How can I compete with retail prices?

[tina]

Hi

So I'm wanting to retail a certain brands products. I have their trade price list, by the time you add vat and postage it equals for example only £11, so for me to have a mark up I would need to sell at a higher price than that.

But

If I search the product online there are other beauty websites that are selling the same item to anyone for £10 so how do I compete with that. How have these other companies able to sell for cheaper, I can't compete with that and surely if my clients search online for the products they will see they can get them cheaper than from me.

Any advice because its baffling me.?

Thanks

 

[persiasalon]

Hi

So I'm wanting to retail a certain brands products. I have their trade price list, by the time you add vat and postage it equals for example only £11, so for me to have a mark up I would need to sell at a higher price than that.

But

If I search the product online there are other beauty websites that are selling the same item to anyone for £10 so how do I compete with that. How have these other companies able to sell for cheaper, I can't compete with that and surely if my clients search online for the products they will see they can get them cheaper than from me.

Any advice because its baffling me.?

Thanks

Depending on the products, try getting them directly from the manufacturers (e.g. in China.) Alibaba or sites like that can be good but you do have to be careful and make sure what you order is exactly what you want!

 

[squidgernetball]

I retail products that can consistently be bought cheaper online, but my clients aren't necessarily bargain hunters, so they come to me and they pay me. When one said she can get it cheaper online, I told her to feel free, but can she be sure of what she's getting. There is a very lucrative market in imitation products - a lot are also out of date or nearly out of date!

 

[MySalonTemp]

I retail products that can consistently be bought cheaper online, but my clients aren't necessarily bargain hunters, so they come to me and they pay me. When one said she can get it cheaper online, I told her to feel free, but can she be sure of what she's getting. There is a very lucrative market in imitation products - a lot are also out of date or nearly out of date!

I agree

 

[tina]

Thanks for your responses, it is a difficult one - I suppose I just have to see how it goes x

 

[WaxGirl]

Thanks for your responses, it is a difficult one - I suppose I just have to see how it goes x

I only retail products that I can put a high mark up on...so maybe research around a bit?

 

[AmeliaR]

What product is it?

 

[Tomme]

They may bulk buy for discount and are able to retail lower due to that, the stock may be old, or even watered down (yes it happens that some may buy a shampoo, get an empty bottle and decant half then water both), good looking fakes.

Not everyone has or uses the Internet for shopping, and there are people like me that want something now! Not in a day, not in a hour, I want it in my hand yesterday before I even thought about it, who won't wait for delivery. Also there are people again like me who want to use an independent place, have the face to face exchange and know there is someone to hand for advice.

At the minute im adding 200% to some products and up to 450% to others. No one questions it xoxo

 

[Lynne Baker]

This is the reason we will absolutely not allow our professional products to be sold online.