Why Trade Shows are a Goldmine for Selling Closeouts and Excess Inventory.
For any business dealing with physical products, the issue of excess inventory is a never-ending issue. Closeouts, overstock, abandoned merchandise – these items represent lost potential and a drain on valuable storage space. But there is a solution, that can help you deal with unwanted inventory and dead stock. Trade shows, often associated with launching new products, can be a valuable way for businesses looking to offload closeouts and excess inventory. Here's why exhibiting at trade shows is a strategic move for businesses with a stockpile of unwanted products and overstock goods taking up warehouse space.
Reaching the Right Audience: A Targeted Approach
Unlike traditional retail channels, trade shows offer a concentrated audience of highly relevant buyers. These attendees are typically:
- Liquidation Specialists: Businesses dedicated to buying and reselling closeout and overstock merchandise. They have the expertise and network to move large quantities of your unwanted products quickly and efficiently. These liquidation buyers are always on the lookout for closeout pet products, closeout lawn and garden products, overstock inventory of home goods and hardware, and other kinds of inventory you may need to offload.
- Discount Retailers: These stores thrive on offering deep discounts on a wide variety of products. Your closeouts can perfectly complement their offerings, providing them with fresh inventory at attractive prices. Closeout buyers have to look for deals 24/7. Buying excess inventory and finding new deals all the time is not always easy; companies that survive on overstock inventory and buying other businesses dead stock have to be on the lookout for special deals all the time. Closeouts and excess inventory deals are always available at trade shows, making these good overstock inventory opportunities for both buyers and sellers.
- Wholesalers and Distributors: These businesses act as intermediaries, buying your excess inventory in bulk and then selling it to a network of smaller retailers. This allows you to offload a significant amount of stock in one fell swoop. Although name brand closeouts can be easier to get rid of, you should be able to have success with overstock liquidators for any closeout housewares, closeout pet products and overstock buyouts of lawn and garden products or toys and games. If you are looking for a reliable closeout company to work with, try searching online using Google or Bard and use these search terms: closeouts, offloading excess inventory, getting rid of closeouts, liquidating entire warehouse keen to offload stock, shutting down business, downsizing warehouse, moving warehouses, we want to close the business sell leftover inventory, salvage overstocked goods in warehouse.
- Export Businesses: Depending on the nature of your closeouts, international buyers might be interested in purchasing them for resale in overseas markets. Trade shows catering to international trade can open new doors for your excess inventory. The benefit to getting rid of closeouts overseas is that they won't compete with your everyday business. Sometimes, inventory liquidators may have the ability to promise they will offload your inventory to customers in South America or Central America. These overseas buyers are generally interested in consumer closeouts including excess stock of lawn and garden products, overstock housewares, excess inventory of toys and games or other unwanted products taking up space in your warehouse.
By strategically selecting trade shows that attract these specific closeout buyer profiles, you can significantly increase your chances of finding a good home for your closeouts. Whether you decided to close your warehouse, of if you need to clear out warehouse space for new goods, trade shows can help. Even if you have excess stock in the warehouse to offload because it is selling slowly or if you are downsizing and need room in the warehouse, trade shows can help you offload inventory to inventory liquidators and other buyers for excess inventory.
The Power of Presentation: Transforming Perception
Trade shows provide a platform to showcase your closeouts in a visually appealing and informative manner. Here's how to make the most of it:
- Curate a Compelling Display: Don't simply dump unwanted items, overstocked products and excess inventory samples on a table. Create a well-organized and visually appealing display that highlights the best qualities of your closeouts. Use clear signage with prominent price points showcasing the value proposition for potential buyers. If you have a great deal on housewares closeouts make a pretty display. If you just bought a huge excess inventory of pet products, make a big display. If you are selling overstock lawn and garden products, use the right props to make a professional looking display. Make it appealing and you will sell more closeouts. Obviously, if the overstock products come in nice color retail packaging it is easier to display.
- Focus on Value, Not Discount: While the discounted price is undoubtedly attractive, emphasize the inherent value of your products. Highlight any unique features or benefits that might be overshadowed by the closeout status. Just because a warehouse shut down and had all kinds of excess products to get rid of is not a reason to not treat the products well. Just because the prior owner was offloading their excess inventory doesn't mean it did not have value. Don't confuse discount with value, and understand overstock products have value.
- Sample Power:Allow potential buyers to experience your products firsthand. For example, if you're selling closeout housewares, consider having a rack with sample sizes for buyers to test out. If you are selling overstock inventory of pet products, let your customers take samples home to try with their dogs. If you are offloading unwanted products related to hardware and tools, let your customers test it out.
By creating a positive first impression and emphasizing value over simply price, you can transform buyer perception of your closeouts, excess inventory, liquidation stock and overstock merchandise.
Beyond the Sale: Building Relationships and Uncovering New Opportunities
Trade shows offer more than just immediate sales opportunities. Here are some additional benefits:
- Network Building:Trade shows are a breeding ground for valuable connections. Use the opportunity to connect with potential closeout buyers, inventory liquidation specialists, closeout websites, liquidation websites and other buyers of overstock products. These relationships can open doors to future deals and even pave the way for partnerships and collaborations. Merchandise liquidators always attend trade shows looking to make deals.
- Market Research: Trade shows offer a real-time snapshot of industry trends and closeout buyer’s preferences. By gauging overstock buyers’ interest in your closeouts and abandoned inventory, you can gain valuable insights into consumer behavior and improve your future excess inventory management strategies.
- Branding and Recognition: Even if your primary goal is selling closeouts and finding buyers for excess inventory, exhibiting at a trade show can still enhance your brand image. A professional booth with a well-trained team represents your company in a positive light and builds brand recognition among potential inventory liquidation business partners.
Optimizing Your Trade Show Experience for Closeout Success
To maximize your return on investment at a trade show, consider these additional tips:
- Choose the Right Show: Don't just jump on the bandwagon of every trade show. Research upcoming events and identify those that cater specifically to buyers interested in closeouts, unwanted products and overstock merchandise. These goods may be available for many reasons including companies that have gone out of business, shutting down business operations, downsizing and moving warehouses, or having to liquidate inventory to make room in the warehouse for new products arriving. Sometimes closeout liquidation companies attend trade shows in groups with different buyers for different categories of excess inventory.
- Plan and Budget: Develop a clear plan for your trade show participation. This includes budgeting for booth space, travel & accommodations, marketing materials, and staffing. Be prepared to offer competitive prices on your closeouts to attract buyers. If you are liquidating an entire warehouse, you might consider taking just one booth with samples of all the different type overstock products in your building. This will give the inventory liquidators attending the show a good idea of what you are offloading. They can make offers for your closeouts on the spot, or you can schedule a visit and possibly some inventory buyers will make offers for the entire liquidation inventory.
- Prepare a Winning Sales Pitch: Develop a concise and compelling sales pitch that highlights the value proposition of your closeouts. Train your team to answer buyer questions effectively and confidently. If you are looking for an inventory liquidator due to slow sales of inventory or if you acquired a company and they have product left in the warehouse you don't want, try an online search using terms like closeouts, overstock inventory buyers, bulk inventory liquidation service, closeout websites, liquidation process, what is the closeout process, liquidating excess products, overstock inventory buyers wanted, offload unwanted stock, keen to clear inventory.
Merchandise USA has been an inventory liquidator for almost 40 years. We buy closeouts of pet products, closeout housewares, overstock inventory of tools and hardware, and excess or unwanted stock of toys and sporting goods. We can help you with the liquidation process and closeout process if you need to offload lawn and garden closeouts, home goods overstock or any excess inventory of stationery and overstock home goods. If you have liquidation stock due to shutting down operations or moving your warehouse, we can help you. If you are keen to clear stock because you have to reduce inventory in the warehouse, please call us. Wholesale liquidation companies are not all the same, so consider contacting Merchandise USA if you are getting rid of overstock inventory, closeouts and abandoned freight. We liquidate overstock inventory quickly and we are capable of buying your entire bulk inventory in one fell swoop.