Halloween was always a time of DIY for me, ever since I was a kid. Part of what made this holiday one of my all-time favorites was the feeling of anticipation, and the rewarding sense of accomplishment I would get after I found some crazy and creative discount item or costume at the local dollar store or wholesale store that made my friends drool with envy. Come on, admit it… you were just as bad as me, egging everyone on with hints and vague descriptions of what you would dress up as, or show up with at the party.

I was only 5 years old… and already a little devil.

Part of the fun was always in digging up the crazy stuff that nobody else could find, and sometimes I really envy the kids today who have access to the Internet, and can find stuff from parts unknown to make their costumes with. There’s an unbelievable amount of awesome gear out there, and it’s not limited to the online sellers, either. Dollar stores and local discount shops are full of hidden treasures, and the recent economic hard times have even made the appearance of rapidly-disappearing seasonal stores a common occurrence these days.

But wait, I’m all gown up now… I don’t need to worry about getting the coolest costume any more. I’m not concerned with finding a gross-looking fake severed limb or plastic skulls, and I definitely don’t care about looking for the gags and novelties that make my Halloween escapades more of a trick, rather than a treat…

Check out the amazing black balloons behind me!

I’m a proper adult now, and that means I need a bunch of fake body parts! Lots of candy and treats! A whole truckload of novelties and party items… because now that I’m all grown-up, I’m the one who’s having the Halloween party!

Party planning requires a good deal of… well, party planning. It’s important to be the early bird, if you want to offer the best deals on the hottest Halloween goodies to your eager customers. You’d better believe I’m chomping at the bit, getting ready to make this the best year ever for a night of fun and experiences to remember! Remember… I live in China, where Halloween is viewed with little more than mild curiosity… so you shouldn’t leave your customers in the dark! Don’t be afraid to offer a dazzling variety of discount holiday goods, because this time only comes around once a year… and I’m terrified that you’ll miss the fun holiday sales opportunities, if you don’t start looking for the best wholesale and retail strategies for moving those hot Halloween goods now!

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Welcome to Hangzhou, China! There was a time – over three years ago – when I couldn’t watch more than 10 minutes of programming broadcasted by CCTV9 (the only English-speaking channel, which was great for a guy who didn’t know a word of Chinese), without seeing at least one sappy advertisement spot for “Hangzhou, the most beautiful city in China.” I guess this not-so-subliminal stuff worked pretty well on me, because I’ve been calling Hangzhou my home for over a year now. Come on, why do you think they call that stuff on TV programming?

While I can’t say that Hangzhou is the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited, I can say that it’s been a good experience so far. One of the things I like is that it has apparently shifted gears in a big way, as the focus has been softened on tourism… and intensified upon the tech industry. This smallish second-tier city is currently one of the few on the mainland with such a high CPC-approved ranking. In a bidding war that makes the Pepsi Challenge look like a schoolyard scrap, local governments of cities and provincial zones are going head-to-head in a mad dash to be named among the chosen ones who will serve as the industrial/information base for China’s emerging global identity in the electronics business.

This brings us to the 2009 Hangzhou Electronics and Information Fair. I attended the show and spoke to several vendors about their wares, in an effort to bring you a little closer to some of the people who are trying to make themselves known in this often chaotic raging tide of changes and developments. There’s a lot of similarities between the shows in the USA and the ones here, and at first glance there doesn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary… but a closer look will reveal the differences, and those who know what to look for will be ahead of the curve as they find new ways to promote China-wholesale electronics or other types of products in their respective wholesale and retail markets back home.

First of all, it’s worth noting that this show was definitely the place to see small startups and underfunded ground-floor outfits that are looking for some investors to help them develop their businesses. Major players like SAMSUNG, Ebay, MOTOROLA, and China Mobile were also there… but it didn’t seem like they were really trying too hard to impress anyone or make a statement about what they had on offer. It felt more like the industry leaders just had to be there, so they wouldn’t look like they were losing market share to the smaller companies who were pulling out all the stops. Could this be a case of the big ones resting on their laurels… as the little guys nip at their heels, and later grow to overtake them? It’s happened before, and it could certainly happen again.

(click the picture to see the video!)

As you can see in the video, there were a lot of new names amongst the collection of industry giants. Some of the tech on display was not particularly hair-raising, while others made me stop in my tracks, and take a closer look. 3G technology is all the rage right now, and the Chinese companies are hoping to ignite desire in the hearts of hungry consumers over this one… especially since it’s such an irresistibly attractive option for the CPC to replace that aggravating, unruly, and free-speech laden Internet with an easy-to-filter domestic version that beams straight to your handset… from servers that are all plugged into the current censorship protocols. Pretty grim stuff, I know… but while we can’t really do anything about it, the fact is that 3G is getting amazing funding and preferential treatment over all other forms of wireless technology right now. It’s gaining serious traction in Latin American countries as well, and that means that you should be paying attention to it too. If for some reason – let’s say in the USA – consumers are suddenly swept up in the 3G craze, who do you think will be in a position to dominate the market right from the beginning? You got it… that would be China, and select partners in Japan and Korea. You want to get in on that kind of action, or not?

(click the picture to see the video!)

In a brief interview with Troy Meng, CEO of ZiZai Tech Company Ltd., I was able to get some inside info on the cloud-based computing revolution that is just about to unleash itself upon the Internet. Here are a few things Troy had to say:

“This is real cloud-based apps in the China IT area. This technology will change the usage of [the] whole Internet, and let everybody build his own page easily. Basing some operational business models such as ads, blogs, interactive video, etc… this tech will take a bigger share of the Asian market. We can rebuild the protocols of [the] Internet, and make it more dynamic, more interactive, and able to provide more usable statistics.”

“Using this kind of online application tech will put an end to software piracy, and even make popular products like Adobe Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and other design software unnecessary. It will also allow people to easily rebuild their blogs with more dynamic content, and users will be able to enter the area of IPTV or mobile TV more easily. This will change people’s way of looking [at] web-based video.”

Cloud-based computing is another bug in the ear of software developers and web-hosting companies far and wide… after all, there’s a lot to be said for the existence of invisible servers nestled amongst the soft, serene clouds of cyberspace that do all of the heavy-hitting for you… while leaving you free to move around without having to lug an arsenal of hardware – and software – that enables you to get the job done. It will also do wonders for the companies that are vexed by software piracy, as they suddenly find themselves in a position where nobody can rip them off, unless the would-be pirates go to their physical site… and haul away the outfit’s computers in the back of an unmarked van! It’s also going to make pay-per-click advertising a whole new animal, much like the search engines and social networking sites have done. After all, a captive audience is a captive audience, no matter how you slice it into demographic groups or profiles. People who tune in to your network as often as they turn on their PC… now that’s what I call customer loyalty! Companies have been doing it for years, with employee-accessible web portals and proprietary sites… but it’s been slow to catch on with the consumer public. Once it hits, there will be no turning back. How will you use this technology to promote your online business, or your distribution network in the wholesale business?

Be sure to watch for the next installment of this series, as I give you my TopTen list of points to consider in the new China wholesale electronics market, and a little more to think about as we all watch China grow its tech industry, one day at a time.

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In an effort to bring the news directly to you, I have taken a moment to put together a little video clip of the 10:30pm scene outside of one of Hangzhou’s biggest and most popular retail attractions, the InTime Shopping Center. It’s a large and modern shopping haven for anyone who likes to spend top-dollar (or renminbi, in this case) for name-brand apparel and goods from all parts of the Western world. However, at night the situation is totally reversed, as the factories give their ‘emergency liquidators’ a special deal, and shave off some of that excess inventory at blow-out prices.

Check out my video clip:
Glimpse Into the Chinese Wholesale_ Retail Night Markets

Sales cycles for goods that don’t make it off the rack, or maybe don’t even make it to the distribution points can be interesting. With a population in excess of 1.4 billion, China’s retail sector is a logistical nightmare that often makes the control of goods a very challenging thing to grapple with. Instead of being afraid of it, most vendors simply look for the best and most ‘auspicious’ times to move their merchandise, and it’s only a matter of time before it’s funneled down to the lowest-level outlets for sale and eventual integration into the consumer pool… even if that pool looks more like a raging torrent.

What can you learn from the sellers working the streets of China? It’s not very different from what we do in the USA… because at the end of the day, it’s all about making those closeout/wholesale items move!

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All you Top Ten followers, get ready to see some new manufacturers, importers, and wholesalers. From handbags and jewelry, to religious products and DVD’s, you will find dozens of new customers on TopTenWholesale.com ready to take your orders.

Companies like International Jewelry Designs will be bringing some new CZ Jewelry collections to the market place. New exporters from the U.K are hitting the U.S hard with some of the trendiest styles of costume jewelry at really affordable prices. Check out DeansJewellery.com to see some of the latest styles. Vicki Handbags will be bringing in new selections of handbags for the fall. Whatever your needs are, whether they be case packs for your boutique or online stores or truckloads of customer returns and closeouts for your chain stores and thrift stores, you’ll be able to find it somewhere on the Top Ten Wholesale network.

Off to bed, see you all tomorrow.

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Michelle and Scott’s Wholesale Imports have seen substantial sales increases in the past few years amid downturn economy.
Why?
Many of our items are value priced. Earrings, Necklace and Earring Sets, Bracelets, Beauty Supplies, Hair Accessories and many other items and categories have many SKUs selling for $6.50 per dozen sets or less. Customers who historically have sold more expensive items have found out that by switching to a lower price point item, they can sustain their sales and even increase the margin they are making. The end customer out there is looking to save money and get a larger bang for their buck. Michelle and Scott’s specialize in selling individual stores and providing very fast shipping service and low minimums so that the customer can reduce the amount of inventory they have to carry at one time.
Low prices, Good Value, Fast Service and Low Minimums all contribute to the remarkable success of Michelle and Scotts Wholesale Imports and the customers who use them as their fashion accessory supplier.

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Written by Marc. St.Pierre:

In today’s uncertain and challenging economy, retailers will be looking for every edge and angle to capture sales during the upcoming back to school shopping season. Beginning in early August, kids from 6 to 17 will be prowling the malls, local shopping centers, and discount stores in search of bargains on the latest trends. Spending remains tight, and unlike in years past, teens will not be spending $150 on a single pair of designer jeans. This year, we’re expecting an increase in accessories and jewelry sales, as clothing budgets are cut, and kids are forced to dress up and accessorize some of last years outfits to offer a new look. What better way to do that, than a new piece of trendy jewelry?

Something like this:

Wholesale Trendy Jewelry

Peace signs are hot. Instead of spending $75 on a new Ed Hardy or Juicy T-shirt with a peace sign, teens can acquire the same trendy look for a small fraction of the cost with a piece of peace sign jewelry or accessory. Wholesale shell jewelry also offers a cool back to school look, and a fun summer vacation reminder. Retailers have picked up on this, and pre-bookings on catchy counter displays with trendy jewelry are way up. Looking for some trendy jewelry to make some quick and easy sales at your store? Make sure to check out the latest fashions and trends from Cool Jewels ® at CoolJewels.com.

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1. Wholesale ebay
2. Wholesale Music
3. Wholesale Games
4. Wholesale health and beauty
5. Wholesale Disney products
6. Wholesale Handbags
7. Wholesale Wedding Products
8. Wholesale Jewelry
9. Wholesale Shoes
10. Wholesale Clothing

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Find wholesale clothing and fashion accessories

OK, so you want to be an entrepreneur and start a blossoming business full of goodies that drive sales and make em’ come back for more. Well then, you need selection; You need sources and suppliers; You need low pricing and high margin items. I get it all day from friends, colleagues, and the average “Joe” or “Jane” — “How do we find it!!” Easy…Let me help ( if you live in Southern California ).

The La Fashion District is full of 1000’s of wholesalers, importers and manufacturers. In the heart of the fashion district is the California Market Center. This ginormous building is a year round trade show featuring apparel and fashion accessories direct from the source. Buyers from all over the country visit this wholesale fashion district in search of brands, quality, selection, sources and items that will sell in a store, flea market, ebay, web site or any other commerce vehicle.

The fashion district has new merchandise, closeouts, liquidations, name brands , trade managers and a plethora of tools to help you start your business.

Go and check it out somtetime! and most of all….

Happy Wholesaling

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Advantages of Online Product Sourcing

· Source merchandise for resale at discounted, wholesale pricing;

· Online bid and auction systems that let buyers set minimum and maximum bids and also receive emailed alerts when their max bid is approached by a new competitive bidder for the same listing;

· Levels the merchandise resale playing field by offsetting bigger manufacturer, wholesaler and distributor competition. Online auction and sales sites increasingly offer products across all categories, for purchase at below-wholesale or returned inventory liquidation prices … that can be purchased in smaller lots or No Minimum order sizes.

Online product sourcing can level the field between small-order eBay sellers, and buyers further up the product supply chain (such as Discount Store suppliers), who have the credit lines, warehouses and infrastructure to buy by the pallet or truckload.

· Legal product sourcing in smaller quantities. Major brands and stores – especially higher-priced luxury goods like Coach leather, or national brand stores with their own labels such as Toys R Us and Target Corporation – have engaged in gray-market legal battles with sites like eBay.

Some resellers at eBay, Amazon.com, Craig’s List and regional Flea Markets were acquiring their inventory in underhanded ways. Methods included buying quantities from major department store chains (Target, Macy’s, Dillards) during store sales … then returning what they didn’t sell at auction within the stores’ 30-day Returns period. Or hoarding higher-priced designer brand handbags, purchased at private Member Sales, which then showed up at online auction sites or urban street fairs. This produced brand manager nightmares and provoked aggressive trademark lawsuits, plus pressure on sites like eBay to exclude “gray-market” listings.

However, increased availability of auction sites that offer legal store returns and liquidation lots, or No Minimum Order options, is helping to legalize the product supply chain.

Auction Sites By Product Category

Search Top Ten Wholesale’s network and directories of global manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and resellers in 50+ different merchandise categories.

· Search for Auctions at Top Ten Wholesale …

· Or refine your search by a product category, such as TTW Electronics

See the site search page at http://www.toptenwholesale.com and click on one of over 50 Wholesale Keyword products categories (ABC – Apparel, Body Jewelry, Cellular – to TVW – Trade Shows, Videos, Watches).

Sites By Product Source & Price

GENCO Marketplace has an established industry track record for supplying store returns, overstocks and seasonal returns to liquidation and store retailers … generally through direct and online sales by the truckload or multiple pallets. GENCO Marketplace moves over $5 Million worth of merchandise every day through such re-sale channels in product categories ranging from Electronics and Apparel to Housewares and Tools. Many of these large liquidation lots feature online manifests, so that buyers know what they’re purchasing.

No Better Deals (GENCO

New from GENCO Marketplace is a bargain shopping site – No Better Deal . No Better Deal brings new and returned merchandise deals to consumers, bargain hunters, online auction resellers and flea market merchants … with the discount/liquidation prices formerly available only to big lot buyers. Clearance priced merchandise with no order minimums.

BidZ.com

Bidz.com features live auctions focused on jewelry, electronics and eyewear. Live Auction product sourcing 24 / 7.

Via Trading

Via Trading features one-stop online product sourcing – closeouts, overstocks, returns — for electronics, general merchandise and tools … with No Minimum Orders.

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From the GENCO Marketplace point of view – as early providers of “reverse logistics” services (liquidation, recovery value) on returned or distressed goods – a lot has changed since 1992.

Here’s a perspective on how far the liquidation business has come and how current changes improve and impact salvage buyers today.

–Top Ten Wholesale Blog Editor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Changing Times in Merchandise Liquidation
By GENCO Marketplace
B2B Wholesaler of Distressed Inventories

GENCO Marketplace, which liquidates more than $5 Million worth of product every day, began offering liquidation services in 1992 to reverse logistics customers, who wanted to maximize recovery value on their returned goods.

Back then, the priority for companies was simply getting rid of their distressed merchandise as fast as possible in order to empty the warehouse and cut costs. “Liquidation” may have been accomplished back then in parking lot sales to employees or simply destroying the goods.

For many of GENCO Marketplace’s early customers, we offered a new revenue stream. They were happy with even a small return on their distressed inventory.

How things have changed!!

Today, liquidation is a business. Companies now have budget targets for liquidation revenue and they’ve developed sophisticated programs to maximize recovery value, while minimizing overhead costs.

A few of the changes we have seen over the years, and how those changes are impacting salvage buyers, include:

Internet As Prime Channel. At one time in the recent past, the primary buyers of salvage were discount retailers, flea marketers and brokers. Today, a legion of Internet-based businesses has entered the fray, including eBay power sellers. The Internet has become a prime channel for moving liquidation merchandise.

· For buyers of liquidation merchandise, this means more competition for product and escalating prices. Retailers who formerly liquidated only by the truckload are now conducting Internet auctions for some of the same goods. While you may pay more for loads, increased demand in the secondary market allows you to charge more and make a fair profit.

· Overall, the Internet has been a positive force in the industry, by expanding the market for returned and closeout merchandise.

· On the flip side, Internet as prime liquidation channel has also invited rogue practices. For example, some businesses simply “flipped” loads without ever taking possession. (They found a load for sale online and, before buying the load themselves, they may attempt to sell it online for a profit.) But, after executing a sale, those businesses may learn that the product they “sold” is, in fact, no longer available for purchase.

In instances like the above example, we’ve seen “flippers” purchase a similar load and misrepresent it as the load originally offered. To avoid such rogue practices, you should deal only with sources of supply you know and trust.

Lower Risk From More Visible Load Content. Buyers once purchased mixed loads of various commodities, and they had to wait for delivery to see exactly what they’d purchased. Today, sophisticated liquidators publish online manifests that list products, descriptions, volumes and original value for all items in the load.

These manifests eliminate much of the risk associated with purchasing loads “blind.” Buyers should take advantage of this visibility to know what you’re buying, in advance.

Changed Buying from Higher Freight Costs. Higher freight costs are squeezing profits, translating to less margin for error on load purchases. Buyers used to be willing to gamble more on liquidation loads; but, today, few buyers purchase goods located on the other side of the country. It’s best to find sources of supply with locations near yours, or work with a large liquidator who locates multiple warehouses throughout the country.

Decreased Profit Margins on Electronics Loads. Electronics loads used to be more profitable. Today, retailers and manufacturers are more likely to cherry pick high-quality products from electronics loads, diminishing the load’s value. Also, because the next generation of products are introduced so rapidly, electronics products devalue quickly. So, loads must be remarketed and sold in a hurry … or profits are jeopardized.

Future Trend in Liquidation Merchandise

Economic recession is pressuring retailers. They’re both smarter and more cautious about purchases. This trend is likely to decrease the supply of returns and closeouts, which may increase liquidation load prices.

The only certain predictions we can make:

· The supply of liquidated goods will constantly change based on market demand for particular products, and the specific strategies of retailers and manufacturers.

· The most successful liquidation merchandise buyers are the ones who best adapt to this ever-changing business.

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