Driven by sites like Poshmark, ThredUp, and the RealReal, the apparel resale market is outpacing the primary and becoming the go-to fashion staple for socially conscious Millennials and Gen Z. Consider this: these two generations are likely to spend more money with their favorite retailers if those retailers sell secondhand apparel or have an environmentally conscious way of dealing with returned and excess stock. This clear shift in consumer behavior is putting pressure on retailers to have sustainable business practices and implement recommerce solutions for their returned and excess merchandise.

Depending on your goals (revenue boost; community by leveraging or creating a sales brand loyalty, brand protection; offset loss, operational efficiency), there are several recommerce solutions:

Returned, Inspected, Resold to Consumers via a Private Label Site

Brands like REI and Taylor Stitch have launched online, private-label sites to resell used, repaired, or rebuilt items to consumers. All the items have been inspected and are sold at a discounted, set price; in most cases demand is greater than supply and items sell out quickly. 

By having their own recommerce sites, these retailers are able to not only manage, but dominate their brand’s own resale market. The marketing, quality, and channel control—and the ability to capture previously untapped revenue—are a huge win; not to mention the positive brand image and loyalty that is established. 

Third Party Resale Marketplaces 

Secondhand sites like Poshmark, ThredUp, and the RealReal are driving a secondary market ecosystem of selling and buying, but in a polished and trendy environment. What’s more, they are serving as small business incubators: what began as someone selling a handbag out of their closet has shifted into a full-time reselling business (and with it, a need for consistent merchandise to resell).

You can take advantage of this growing apparel reseller community by leveraging or creating a sales channel that caters and markets—on your terms—to this specific buyer group. This might include selling via a B2B recommerce marketplace that connects your returned and excess merchandise directly to fashion resellers. 

A Customized B2B Online Auction Marketplace 

Many retailers—including nine of the top 10 U.S. retailers—are opting to build their own B2B marketplaces in order to auction bulk quantities of returned and excess merchandise to business buyers around the country. From salvage and discount store owners to online sellers to mom-and-pop shops, refurbishers and exporters, a robust buyer base exists for just about every product regardless of condition. The advantage of an online auction channel is that it makes it just as easy to sell to a thousand business buyers as it does to five jobbers. More buyers generate more demand, pushing prices up and allowing for a faster sales cycle, creating a network effect. 

As the stigma of used fades and secondhand becomes in vogue, it’s time for retailers to jump on the recommerce bandwagon. B-Stock’s B2B marketplace solution can be customized and scaled based on each retailer’s needs and goals. That’s why nine out of the top 10 U.S. retailers are leveraging our platform to drive demand and achieve higher pricing, as well as a faster sales cycle—all while maintaining brand integrity. 

If you’re ready to give your returns and excess inventory a second life, request a demo today.

The post Thought Leadership Thursday (#TLT): Recommerce to Drive a More Sustainable Apparel Industry appeared first on B-Stock Solutions.

Nine of the top 10 U.S. retailers—among hundreds of others—are currently leveraging B-Stock’s private, online marketplace platform to sell their returned, excess and other liquidation merchandise to vetted business buyers across the globe. Think of it like your own storefront to sell b-stock goods. These marketplaces allow for higher recovery, a faster sales cycle (vs selling to a jobber), and total control over how your merchandise enters the secondary market. Here’s how it works:

Higher Pricing

When done right, liquidation can offset substantial loss for returned or excess inventory. By setting up an online auction marketplace where targeted buyers bid against each other to buy your merchandise, price and recovery go up because it cuts out middlemen and their markups as well as the significant logistics costs associated with extra shipping and handling that selling to those liquidators requires. Read how a global ecommerce company doubled pricing on its returned and excess inventory.

Better Control

B-Stock’s existing buyer network consists of vetted, professional resellers who need to source inventory for their own business. B-Stock runs targeted, demand generation campaigns to attract secondary market buyers to your marketplace. What’s more, retailers can control who is allowed to bid and who is not. Want to sell only to certain buyers you already know, no problem.  Want to limit liquidation sales to foreign buyers or exporters to ensure this excess inventory doesn’t compete with your existing sales channels, no problem. Discover a buyer is violating your terms of sale, no problem, ban them with a click. Need a de-labeling program executed, no problem.

Velocity

B-Stock’s platform allows you to move inventory as needed – regardless of volume, time of year, or product category. With a large buyer base, made up of the right buyers, there is always demand. If you could reduce your sales cycle from 40 to 17 days, what kind of impact would that have on your bottom line? Building liquidation into your business process means you never experience an end of quarter fire drill to move a huge quantity of inventory off the books and out of the warehouse at fire sale prices. Check out this client success story on how B-Stock helped a retailer support its consolidation goals.

Automation/Efficiency

By automating your liquidation process you’ll improve the operational efficiency of your liquidation program. This means no more negotiating over the phone with your local liquidator or manual work to prepare manifests or process orders.

Online Auction Dynamic

The auction dynamic results in higher pricing; it also creates a sense of urgency and excitement. Many bidders get caught up in the idea of, ‘Just one more bid’ and as a result, retailers achieve the best pricing possible for their inventory. Another benefit is that every buyer ‘named her price.’ Almost by definition, they feel good about what they paid since it was their choice.

Data

Our data shows that the smallest adjustments can drive substantially better results month after month. Lot optimization, low start prices, accurate manifests, targeted marketing and more all contribute to better pricing. This is where working with a company that has years of online marketplace and auction experience—and years of compiled data—can make a big difference.

Ready to take your liquidation program to the next level?

Request Demo

The post Nine of the Top 10 Retailers Liquidate with B-Stock. Here’s Why. appeared first on B-Stock Solutions.

How B-Stock Helps Buyers Gain Access to Liquidation Electronics

B-Stock operates a network of liquidation marketplaces enabling small- and medium-sized retailers and resellers to buy liquidation electronics in bulk directly from large Fortune 2000 retailers and manufacturers. Our network is made up of private liquidation auction marketplaces that B-Stock powers and manages for nine of the top 10 U.S. retailers, among many others. We enable these retailers to auction off their surplus electronics inventory directly to smaller resellers at a fraction of MSRP. Buyers gain access to the liquidation electronics inventory directly from major retailers without the middleman markups of large liquidators. In addition, they can bid on excess inventory with confidence, knowing they are buying directly from the source.

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The post A Quick Guide To Buying Liquidation Electronics appeared first on B-Stock Solutions.

We are very excited to announce the launch of BStockMobile.com in the B-Stock Sourcing Network!

BStockMobile is a new inventory liquidation marketplace focused on mobile device and cell phone liquidation. The single seller in the marketplace is the world’s number one trade-in operator and redistributor of carrier-grade mobile devices. In May 2013 this seller set a new industry record for cell phone collections in a single month with more than 1.1 million secure wireless device trade-ins.

This marketplace is offering a wide variety of mobile devices in mixed conditions that have come in via these trade-in programs.  A few sample listings can be seen below: 

Visit this new liquidation site and take a look, and be sure to register to participate.

The B-Stock Solutions Team

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Inventory, Inventory, Inventory…

The results of the survey were completely consistent with what we always heard nearly 10 years ago when I worked at eBay and we surveyed our sellers.  It is what drove me to start the eBay Private Marketplace business in 2004.  The number one answer from Ina’s survey was that they would spend the money on inventory with 65% of responses mentioning that option.

From Ina’s post:  “One might expect the number one answer to be spend it on advertising and marketing. But the number one answer was actually to invest in inventory.”

“The first rule of any business, is that you have to have items to sell, which could be expanded if I had warehouse space.” They said they would also hire additional help to free them up to work on sourcing products…”

I know it is also still true that retailers and manufacturers can’t sell to all of these small buyers because the process is too cumbersome.  Again, same thing as 10 years ago.

B-Stock continues to bridge this gap by providing the tools and services that enable enterprises to sell to thousands of resellers just as easily as selling to one or two.  By doing so, we have created sourcing opportunities for these small buyers so they don’t have to hire staff to spend hours and hours hunting for and negotiating inventory purchases.

The excitement among these buyers to access the inventory is clear. It is obvious based on the numbers of buyers who have joined the B-Stock Sourcing Network. Every new marketplace we launch causes the value of the network to increase for buyers.

Sourcing will always be one of the major barriers to growth for small sellers, but having access to B-Stock’s network of liquidation marketplaces can make their lives a lot better.

The post Small Resellers are Starving for your Inventory appeared first on B-Stock Solutions.

Start by exploring our guide on 3 Ways to Save Money on Shipping with B-Stock Europe, perfect for those looking to optimize their shipping strategies in Europe. If you’re an international buyer, don’t miss our essential International Buyer Registration Process on B-Stock and the Resources for International Buyers on B-Stock, which provide crucial information to get you started. For a deeper understanding of the export process, our article on Understanding Export: 10 Common Export Documents is a must-read. Additionally, we offer specialized guides for specific markets, such as our insights on Buying Overstock Inventory from Amazon Europe and practical tips on How to Buy Liquidation Stock in the UK. Lastly, for those interested in specific types of purchases, our guide on Buying Job Lots by Store in the UK offers valuable information.

The post Resources for Buyers appeared first on B-Stock Solutions.

Flea Market History

While noone knows for sure, it appears likely that the first flea markets were started in the 1800’s.  According to some, the first reference to the term “Flea Market” appeared in two conflicting stories about a location in Paris, France in the 1860’s known as the marche aux puces which translates to “Flea (or Flee) Market”.

The first of these stories is in the article “What Is A Flea Market?” by Albert LaFarge, written in 1998 and published in Today’s Flea Market magazine. In his article he says, “There is a general agreement that the term “Flea Market” is a literal translation of the French marche aux puces, an outdoor bazaar in Paris, France, named after those pesky little parasites of the order Siphonaptera (or “wingless bloodsucker”) that infested the upholstery of old furniture brought out for sale.”

The second of these stories is from the “Book of Flea Markets”.  The author writes, “In the time of Emperor Napoleon III, the imperial architect Haussmann made plans for the broad, straight boulevards with rows of square houses in the center of Paris, along which army divisions could march with much pompous noise. The plans forced many dealers in second-hand goods to flee their old dwellings; the alleys and slums were demolished. These dislodged merchants were, however, allowed to continue selling their wares undisturbed right in the north of Paris, just outside of the former fort, in front of the gate Porte de Clignancourt. The first stalls were erected in about 1860. The gathering together of all these exiles from the slums of Paris was soon given the name “Marche aux Puces”, meaning “flee market”, later translation.

An American Tradition

The first American flea market is said to have opened in Texas in approximately 1873. The concept caught on fast and today some say there are 5,000 flea markets in the United States with over 1 million vendors and 100 million shoppers each year.

The flea market is perhaps the purest example of the entrepreneurial spirit in America. Vendors with few resources at their disposal manage to round up a collection of items that they believe will be sought after by the shoppers in the market. They operate their ‘store’ to the best of their ability and hope to end each day with a profit. They are always on the lookout for new and better merchandise, better ways to sell it, a better location at the flea market, etc.  It is all about buying low, selling high and moving as much volume as they can.

The Sourcing Challenge

Finding inventory to sell at a flea market used to be very challenging. It took significant work to uncover buying opportunities that would allow the purchase of inventory at sufficiently low prices such that a healthy profit could be earned. Today, that has changed. While many vendors have yet to discover inventory sourcing opportunities like the B-Stock Sourcing Network, those who have are enjoying the benefits of a steady, dependable supply of inventory that can be purchased at great liquidation prices directly from the retailer.  This was never possible before because the large liquidators out their had monopolized the market. Small flea market vendors were forced to buy from those liquidators at marked up prices.

So, if you are one of those small businesses struggling to find quality inventory at the right price, check out the B-Stock Sourcing Network and all of our affiliated marketplaces. You will find a wide array of products in varying lot sizes and conditions. Best of all, if you see something you like, just name your price.  Who knows, you just might find yourself becoming the winner!

The post Flea Market History: An Interesting Past appeared first on B-Stock Solutions.

Auction Liquidators auction off their excess inventory and merchandise. The prices are not fixed, as buyers are able to bid and compete amongst other bidders. They distribute inventory to smaller buyers or consumers. Auction liquidators typically hold auctions in a physical location and charge potential buyers a fee to bid on the auctions.

How the B-Stock Sourcing Network is Different

Unlike auction liquidators and wholesale liquidators, B-Stock does not own consign, or purchase any of the inventory, as the inventory remains the ownership of the retailer or manufacturer. The B-Stock Sourcing Network is not a liquidator. Instead, the B-Stock Sourcing Network gives buyers free access to liquidation, refurbished, and overstock inventory in bulk, directly from major retailers. It is free, and there are no middleman markups (usually from wholesale liquidators, auction liquidators). The B-Stock Sourcing network is made up of private liquidation auction marketplaces that B-Stock Solutions powers and manages for large retailers such as Macy’s, Walmart, and Sam’s Club, among others. We enable these retailers to auction off their excess inventory directly to smaller resellers at a fraction of MSRP. Buyers can bid on excess inventory with confidence, knowing whom they’re buying from, and what they can expect.

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The post A Guide To Wholesale Liquidators And Auction Liquidators. What You Should Know. appeared first on B-Stock Solutions.

Wholesale, on the other hand, is the sale of goods and merchandise to resellers and businesses, usually sold in bulk quantities, to be retailed by others. True wholesaling is generally not available to the standard consumer. Wholesalers usually pack in bulk lots and redistribute in smaller lots. The wholesale price is usually fixed and the amount of product can vary substantially. Wholesalers frequently purchase large liquidation bulk lots from large liquidators, break those lots apart, and then repack and redistribute them in smaller lots to smaller retailers and resellers.

About the B-Stock Sourcing Network

The B-Stock Sourcing network is made up of private liquidation auction marketplaces that B-Stock Solutions powers and manages for large retailers such as Macy’s, Walmart, and Sam’s Club, among others. We enable these retailers to auction off their excess inventory directly to smaller resellers at a fraction of MSRP. Thousands of resellers love the B-Stock Sourcing Network because we provide them direct access to retailers and overstock inventory that they were previously never able to buy. Buyers can bid on excess inventory with confidence, knowing whom they’re buying from, and what they can expect.

The post Liquidation Or Wholesale? A Big Difference appeared first on B-Stock Solutions.

The Home Depot, based out of Atlanta, is the world’s largest home improvement retailer, company #34 on the Fortune 500 list. The entire B-Stock Solutions team is proud to have been selected by The Home Depot build, host and manage their official liquidation marketplace.

And it all happened in four weeks.

From kick-off to site launch, the B-Stock Solutions team worked with the Home Depot team to build the site and pre-register a critical mass of buyers in the new liquidation marketplace in exactly four weeks.

Items on the site range from customer returns to unsold overtock inventory. Detailed manifests highlight all items, quantities, and retail prices, including a SKU # that matches the one used on homedepot.com, allowing independent research of product values. (Only registered buyers with a valid reseller certificate may view manifests.)

The Home Depot Liquidation Marketplace features eight categories, which are: Appliances, Blinds, Fluorescent, Hardware, Lighting & Electrical, Plumbing, Tubs & Toilets, and Seasonal & Miscellaneous. Common items to be found include tools, vacuums, fans, gas grills, and outdoor fountains, umbrellas, and dining sets. Listings will contain either truckloads or half-truckloads of merchandise.

Visit the liquidation site and take a look, and be sure to register to participate.

Welcome aboard to The Home Depot Team!

The post The Home Depot is the newest B-Stock liquidation marketplace! appeared first on B-Stock Solutions.

Likewise, Gara says that the flagship store, once a mainstay of suburban malls, is now finding its place once again in downtown urban centers. There, the stores provide something that the internet cannot provide: an all-encompassing experience that includes not just personal shopping by looking at and touching the real items, but the sights and sounds of an entertainment destination. Such a shopping trip is likely to include a meal, drinks, and sight-seeing, as it did in the early stages of retail.

Gara references a note by Credit Suisse analyst Michael Exstein in which he remarks on the apparent reversal of the migration of flagship stores from urban centers to suburbs in the 1960s and ‘70s. “The new flagship trend appears to be different than the past and is now centered around selected urban or suburban locations as opposed to a national rollout.” The areas selected for flagship stores are those that have not only large local populations, but high tourist appeal—thus the emphasis on the “experience” of shopping.

In support of this observation, Exstein notes the recent openings, all within one week, of:

• Louis Vuitton’s stores in Munich and Venice
• Sandro and Maje’s Lanvin flagship store in Hong Kong
• Ceremony’s flagship store in Tokyo and special section in the South Coast Plaza complex in Orange County, California

As further evidence of the transformation in retail, Gara points to this 2011 article detailing Macy’s $400 million renovation of its flagship Manhattan store.

What is unlikely to change is the need for efficient inventory liquidation solutions. In fact, this need may be heightened due to the need to maintain a pristine brand image in these flagship locations. Having deeply discounted, older inventory on the shelves is not likely to be consistent with the brand image goals of the retailer investing in a flagship location. By driving recovery rates up, B-Stock is able to accelerate the rotation of inventory out of the store prior to the retailer getting to those deep cuts.

The post The Reshaping of Retail in the Internet Age and its Impact on Inventory Liquidation appeared first on B-Stock Solutions.

According to the analysis the Lumia Windows phones are suffering a severe buildup in Q1. If sales do not materialize in Q2, the likelihood of a glut of excess inventory liquidation hitting the secondary market in Q3 is high. We’ll watch the market and see how it goes.

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