You are here:
- Home
- Industry
- Retail Industry
- General Retail Business Issues
General Retail Business Issues/Questions Answered by Expert Jeff Bender
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Avg consumer metrics | 11/15/2011 |
| Q: Do retailers have a way of determining what their avg customer spends per month or year? How would ... A: This is late and I apologize as I never saw the follow-up question. Their are laws regarding ... | |
| Avg consumer metrics | 11/9/2011 |
| Q: Do retailers have a way of determining what their avg customer spends per month or year? How would ... A: Nash, Retailers use this information on a regular basis. The gathering of this information is ... | |
| product scouting/is this a business? | 9/13/2011 |
| Q: a friend and I had considered becoming importers/distributors in a particular South American ... A: Daneiel, Most of the larger retailers rely on their buyers, divisionals, and product managers to ... | |
| furniture | 6/30/2011 |
| Q: what is the markup % of importer to wholesaler in furniture field ? A: Bonny, The markup on furniture really depends upon the type of furniture. high-quality vs assembly ... | |
| Consumer Behavior | 6/27/2011 |
| Q: If you wanted to name a new products that would be acceptable to consumers Through-out the world, ... A: Isa, I would start with the thought process what has potential to offend. Here's the initial list ... | |
| Evaluating Trends | 6/8/2011 |
| Q: I work for a non-profit public library. I am trying to analyze the trends of our patrons when it ... A: Carl, There really is no standard for trends. However, I would say in regards to your segment going ... | |
| Kiosk business | 4/11/2011 |
| Q: Mr. Bender I am interested in the kiosk business(franchises or not). I am in the process on ... A: Claude, It is too difficult a question for me to answer for you. As you mentioned there are many ... | |
| Branded products | 2/19/2011 |
| Q: I have a store and i would like to start selling branded iphone accessories and also i would like to ... A: Mansoor, Your options for sourcing branded items will generally come from one or two sources; ... | |
| mark ups on Lingerie in mid-priced department stores | 3/5/2010 |
| Q: I am in the process of developing a line of lingerie designed in France and manufactured overseas ... A: Alka, This should remain true for the lingerie/foundation business. The best bet for finding buyers ... | |
| mark ups on Lingerie in mid-priced department stores | 3/3/2010 |
| Q: I am in the process of developing a line of lingerie designed in France and manufactured overseas ... A: Alka, Generally, there is a difference in the markup structure between department stores and mass ... | |
| Mark Up Walmart-school project | 2/27/2010 |
| Q: I am doing a school project selling to "Walmart". My product is METHOD-green cleaning products. ... A: Kim, Method is Target's private brand, so if you are looking for a real-world comparison to assist ... | |
| New product/invention | 2/22/2010 |
| Q: We are currently working on a new product/invention for the consumer market. We would certaintly ... A: Charles, The first step for you to take is to include all cost, whether marketing, shipping, etc., ... | |
| How to price imported rice? | 2/1/2010 |
| Q: I recently started a rice import business in Canada. I have all the final cost of the product ... A: Rafay, My experience is not directly related to food, but perhaps my experience will be of benefit. ... | |
| Requirements for Return Policies | 1/29/2010 |
| Q: My company is a wholesale company that manufacturers and sells formal wear gowns. We are going to be ... A: Michele, You are going about your search correctly as far as laws, check Illinois and the city ... | |
| operations management | 1/10/2010 |
| Q: For a small business,is the size of the town a factor? A: Dale, The size of a town can be a factor for a small business, particularly in terms of talent and ... | |
| Online Retailer and Distributor | 1/5/2010 |
| Q: I have an ecommerce site made up of several virtual boutiques (www.saltstreet.com). We have been ... A: The best course of action for you is to find out how they manage their inventory, how quickly or ... | |
| Online Retailer and Distributor | 1/5/2010 |
| Q: I have an ecommerce site made up of several virtual boutiques (www.saltstreet.com). We have been ... A: Charlie, A consideration for discussion with your question; would you be selling the direct designer ... | |
| placement of product | 1/4/2010 |
| Q: where in a retail store should sale items be located? A: Susan, There are a few considerations you should take when deciding where to place your sale items. ... | |
| Wohler | 12/28/2009 |
| Q: If I may refer you to this URL: http://www.wohlerwatches.com/wohler/ - my question is about this ... A: David, There are several possibilities why the watches are not available in stores. First, the ... | |
| export of retail merchandise | 10/8/2009 |
| Q: I have a distribution channel in Italy to resell American brand apparel. I would like to purchase ... A: Isabella, I would look directly into the country, Italy, where you are trying to export to ... | |
| Product ID | 9/1/2009 |
| Q: Recently, my mom and I are looking into transitioning our manual system to a more computerized one. ... A: Kris, 1) The most important idea to remember when categorizing product is to think of it as finding ... | |
| Pricing strategy | 7/21/2009 |
| Q: I have been leasing space at an antique mall for 6 months. I'm well aware of the reasoning behind ... A: Lisa, I tend to lean towards the side of the argument that most consumers today are savvy to ... | |
| pricing products. | 6/10/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to take my product to market and not really sure about how to price it. We have been ... A: Louisa, What you are saying makes. Wholesalers do serve an important role in many businesses ... | |
| pricing products. | 6/7/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to take my product to market and not really sure about how to price it. We have been ... A: Louisa, I apologize for the delay in my response. Generally when working with a wholesaler, again ... | |
| Retail Markup | 5/23/2009 |
| Q: I got a question regarding retail markup. I was trying to obtain a retail price on a cost of 35 with ... A: Greg, I hope this doesn't confuse you more. It appears you are trying combine two separate retail ... | |
| packaging | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: I am continually puzzled by the way certain manufacturers package their products. Specifically I am ... A: David, I cannot give you a specific reason, only support your possible answers. It is more than ... | |
| Slotting Allownaces | 4/20/2009 |
| Q: What is the different between Slotting Allowances and Stocking Allowances when you are trying to do ... A: Michael, There can be play in slotting allowances. That will depend on the retailer and the product ... | |
| Retail merchandise "waste" | 4/9/2009 |
| Q: What is the industry term for merchandise that is removed from stock to use as samples, give aways, ... A: Sue, There are different terms used by different retailers for this. However, for their planning and ... | |
| Vase | 2/18/2009 |
| Q: He Jeff, I will selling a vase as wholesaler to retail merchants. I am buying the vase from a ... A: Viet, Retailers do expect a 50% markup to MSRP when buying from a wholesaler. However, Target and ... | |
| Selling to retailers. | 2/14/2009 |
| Q: Jeff, I have developed a line of interior light fixtures that I want to sell to Lighting stores and ... A: David, sorry for the delay. My recommendation is to look at where you will find the buyers for ... | |
| writing down inventory | 2/13/2009 |
| Q: My inventory was purchased at X. Vendor hitting hard times offered to sell me remaining inventory at ... A: Michele, sorry for the situation. Before I go into an answer, I hope you don't mind me offering an ... | |
| Question about how to sell my product in certain situation. | 1/20/2009 |
| Q: I am an importer of product (A), and my selling price in my area is (3.5), the market value is (3.1 ... A: Ahmad, Thanks for the follow-up. With the information you gave I believe you have several ... | |
| Question about how to sell my product in certain situation. | 1/18/2009 |
| Q: I am an importer of product (A), and my selling price in my area is (3.5), the market value is (3.1 ... A: Ahmad, The best way for me to answer your question is perhaps with more questions that should help ... | |
| Retail Marketing Strategy | 1/12/2009 |
| Q: Jeff: I am starting a business selling a telecom product (bluetooth based home phone ... A: Cheryl, I'll let you know that I am not an expert on all the advertising or marketing you listed ... | |
| pricing | 1/3/2009 |
| Q: ..i am starting a retail musical instrument store online...i am doing the drop shipment to avoid ... A: Chris, The simplest way to look at your margin would be the formula: (Retail-Cost)/Retail. For ... | |
| Retail Marine Product Margins | 12/4/2008 |
| Q: Can you give me an idea what margins marine retailers such as West Marine or Boaters World generally ... A: Tim, Marine retail is not really my area of expertise. I can give you some relative thoughts ... | |
| retail pricing | 12/3/2008 |
| Q: If a product has two different price tags on the item; is the store obligated to sell me the item at ... A: David, I am not aware of any laws that pertain to this. If per chance there is, it would more than ... | |
| thr process | 10/23/2008 |
| Q: i have some goods I'd like to sell to retailers. I have a factory lined up to make my parts, but I ... A: Kori, In most cases, the retailer does not pay for goods in advance. Though this can be done, ... | |
| Advanced Auto parts Failure | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: I have a bit of a long situation (I will write out more soon) but basically I purchased an ... A: Brandon, Yes, it sounds like they did not do right by you. A letter to the company wouldn't hurt ... | |
| value addition | 10/5/2008 |
| Q: in a niche market segmentation how do you think we could ADD VALUE TO THE CUSTOMERS? specially being ... A: Ash, I'm not certain if you meant that your are a niche segment of a department store, or that that ... | |
| Margins | 9/28/2008 |
| Q: I own a boutique in California that's been open for 14 months. After my first year I averaged a ... A: George, I understand and empathize with your dilemma. Prior to opening another location, I would ... | |
| markdowns | 9/25/2008 |
| Q: Can you tell me how I can calculate my markdowns (I plan to open a clothing and accessories store). ... A: pernament, sorry for the delay. There are generally two types of markdowns. 1) Hard marks (often ... | |
| Merchandise - to box or not to box? | 9/22/2008 |
| Q: Each item has been wrapped and is in a protective box, but the boxes are not the caliber of boxes ... A: Sorry for the delay Kori. Think of the packaging like an interviewer for a job. If you go into ... | |
| mass marketing | 8/15/2008 |
| Q: Jeff ... I have recently been approached by someone who wants to develop, produce & market my ... A: Pamela, First, that is great news for your. Yes, I would definitely contact a lawyer. You're ... | |
| retail abbreviations | 8/5/2008 |
| Q: I was hoping you could direct me where to go to garner a list of retail abbreviations thanks A: There is a lot of terminology related to retail which can be either from the retailer aspect or the ... | |
| importing | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: We would like to import musical instruments from China. I have the name of a good company, and ... A: Dick, What tends to be the most difficult issue with the importing of product, whether samples or ... | |
| Merchandise abandonment | 5/12/2008 |
| Q: I am the general manager for a private retail company. We sell home improvements like a smaller Home ... A: Kirk, It is situations like this that make me believe that customer is not always right. Four years ... | |
| Mark-up | 5/6/2008 |
| Q: I was hoping you could help me with this...I would like to know what the formula is when calculating ... A: Donielle, Sorry for my delay in my response. If I understand your position in the question ... | |
| How can I get more store to stay neat and sized? | 4/20/2008 |
| Q: I was just browsing the internet and came across this site, asking a question for free...wow....Well ... A: Amy, Thank you for your question. This is a very common issue and my experience within a large ... | |
General Retail Business Issues
Answers by Expert:
Jeff Bender
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
If you have questions regarding the methods and metrics practiced by department stores and mass merchants when it comes to how they manage categories and product, I can help.
Experience
I have been a buyer for over 11 years, including within the Target corporation. My expereince has included all apsects of the profit and liability for my areas, analysis, planning, marketing, costing, markdowns, negotiations with vendors, and more.
Education/Credentials
BS, Unversity of Wisconsin, Madison
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.