Protect Your Brand
Wondering how to structure and trademark your NZ consumer brand? This part covers the exact costs, legal setups, and IP protections founders search for when launching.
Part 2: How to Fund Your NZ Product Brand (Without Venture Capital)
Venture capital rarely backs consumer brands—so how do you fund inventory, launch costs, and growth? This part explains 8 alternative funding options founders actually use.
Part 3: How to Pitch to NZ Retailers as a New Brand
Not sure how to pitch to NZ retailers? This part gives you the checklist, benchmarks, and 10-slide pitch deck outline buyers expect.
Part 4: Which Ecommerce Platform Works for NZ Brands?
Choosing the right ecommerce platform is critical. This part compares Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, and BigCommerce for NZ product brands.
Part 5: How to Exit a NZ Consumer Brand — Without VC
Most NZ brand exits happen without VC. This part explains what acquirers want and gives real NZ case studies.
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Your go-to-market strategic partner.
https://www.askpete.co.nz/
Partnering on clear action plans to drive in-market success.
Ask Pete is your go-to-market growth partner for NZ consumer brands ready to scale. From strategy and brand identity to product development, pricing, and partnership pitches, Pete helps founders turn insight into execution. Whether you’re building prototypes, refining your IP, or preparing to pitch retail and international partners — Pete delivers what moves the market
