Liquidators And Retailers See A Different Liquidation Landscape Due To The Internet

It was just 10 years ago when surplus liquidators had to call or fax a product offering to a discount oriented retailer in order to alert them about a product liquidation opportunity. Back then, to have a toll free 800 number and a fax line was considered state of the art in the world of product liquidation. This methodology for selling excess inventory was extremely resource intensive, and there were very limited channels for liquidators to sell to in those days. Thanks to the internet and new software technology, not only is the selling effort more efficient and streamlined for liquidators, but the available sales channels has expanded well beyond traditional discount retailers like Big Lots or TJMaxx.

From a channel distribution perspective, the Internet has helped create online surplus stores, auction channels like ebay, marketplace sites like Amazon, surplus websites like Overstock.com or Woot.com, B2B barter sites, and even online flea markets. Liquidators now can sell to multiple channel segments in addition to the more traditional discount retailers they sold to in the past. The web has also helped spark the growth of web-based bulk email marketing campaigns, where thousands of buyers can be communicated to quickly and efficiently, while being targeted based on their purchasing category, whether electronics, apparel, sporting goods, home goods, etc. This targeted rifle approach for selling excess inventory is much more productive today due to database management software that allows for email segmentation. And with the latest technology trend shifting towards cloud computing, a liquidator can now move their buyer's database, email software, and accounting system to various web based solutions, allowing them to easily scale the business with more efficiency and at lower I.T. management costs.

In addition to the internet helping to expand the liquidation distribution channels, companies that are selling excess inventory also benefit from the internet as it is easier for them to find, match up and move forward with liquidators,>liquidators to stay competitive in today's crowded world of surplus liquidation. The industry has come a long way from generic fax blasts and telemarketing.

Copyright 2011 - Joel Holtzman is the CEO of Excess Technologies, leading liquidators of a range of products including automotive, fashion apparel, electronics, toys and sporting goods. For more information visit - http://www.excesstechnologies.com