Stocklot Goods | Surplus Merchandise

One of the big concerns everyone about to start a dollar store must address is where to purchase the dollar store merchandise for their store.  Most realize they need the best possible items, but dollar store costs must also be considered.  After all, if you pay too much for the items in your store you'll end up losing money.  When they fail to make a profit on the items being resold they soon find themselves in the position of closing their money-losing store.  Many then feel the only option available is to start looking for product non-traditional sources.  In some cases these non-traditional sources spell trouble.  Had they better understood where and how to find quality merchandise being sold by reliable wholesalers at reasonable prices things would have been different.  In this article I present tips to obtain the right merchandise for your store.

Cheap dollar store merchandise is rarely the answer to your buying needs when you start a dollar store.  While this is one strategy to reduce dollar store cost cheap, flimsy merchandise sure doesn't keep customers coming back.  Check and double check great bargains that are offered to your store.  Make sure you are getting exactly the quality and quantity that you agreed to receive.

Make sure you know the merchandise you buy is owned by the company making the sale to you.  Don't fall victim to an unscrupulous seller who is eager to make one sale and then disappear.  Always deal with reputable companies.  Check their references before spending any money with them.

Guarantees are only as good as the company providing them.  Don't fall for claims made by unknown sellers when you start a dollar store.  Just because they throw out claims about guarantees doesn't mean you should purchase.  Check references before you spend money with any new and unknown suppliers.

Well-taken pictures can cover a million defects.  Just because you see a picture of an item accompanied by an exciting description doesn't mean that's what you are going to receive.  Pictures can be taken of other, unrelated dollar store merchandise.  They can also be easily edited to cover flaws and defects.  Dealing with reputable suppliers is the one best way to reduce this risk.    

It's best to see things in-person before buying.  When you start a dollar store you will likely attend industry trade shows.  Use these trips to examine closeout and liquidation companies and their products.  Travel to closeout and liquidation company warehouses prior to submitting your first orders.  Reduce your risk by examining products in advance of purchasing them.

Sample orders are a good preventative step.  By submitting small, sample orders prior to committing to large orders you reduce your risk.  This tip also helps to cut dollar store cost as you will be purchasing only items from suppliers that you've already seen and sold in your store.

To your dollar store success!