Retailers Forum Sept. 2014 Sept 2014 | Page 90

FORUM WORKSHOP Forum Workshop 9 If you sell custom-made roll-top desks, like 9 Charlie, you donʼt have to carry any inventory of • finished goods, just floor samples. You can order supplies when you need them and charge S as much as the traffic will bear. If you sell jewE elry, like Guy, one or two of a kind will do. Since P T you can always size a ring, your customers will E be more attracted by a large variety. If you are M in the grocery business, you need fully stocked B shelves so that customers will find everything E R they need, every time they come into your 2 place of business, 0 or they will have 1 to go elsewhere. 4 In clothing retail, you need a variety of styles as well as sizes at the beginning of each selling season. You need a big selection so that as sizes and styles start to sell out, customers have plenty to choose from until the next seasonʼs merchandise arrives. When the selection is very thin, and the new inventory is due to arrive soon, itʼs time for clearance sales. As you can see, experience in oneʼs profession will give you a head start when you buy inventory and set prices. It will take a year or two on your own before you have records upon which to base such decisions. Generally speaking, if you cater to immediate needs (“real need”) you have to have an ample inventory at the “best” price. If you cater to “perceived needs,” a wide variety of ever-changing merchandise will attract customers. Your prices will depend on your costs of doing business and the quality and service you offer. continued.. Powering Over 15,000 Successful Online Stores. Sell on Facebook and Ebay, get found on Google, sell on iPhones and send automated emails easily. Does your shopping cart do that? The last e-commerce platform you’ll ever need! DESiGn • OPtimizatiOn • hOStinG • mOb ilE •cOmmErcE F O R U M FrEE Y a 15-D al tri www.e-storesites.com