Surplus Wholesale
Do you have a business reliant on stocking prices? Have your local distributors recently raised costs? Then online wholesale shopping may be for you! The World Wide Web is a gold mine for wholesale, overstock, liquidations, and returned/refurbished merchandise. But how do you mine that rich gold vein you find? The following is a basic guideline to purchasing online through a wholesale retailer.
To start with, make sure you have the tools you need to shop online. Most distributors of wholesale items are going to only accept major credit cards, or Paypal accounts. If your business is still only paying for things with a check, it’s time to update your purchasing power. Second, a valid email address is necessary so you can have a unique login with the wholesale website, and keep in communication with staff handling your order. Finally, be sure to enable cookies on your web browser. Unlike brick-and-mortar shopping, where you always have to return the cart or buggy at the end of your shopping day, online wholesale retailers will hold onto a virtual shopping cart for you! Fill it up with items so you can find them easily later. Some online retailers even allow you to click repeat order, and can send your order out to you at regularly set intervals.
Begin by using a search engine to find what you are looking for. Be careful with the keywords you type in- “wholesale electronics” versus “cheap electronics” could bring two totally different search result sets. When you find a website that sounds promising, click the link to jump essentially into that online “store.” Typically on the left hand side, or at the top of the page, will be underlined words that sound like categories. These are links to pages with wholesale items that fit the category. Think of the links as aisle signs hanging from the ceiling in a grocery store.
Once you have found surplus items that will fit your needs, a simple click will add it to your shopping cart. Each wholesale item should have information about the product such as what is it? Who makes it? How many are in the lot and what is the total cost for all items? Some sites will also have a unit price available. If a unit price is left out, simply divide the total lot cost by the number of items in the lot, and that will equal the unit price. Most sites will also have a shipping cost calculator, a cost you need to include when calculating the total unit price, as the shipping costs are part of the order. Many online wholesalers offer shipping discounts based on the amount of product purchased, or the type of wholesale item purchased. Keep your eyes open for those types of offers, and make sure you aren’t just shy of a threshold, because the shipping cost savings could be great.
After check out, expect an email confirmation sent to the email address you have on file with the company. Keep this email as you would any shipping receipt, it is the proof that you paid for and ordered the closeout or overstock items. Expect goods to arrive during normal business hours in the delivery window promised by the purchased shipping option. Depending on the value of the order, or the goods in delivery, such as electronics or jewelry, the shipping company may require someone present to sign for the goods. Many wholesale retailers also offer online tracking numbers, so you can watch your shipment move across country.
Upon arrival, use the original email to inventory the shipment. Many times, parts of an order become available before other articles and they may be shipped separately. Or, the wholesale items ordered might be mismatch, and it wouldn’t make sense to ship them together. For example, a group of lamps, children’s clothing, and a lot of DVD players would not ship together very well. Plus, online wholesale websites typically have numerous warehouses they pull from to complete orders, so the delivery pieces may even hail from different parts of the country. Each shipment piece should have an inventory sheet detailing the contents of the boxes or pallet. However, to keep tabs on the total order, the original confirmation email is necessary to check items off as they arrive.
If there are any problems, contact the website you purchased the items from immediately. Most internet wholesalers are small business owners more interested in keeping a repeat customer, than a few extra dollars. This doesn’t mean you can take advantage of them any more than a brick-and-mortar business. It does mean though that in legitimate circumstances, they are more likely to work with you than a big chain store or website associated with a big chain store. If the products you purchased worked well, and it is a site you will use again, be sure to leave a review of the product on the site. Indirectly, this benefits you the consumer. The more traffic and purchases made to the wholesaler, the more likely prices will stay low.
About the Author:
Rhinomart.com has been a provider of quality and affordable wholesale goods since 1994. We at Rhinomart.com prize high customer service, and are proud of our ‘A’ ranking with the Better Business Bureau online.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The Basics of Wholesale Shopping Online
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