Many of our followers here at The Closeout Industry stick around to learn industry secrets to help source liquidated inventory. I am going to share one of my secrets today, but you cannot tell anyone!  -Ok…that was dumb, but please put the following tip to good use:

Search for overstock and closeout inventory by calling distributors and manufacturers direct. All wholesale distributors who place merchandise in stores like Walmart, Kmart, Target, Kohls, Walgreens etc will have merchandise to liquidate.

When you go out shopping keep a close eye out for products that might suit your individual business. When you find a product that you might want to sell take a closer look at the box or packaging. Your looking for any information that might allow you to contact the manufacturer or distributor direct.

All retail products will have a barcode along with the company’s name. Most of the time you can find the words, “distributed by….” or “manufactured by….”.

I always carry a small pocket sized notepad and pen with me when I am going to any type of store. Once I find the product I like, I write down any and all information that I find. Back home, I will google the company’s name and sometimes the UPC code. You would be surprised at how many wholesale distributors and manufacturers’ have websites-BINGO!

From this contact information and web search I then call the company direct asking about any closeout, shelf pull and overstock deals they may have. I have found hundreds of closeout deals using this method.

Think about it for a moment, wholesale distributors often place merchandise in stores on some sort of consignment agreement. Large retail stores are billed on specific time cycle and then the unsold merchandise is often taken back by the wholesaler or distributor. What do they do with this merchandise? They liquidate it to resellers like you and me.

I remember one such deal I found a few years ago. I was shopping with my wife at our local grocery store when I stumbled upon a clothing rack full of apparel. Yes, apparel at a grocery store! I knew that this apparel was being distributed by an independent company so I wrote down the apparel brand and flipped the hangtag over and wrote down the companies name: Roundy Apparel.

When I went home I Googled Roundy Apparel and low and behold stumbled upon their website www.roundy.net. I called the company up the next day and you would have thought I was the answer to their prayers because I was told they have an abundance of unsold clothing to liquidate. A week later I received a free sample shipment of the apparel and made my first order buying 1000 mixed pieces of this “store pulled” merchandise. I think if my memory serves me I paid seventy cents per item!

You can use this technique over and over to find closeout deals for your business. It works.

Wholesale Liquidations Exposed! 137 Pages of purchasing information & liquidation sources in a fact-filled guide that wholesalers and liquidation brokers do not want you to get your hands on! I have over ten years of experience buying name brand wholesale liquidation merchandise...and I am willing to share my knowledge with you!