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Product Inspiration
By businessbroad | October 9, 2007
It’s October again, and that means it’s time to amp up the buying for the holidays. For e-commerce retailers, it can be hard to add a lot of new products this late in the game, but smaller brick and mortar stores can run wild. Either way, it’s tough if you’re not sure what items you’d like to add. Here are a couple of places I turn to for product inspiration:
-Nearby retail stores. This one is kind of a no-brainer. Searching other stores is especially easy because it takes no time at all to flip the box and figure out where a product is coming from. The downside is that it’s hard to tell how well something is selling, and storekeepers are unlikely to give you a straight answer, especially if they know what you’re doing.
-Browing catalogs and websites. Catalogs and websites make it a little harder to source items, but they generally provide some information on what sells the best. In a paper catalog, look on the covers (inside and out) and the center. Those locations are generally the places where they promote their most successful products. Online, most catalogs have a “best sellers” or “most popular” page where you can view their best items. Also, the clearance items are often items that they committed to and couldn’t move (though that’s not always the case). Just remember, though, that their success doesn’t necessarily guarantee yours, especially if you target different types of customers.
-Blogs. Blogs are great places to find inspiration, especially if you sell products with a younger appeal. A few of my favorites are below:
Fresh Trend
Uncrate
Outblush
Rare Bird Finds
Oh My That’s Awesome
Happy Shopping!
Topics: Tricks of the Trade |