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« Previous EntriesToo Bad I Don’t Sell Swimwear
Sunday, August 24th, 2008A lot of gift stores in my area dabble in apparel items like t-shirts, lingerie, or swimwear, but I’ve always shied away from selling clothing. I’ve watched others struggle to get rid of odd sizes, deal with customers who get deodorant and makeup stains on their clothing, and generally lose a lot of money in clothing. That’s why I always left it up to the experts - actual clothing stores.
Of course, now that I find myself getting ready for the lake next weekend and looking for some sexy swimwear for the occasion, I’m having some mild regrets. It would be awfully nice to be able to shop for a bikini without that awful fluorescent dressing room lighting.
Have you ever sold apparel in your gift store? How did it go over?
My Labor Day Weekend
Sunday, August 24th, 2008Given that Labor Day is sort of the last weekend before the holiday inventory madness, I always close up shop for the long weekend (crazy, I know) and head out to some place warm for one last summer hurrah. This year, I had considered looking into Outer Banks rentals, but I ultimately decided to stay closer to home. Gas prices and all, you know.
So next weekend, I’ll be out at a nearby lake with family, food, and pets. We’ll boat, we’ll eat, and we might even swim if the weather cooperates. It should be a weekend to remember. If you’re able, I encourage you to gather with those closest to you and do the same. It’s a heck of a lot more enjoyable than a weekend at the mall, no matter how good the sales may be.
Hot Electronics Items You Probably Won’t Be Selling
Thursday, July 17th, 2008Every year, there are certain hot items that you know you’ll never be able to buy for your tiny store. This year, those items include the Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii, iPods, and the iPhone. So what’s a small business owner to do?
Get accessories. No one buys just an Xbox or just a Wii. Once they have the big item, you can be poised and ready to get the rest of their cash 
GPS Saves a Business Money
Friday, March 28th, 2008If your business involves much in the way of doing pickups and delivery, you shouldn’t hesitate to invest in a gps tracking system. Even though it may seem like a lot of money up front, consider the long-run cost of missed turns and general confusion for as little as 1 hour each week.
That’s 52 hours in a single year. That’s a minimum of $390. Some GPS units are as little as $150 these days. Not a bad deal.
Orovo, All Natural Products
Sunday, March 9th, 2008If you want to get into the health and wellness marketings, you should check out distribution options for Orovo. Orovo offers all-natural products for acne control, weight loss, and muscle building, all of which are fairly popular and lucrative fields these days.
Depending on your clientele, these items might be perfect to go alongside things like vitamins, health-related books, and fitness supplies. Nearly anything could work, really. It’s all in how you set up the area. If you transition it well into the rest of your store, it will look great and open up a new way to service your customers.
Emoticon Plush Toys
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008 
:B
If that looks like gibberish to you, it’s official - you’re out of touch with young people and modern technology. Kimochi certainly isn’t, though, and they’ve created a whole line of emoticon plush toys. An emoticon is what you see above, a combination of plain old typewriter characters that are used to create the appearance of a facial expression when you look at it sideways.
If you’re interested in carrying these dolls in your store, give them a call at (415) 454-4600. Or, if that’s not your speed, you could try something like Orovo supplements.
More Home Decor Wholesale Ideas
Wednesday, February 27th, 2008In any field, it’s important to try to figure out what you can do that’s different from your competitors. For a gift store I like to visit, that meant including some “minor” home improvement items. Instead of just selling cards and flowers and books, she also stocked simple items like wall decals, cabinet pulls, fan pulls, and door knobs. The new additions increased her foot traffic significantly.
So, if things aren’t going as you hoped, look around your business and try to figure out what might work for you. There’s always something that could be done differently.
New Age Product Ideas
Saturday, February 16th, 2008Capturing the new age crowd can require some imagination. Vegan and vegetarian friendly products are always great, and it’s not that hard to find foods that fit the bill. To amp it up a bit, try also including some vegan shampoos or soaps.
You might also try alternative medicines like aromatherapy or herbal treatments, but don’t overlook something like a colon cleanser, either. Both types of products can do very well, particularly if you offer a comfortable shopping experience.
What other ideas have you come up with that let you work a niche more fully than the usual products?
Yankee Candle Fragrance Fans Wholesale
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008You might not realize it, but Yankee Candle offers wholesale pricing for retailers. This is especially cool in light of one of their latest products, the fragrance fan. Instead of requiring an open flame, they’re great for spreading great scents in areas that are restricted from flames.
While the fragrance fans aren’t available on their website, I suspect that they’re available in most of the standard scents. So, whether you want your rooms to smell like a candy stores or Pigeon Forge cabin rentals, you’ll be covered.
To get in touch with them, contact Yankee Candle at (413) 665-8306.
A Wholesale Request
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008A friend of mine wants to start a hardware store. Obviously, it’s not going to be easy to compete with the giants like Home Depot and Lowes. Those places have nearly ruined the retail landscape and they’re filled with employees who are occasionally informed, but who definitely haven’t made hardware their life.
Perhaps I’m just spoiled because I grew up in a small town where the hardware store owners loved their job and considered it their calling, but I would love to see this guy succeed. He’s currently looking for wholesale suppliers of the items below. If you have any good tips, please leave them in the comments. He would be infinitely appreciative.
Faucets
Bathroom Vanities
Tiles
Hand Tools
Paint
Wallpaper
Wood
Caulk
He’s put together a great list of suppliers so far, but there are definitely some things missing. Again, I appreciate any contributions!
Spring Fitness Equipment
Sunday, January 27th, 2008Fitness equipment is a great idea for a spring product line in nearly any kind of store. Whether you go with something like pedometers or yoga mats, or something a little more aggressive like actual exercise equipment, the warm weather is a great way to inspire purchases. Everyone wants to be more active as things warm up.
If you’re looking for somewhere to get started, try checking out a magazine like Self or Shape and browsing the new product sections. They nearly always list the manufacturer, and it’s a great way to see what’s new and hot and (usually) very cute.
New Products for Spring
Sunday, January 27th, 2008Every time the season changes, I try to think of “strange” new products that might do well in my product lineup. Depending on my mood and the seasons, it could be anything from kitchen gadgets to glass figurines to costumes to legal steroids. You just never know, right? With the right tie-ins and supplementary products, almost anything can work.
Have you ever tried anything really strange, given your existing line? How did it work out for you? I’m very curious to hear about others who might have the same, slightly crazy tendencies.
Modern Furniture Wholesale
Saturday, January 26th, 2008Depending on the nature of your store, you might find that it’s worthwhile to look into carrying a variety of furniture selections. If you sell electronics, home theater furniture could be a great way to grab additional sales. Something like a TV stand or plasma lift console could be a great add-on for your customers.
To get an idea of what’s popular, browse websites in the niche you’d like to explore. Learn about the features and figure out what it is that makes a good piece. Once you know that, it will be a lot easier to find the best items for your store.
New Year, New…Fido?
Saturday, December 29th, 2007While I’ve always found pet supplies to be top performers in retail environments, I’m not sure that I’ve ever met someone who created New Year’s Resolutions for his or her pet. I came across the article below and it made me giggle to think about hordes of overweight puppies trying to get fit for the new year. It shouldn’t really, since it’s kind of sad to think that our massively overweight country is now doing the same thing to its pets, but gosh darn it, chubby puppies are just cute!
What do you think? Do your pets have New Year’s Resolutions? Will you be carrying any pet products to suit the needs of the slightly crazy owners who are buying into the idea?
Ways to Supplement Your Income Online
Tuesday, December 25th, 20071. Virtual Work - Check out Elance to bid on jobs that range from <$250 up into the $10,000+ range.
2. Blogging - PayPerPost is a great place to get started. I’ve done brief, 100-word posts that earned $50 or more.
3. Build Your Own Site - Ultimately, this can be one of the most lucrative ways to earn money online. You can sell space to advertisers, do sponsored posts, and earn money on a per-click basis from a variety of ad networks.
A Guide for Austin
Monday, December 24th, 2007Next spring, I’m taking a brief, 3-4 day trip to Austin, Texas. It’s part business, part pleasure, but definitely a little heavier on the business side of things. That means that I won’t have nearly as much time as I might like for things like getting lost and exploring. Fortunately, they make city guides for scenarios just like mine.
Instead of getting lost and wasting half a day looking for something fun to do, I can use an Austin City Guide to figure out what’s good before I even get there. It includes information on cheap hotels, interesting events, attractions, weather, and general tourist information.
My main goal will probably be to get a good deal on the hotel so I can spend more money on live music and some good ribs. While there’s no shortage of good ribs here in the Midwest, it would just seem wrong to miss out on barbecued meat during a trip to Texas.
If any of you have been to Austin and have suggestions the guide doesn’t cover, definitely add them in the comments. If you’re going on a trip soon, I highly recommend checking out the HotelsbyCity.net guide page for the city in question. I’ve found their Austin page to be helpful enough to justify giving it a spot on my Bookmarks Toolbar until after the trip.
Wholesale Diamond Rings
Sunday, December 16th, 2007Lately, I’ve been curious about diamond rings. What is it that makes you decide to purchase a diamond ring (or another piece of valuable jewelry) from a particular store? What makes you decide on an actual piece? Is it the look of the piece, the price of the piece, the feel of the store, or something else entirely?
I’m mostly curious about how important the store’s image is in the transaction. Clearly, diamonds are all about the image, given the fact that CZ looks roughly the same to the naked eye. What do you think?
Donating Your Car
Monday, December 10th, 2007Have you ever wondered where all those anti-drug and positive message videos they show kids come from? While I know that many are created in the private sector, on a for-profit basis, there is also a need for content that is created and made available on a non-profit basis. Schools and youth homes and youth groups shouldn’t have to decide between providing good content and providing other important resources.
That’s where you come in. If you have a car or vehicle that you’re not using, you can arrange car donations through Car Angel. They’ll make great DVDs available to the people who request them if you make funding available through a tax-deductible donation. If you’re looking for a year-end deduction, check them out today. You can also view some of their videos on YouTube at this link.
Holiday Hours
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007Online, I find that I put in about 40-50% more hours during the holidays. Most brick and mortar retail stores seem to extend their hours by at least 20-30%, too. I’m curious, though, about independent retailers. Obviously, it’s the busy season, and obviously, it can be tough to work the extended hours. Do you do it, though? What factors into your decision to stay open extra late for holiday customers?
A local shop here actually decreases their hours, which is what made me start thinking about it. They close up shop around 5 when it starts to get dark, and they leave a fireplace DVD playing in the window with the dvd subtitle feature turned on to display the lyrics to Christmas music that accompanies the video. It’s actually very cool. Perhaps that’s the right attitude to take during this season.
Random Inspiration for Your Store
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007I like to brainstorm about what products might work out in my store. I don’t always end up carrying the things I think of, but it’s definitely a good exercise to consider new avenues for profit. I look through catalogs, watch commercials, read trade publications, and ask the people I know. Lately, I’ve given some thought to food, diet pills, jazz music, coffee table books, and kitchen gadgets. Of those, I have been testing coffee table books and kitchen gadgets most recently, with a reasonable amount of success. Things don’t always work out, but it’s worth testing, especially if you can find vendors with small minimum orders.
What odd or previously unfamiliar items have you decided to carry lately? If the answer is none, perhaps you should be brainstorming, too
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