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When you consider that over $260 billion worth of merchandise is returned each year – a lot of which can’t go back on the shelves – that’s a huge amount of inventory lying idle. But one company’s headache is another’s opportunity, and for smaller, independent retailers, there has never been a better time to source returned and excess merchandise on the secondary market.
So, as a buyer, how do you navigate the secondary market to successfully sift through the bad and the ugly to get to the good?
B-Stock’s VP of Sales, Eric Moriarty recently addressed this topic in an article for Independent Retailer. Within the article Eric provided tips on what to look out for when sourcing customer returns and excess merchandise, including:
- Buy directly from the source
- Source online from reputable sellers
- Understand what you are purchasing
- Know your condition codes
- Make sure you have access to a consistent supply of product
- Understand the terms of purchase
To read more of Eric’s Independent Retailer, please click here. For a look at B-Stock Solutions’ network of private-label B2B marketplaces or to start sourcing returns and overstock merchandise directly from Fortune 1000 retailers, please visit our Sourcing Network.
Amberly Bliss, Owner
Retail Deals
"I feel so confident shopping and bidding on items knowing that I am going to get what I paid for. And if not, there’s a killer customer service team that’s going to make sure everything’s alright in the end. That’s huge. It’s hard to take that risk when you’re first starting out."
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