Visit your Dollar Merchandise Supplier In-Person

Suppliers are very important for your business.  You will want to work with the best of the best.  To find out if a dollar merchandise supplier fits the bill, you will need to take the time to get to know them in person.  Avoid doing business solely over the phone.

Although you can get a good feel for a company's level of professionalism over the phone, you can get an even better feel in person.  Needless to say, you will want to do business with a company that will provide you with great customer service.  Their level of customer service may be even higher on your list of priorities than their prices.

If the supplier's facility is located close enough to your location, then you should take the time to look at their facilities for yourself.  This will give you the opportunity to see how their operation goes yourself. 

Price should be only one determining factor when working with a dollar merchandise supplier, and you can find out their prices over the phone or the internet.  Quality products are very important, and you will need to look at them up close in order to see if the supplier sells high-quality items. 

It may not always be possible to visit the supplier's headquarters itself.  They may have a major distribution center located close enough for you to check out.  This will certainly help when it comes to delivery, since you will want your orders delivered to your store as soon as possible.

A dollar merchandise supplier who has a distribution center closer to your store will obviously be able to transport them faster.  Whenever you meet up, always take advantage of the opportunity to get deals.  Good suppliers will offer you deals whenever you purchase in bulk, and some also offer a deal to help save on freight costs.

If it's not possible for you to go to your dollar merchandise supplier, then see if they'll come to you.  Some companies will be eager enough to get your business to do so.

As a dollar store owner, it can be very helpful to attend trade shows once or twice a year.  Since there will be many different suppliers at them, look for yours to be there too.  It's the perfect opportunity to find out if your dollar merchandise supplier has any new products for sale.  It's always a good idea to stay one step ahead of  your competitors.