subject: Do Your Wholesale Suppliers Carry The Right Dollar Store Products? [print this page] Your supplier should be your best source of information when it comes to purchasing the right items for your store. They have the inside track to what works for other dollar storeowners and can tell from their sales, the items that fly off the shelves the fastest. They also should know their own merchandise and have a keen eye for quality when it comes to their purchases. In addition, knowing the latest trends in purchases can be a key. If a specific type of collectible is all the rage and they carry the item, carrying the item can increase your traffic when word of mouth does your advertising.
The supplier may offer great prices, but if the items are junk, you've wasted your money. Before you settle on regulars to use, sample the items from a variety of wholesalers. Find the ones that offer clean, quality items at bargain basement prices. You'll want to find those regularly carrying household staples that are well below the price of similar items in regular retail stores. After all, consumables are what brings back customers and gives you a core of people to serve.
Keep a list of several wholesalers, but do most of your ordering from those who give you tips on growing your business. Wholesalers may not have the same type of storefront as you, but they operate on the same principles, quality at discount prices. If they're friendly and talk to their customers, they hear many of the best practices of other dollar storeowners. It might be a particular type of display, items for the latest craze in the world of teens or even a particular food item which is a top seller.
You probably will have to use several wholesalers to stock your store. One may offer the best cleaning products for the kitchen area, while the other might supply your store with laundry detergent or greeting cards. No one wholesaler will have the best quality or price on every item. Eliminate wholesalers that carry inferior products. Of course, the only way you can find out is by ordering. Ask the wholesaler for the item they think is the best bargain and order the minimum amount from the wholesaler, if the item is something you think your customers will use.
If you find the wholesaler's idea of quality and value are quite different from yours, cross him or her off your list. Trust is the most important part of your relationship with your supplier and an overrated or overinflated price for an item is a breach of that trust.
by: Robert Hamilton
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