For those of us who sell excess inventory and closeouts for a living, it's become easy to work 7 days a week. There are a number of reasons for this and some are presented below. Closeout brokers and other organizations that liquidate stock have done well during the pandemic, compared to many other industries. The challenging “chicken or the egg” question is what came first. Did business owners work hard during the pandemic, and this resulted in them doing well? Or did the pandemic force owners to work harder, thus allowing them to stay relevant and do well?
Free Time. In this work from home climate, it's easy to spend all your time on the computer, phone, and engaged in work. With little else to do during lockdowns and fear of getting Covid, many people have simply chosen to fill all their time with work. It's just as easy to buy overstock inventory from home as it is from the office, as long as you have email and phone service. You can liquidate stock just as easily at 2AM as you can at 1PM.
Technology. We have everything we need to work long hours. When you can make a sales presentation to sell excess inventory in the middle of the night from your iPhone, it can be easy to get sucked in and work more than you used to. When you can literally text a message about some new closeouts you have by saying “hey Siri …... as soon as the thought comes to mind, it can be hard to draw boundaries between personal and work time.
Necessity. Many salespeople, business owners and management teams have no choice but to work longer hours during Covid. Many businesses have been turned on their heads and are struggling to pay the bills. In the world of closeouts we live or die by our last deal, so there is always a need to find new companies that want to sell excess inventory and get rid of old stock. During challenging times like these we have to work harder in order to keep our head above water.
Convenience. Let's face it, in this Covid-19 environment it's just easier to work than play. Most of us are still told to mask in public and social distance. Everyday the news is filled with tragic stories of people either sick or dying, hospitals filled to capacity, and rising infection rates. Faced with these challenges, I would rather work to buy overstock, sell excess inventory and find closeouts that take a stressful vacation or go out to dinner and worry about getting sick. It's just more convenient to stay in and make some calls, look at samples of closeouts, talk with people who want to sell excess inventory, and try to make deals.
Closeouts can be a fun way to work away the time because this business offers variety. Companies that buy overstock often carry all categories of merchandise including housewares, home décor, toys, hardware, sporting goods, stationery, etc. These products are sold to both brick and mortar as well on online sellers of discounted inventory and closeouts. In challenging times like these, there is strong consumer demand for low-priced, good quality liquidation stock. As stimulus money begins running out and consumers are back to work, often earning higher wages, there is strong consumer demand for overstock, closeout and excess inventory in all categories.
While many have found their working days extended, a report by the National Bureau of Economic Research points out that they are not necessarily occupied for all that time. Some people may have chosen to adopt a more flexible working arrangement, perhaps taking into account the demands of home life and children.
“It is unclear if this increase in average workday span represents a benefit or drawback to employee well-being,” concludes the report from researchers at Harvard Business School and New York University.