Customer return lots can be tricky
for the inexperienced seller. That’s why we strongly encourage beginners or
those new to liquidation merchandise to stick with shelf pull condition lots.
To the experienced seller though these lots can be quite profitable if you know
how, when and where to sell these items.
So you purchased a customer return lot,
you have two piles the pristine stuff in perfect condition and the not so
perfect. Before you put that second pile in the trash take a minute and ask
yourself these questions:
-Are you throwing away some profits
here? Some minor imperfections may prevent you from selling for top dollar, but
there’s still someone out there for that item.
-So what do experienced sellers
know that you don’t? It’s all about timing! You need to know the right time to
buy customer returns and how to integrate them into your inventory.
We always recommend to try a
customer return lot after you have established consistent sales- before you
attempt a customer return condition lot, its best to already have a steady flow
of sales and income.These lots are best suited for
supplemental inventory. Beginners should always start with shelf pull condition
lot’s then gradually add some customer return merchandise to your mix. Start
small, analyze the merchandise carefully before making the purchase, remember
this is a trial run to make sure that they work and are profitable for your
business. Sort them by condition perfect and not so perfect and then let’s
examine some strategies for marketing these less than perfect goods.
Understand where you can sell these
items- So who is your customer for these items? It is anyone looking for a deal
to whom minor imperfections are not a concern. These customers are out there,
you just have to know where they shop. Where do you start? Anywhere that you
can present any condition issues with your merchandise. Web sites like eBay and
Poshmark are ideal as you can describe and list clear pictures of any flaws.
But don’t stop there go local! As we discussed in our last blog entry, think
Facebook, Craigslist, and Letgo. Customer return condition General Merchandise,
Home Goods, Kitchenware, and Glassware can be quite profitable sold this way.
Another local route that is low tech but can be a lot of fun as well as
rewarding is selling at local flea markets or yard sales. Remember the customer
can inspect the item before the purchase and missing packaging or less than
perfect condition is normally not a deal breaker in these types of
transactions. How about a more hands-off approach? Let someone else do the
selling! Explore the consignment shop option. Have some great heels from a
recent shoe lot that were just a bit too roughed up to be sold as new?
Consignment shops have loads of experience in dealing with these gently loved
items and can prep them and sell them in no time.
The experienced seller looks at
every problem as a challenge if you learn how you can effectively sell those
less than perfect items you can sell virtually anything.