Liquidation Secrets – Understanding Shelf Pulls

What is shelf pull liquidation apparel?

There is a lot of confusion surrounding this category of liquidation merchandise. Put simply, shelf pull merchandise, for various reasons, did not sell in the original department store and is liquidated at a fraction of the original wholesale value.

 Lets look at few reasons why merchandise might go “unsold:”

• Last seasons stock
• Too many of one item
• An item reached its Retail Aging limit
• Make room for new styles
• No longer have coordinating items

I hear people say all the time, “Why would clearance merchandise, that did not sell in the store, be a wise inventory purchase for ebay sales?”

Most of the items found in shelf pull pallets will have simply met their “Aging Life” in the original department store. Ok, your asking what the heck is Aging Life?

All of the big box stores have a set time for any particular product to “take up” floor space. The retail sales floor, to the retailer, is prime space. Displays are always changing along with merchandise. Think about it….How often do you go shopping and see the same merchandise time and time again?

As consumers we would stop shopping if the same merchandise was offered day in and day out…..

Retailing is a science, in fact I highly recommend reading “The science of shopping” by noted retail consultant Paco Underhill. In his book, Paco chronicles the controlled art of retail marketing. The book is a fascinating journey, which will give you a great insight into retailing from the perspective of the Retailer.

Getting back to the Aging Limit: If a pair of jeans has been on the retail sales floor for too long, they will be placed on the clearance rack and eventually resold on a liquidation level in pallets. As with other items. Remember shelf pull apparel is a big assortment of brands, styles and sizes. There is tremendous value in shelf pull apparel for ebay sellers as you will instantly have a wide inventory assortment of merchandise.

Damages on shelf pull apparel typically will be no higher than 6-10%. Damage found in the category of shelf pulls can be attributed to handling (smudges, fraying, loose buttons etc).