Catering Equipment Directory

The importance of locating reputable and reliable dollar store suppliers cannot be understated.  This one step in the process to prepare for and start a dollar store influences almost everything about your dollar store business.  Yet most who decide to open and operate a dollar store know nothing about where to find, or how to properly screen the very suppliers that contribute so greatly to their store's ultimate success or failure.  So exactly what does it really matter about suppliers?  Isn't success just a matter of getting some merchandise into the store and on-display?  Read on as I present some of the key reasons your suppliers are vital to your long term success.

Reason #1) Dollar store merchandise is the number one ongoing cost of running your business.  That's right, cost-of-goods-sold must be controlled to achieve profitability.  That means a reputable and reliable supplier that charges even one-cent less for items than competitors can create thousands of dollars in extra earnings for your dollar store business in the course of a single year.

Reason #2) When you start a dollar store one of the often overlooked options for increasing inventory turns is dealing with suppliers that quickly process your order and then get it shipped out to you right away.  If you cannot depend on the quick arrival of your dollar store merchandise you are faced with running out of items and thus having lower sales.  You are also facing the requirement of carrying higher inventory levels, which requires added investment of your cash and means you will have money tied up in larger quantities of merchandise much longer before it sells out.

Reason #3) When you start a dollar store your sales will be driven in-part by the quality and perceived value of the dollar store merchandise you carry.  Your suppliers are your direct link to higher quality, more appealing and functional items.  If your supplier carries cheaply constructed items that fall apart, or items that come in unappealing, or even damaged packaging, your sales and especially repeat sales will suffer.

Take the time to attend industry trade shows.  You can see the merchandise and meet the vendors in-person.  You can also purchase directories of dollar store suppliers to help locate prospective companies.  Internet searches will yield many potential dollar store merchandise suppliers.  It is important that you don't hesitate to move on when screening prospective suppliers if problems seem to be appearing or they don't seem to fit well with your dollar store business.  Make sure you screen for cost, quality, speed of delivery, and customer service.  Don't forget to check references before spending any money with prospective dollar store suppliers.

To your success when you start a dollar store!