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  Inventory & Pricing
Retail Store Inventory & Pricing Strategies

Few areas of your retail store are as important as your retail inventory selection and your retail store pricing, especially since customers base their purchasing decisions in large part on what products you carry and how much or how little they cost.

Independent retailers have little margin for error with inventory selection and pricing, as they may not have the resources to recover if mistakes are made.

Knowing where to buy your merchandise from, how to get the best pricing and terms, and how much inventory you need is crucial for the independent retail store owner to know.

Our how to sections on inventory pricing, merchandise buying, and other inventory and pricing topics will give you the tools and resources you need to make the best merchandising and pricing decisions for your retail business.


Lower Your Buying Costs: Successful Tactics for Getting the Best Price When Buying
Lower Your Buying Costs: Successful Tactics for Getting the Best Price When Buying Whether you are buying from a distibutor, the manufacturer, an importer, or a wholesaler, you will be doing business with a sales representative. Learn the exact questions to ask your rep in order to unlock better pricing and terms, get access to off-price merchandise, obtain co-op advertising, and more . . . more >>
PROFIT MAKING STRATEGY: How To Increase Sales And Profits by Bundling Products
PROFIT MAKING STRATEGY: How To Increase Sales And Profits by Bundling Products To increase store sales, you can either get more customers, or get each customer to buy more. One very effective way to get them to buy more is by bundling like products into a "package price". Learn how successful retailers are using bundling to increase the amount of sales made per customer . . . more >>
How to Increase Your Retail Store Traffic Using Variable Pricing
How to Increase Your Retail Store Traffic Using Variable Pricing Many successful retailers use variable pricing to drive store traffic and establish themselves in consumers' minds as a low price retailer. Learn how you can use variable pricing to attract new customers, be known as the low price leader in your market, and still maintain your profit margins . . . more >>
How You Can Tell When Your Pricing is Too Low (or too high)
If you're like most retailers, you've probably wondered if your pricing is costing you sales. Price too high, and you'll never see some customers again. Price too low, and you'll leave profits on the table and struggle to have a thriving business. Learn ways you can quickly determine if your pricing is out of whack and need to be adjusted . . . more >>
DOWNLOAD: Retail Store Inventory Status Form
DOWNLOAD: Retail Store Inventory Status Form Knowing what inventory you have on hand and what is on order for any item is vital to keeping just the right amount of inventory in stock and to reduce the likelihood of overstocking a particular item. Use the Retail Inventory Status Form to monitor where you stand on inventory for particular items. . . . more >>
DOWNLOAD: Retail Store Return to Vendor Shipping Form
DOWNLOAD: Retail Store Return to Vendor Shipping Form It is important to track any inventory being returned back to the manufacturer or wholesaler. Use the Retail Store Return to Vendor Shipping Form to keep track of any inventory being sent back for credit or refund. . . . more >>
DOWNLOAD: Retail Store Inventory Variance Worksheet
DOWNLOAD: Retail Store Inventory Variance Worksheet Comparing your physical inventory count to your book inventory count allows you to spot shrinkage or carelessness with your inventory control. Use the Retail Store Inventory Variance Worksheet to find any variances in your inventory counts. . . . more >>
DOWNLOAD: Retail Store Inventory Value Worksheet
Keeping track of how much money you have tied up in inventory can be challenging. Use the Retail Store Inventory Value Worksheet to calculate the amount and value of your store's inventory. . . . more >>

DOWNLOAD: Retail Store Inventory Count Sheet
DOWNLOAD: Retail Store Inventory Count Sheet Knowing how much inventory your store has is important when calculating inventory turns, merchandise purchasing decisions, and your store's profitability. Use the Retail Store Inventory Count Sheet when you take your store's inventory. . . . more >>
Running a Sale: What Merchandise Should You Put On Sale?
Running a Sale: What Merchandise Should You Put On Sale? Unless you have a profit making strategy for holding a sale, you'll simply markdown your pricing on some items in the hope that your sales volume increase will offset the reduced profit per item. Learn proven profit making strategies successful retailers use when holding a sale so that both sales volume increases and profits remain high . . . more >>
PROFIT MAKING STRATEGY: Why Joining a Retail Buying Group is One of the Most Profitable Moves You Can Make
Smart retailers understand that they make their money not when they sell, but when they buy. Knowing how and where to buy at the best pricing and terms allows you to run a more profitable business. Learn how joining a buying group allows independent retailers to have similar buying power as the mega-chains and big box retailers . . . more >>
Retail Store Shipping Costs: A Guide to Keeping Your Freight Costs Under Control
Retail Store Shipping Costs: A Guide to Keeping Your Freight Costs Under Control The cost of shipping your inventory from the manufacturer or distributor to your retail store impacts how profitable each item will be. Learn what you need to know in order to keep your shipping costs as low as possible . . . more >>
Retail Inventory Buying Guide: How and Where to Buy Merchandise For Your Store
Retail Inventory Buying Guide: How and Where to Buy Merchandise For Your Store Retail business owners have many options when buying merchandise for their stores - manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, buying services, buying groups, and more. Who should you buy from? Where can you get the best pricing and terms? Use our retail store inventory buying guide to learn proven buying strategies . . . more >>
Retail Inventory Turnover Calculator
Use the Retail Inventory Turnover Calculator to quickly and easily determine the number of inventory turns your retail store makes each year. . . . more >>
How Retail Stores Earn Higher Profits Targeting Repeat Customers (and why you must follow this strategy)
How Retail Stores Earn Higher Profits Targeting Repeat Customers (and why you must follow this strategy) Repeat customers are the most profitable customers for independent retail store owners. Understanding what makes a customer come back and shop with your store over and over again is vital to your store's profitability. Learn proven ways of increasing your repeat customer business . . . more >>
Understanding Buyer Behavior: How Different Types of Customers Respond to Sale Pricing
Understanding Buyer Behavior: How Different Types of Customers Respond to Sale Pricing Understanding the different types of customers retailers will encounter when holding a sale and the hot buttons which motivate them to buy is crucial in maximizing sales and increasing your closing percentages. Learn the best ways to sell to each customer type and how you can . . . more >>
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