Getting Your First Wholesale Battery Order Right
Batteries can be a great item to stock in your shop, as they're something everyone needs at some point. It can be quite a profitable way to expand your offerings, and the initial cost of stocking them is reasonably low. They also take up very little space, so you won't need to rearrange your entire store to fit them in.
When you're ready to order your first batch of batteries from a wholesaler, it's difficult to know exactly which ones to get – and how many of them, for that matter. Here are a few tips to help you order just what you need to start selling.
Get more of the most popular sizes
Before you actually start selling batteries, it's impossible to know exactly what's going to sell best. You can make an educated guess, however.
Most battery-powered electronics use either the AA or AAA sizes, with AA being the more common of the two. After those sizes, the larger D batteries are reasonably popular, and rectangular 9-volt batteries are the standard for some electronics.
Basing your wholesale order on how common battery sizes are is a good way to make sure you have enough of the popular sellers and won't be left with excess stock of the less popular.
Think about other products you sell
When people buy electronic devices, they'll often pick up some batteries at the same time to save going to another shop.
If you stock anything that takes batteries, it's a good idea to stock more of the ones that fit. For example, some smoke alarms take 9-volt batteries, so you should increase your order for them.
Order a mix of well-known and cheaper brands
Some customers prefer to buy brands they recognise wherever possible, while others will usually go for the cheapest option, whoever makes it.
To satisfy everyone, you should order a mix of both big-brand batteries and less expensive, generic ones. This helps to ensure you can always make a sale and don't lose out because you don't have exactly what your customers want.
Check the use-by dates
Batteries have expiry dates, although they're much longer than food and other consumables. Nevertheless, if your wholesaler can give you a rough idea of how long the batteries will last once you receive them, it can help you work out how many to order.
You don't want to end up throwing stock away because you can't sell it, so make a reasonable estimate on how many batteries you'll sell within the timeframe. For more information, contact your local battery wholesaler.