Wholesale Dollar Store Merchandise Freight Costs Skyrocketing too High?

If you are opening a dollar store, you already know that freight costs can be extremely high, and can really eat into your profit margins. Of course, there are many ways you can lower these expenses - here are 5 guidelines to make it happen:

#1) Order dollar store merchandise less frequently
Bigger shipments of items can lower the freight cost for each item. Many wholesalers provide bulk discounts for large orders, so take advantage of them.

#2) Fill the pallets to the top
This can reduce the amount of shipments you need, which inevitably will reduce your expenses. Shipping efficiently is very important.

#3) Find wholesalers close to your store
This is will definitely lower shipment costs, because the items do not have to be shipped as far. Going with a dollar store merchandise supplier on the other side of the country will always cost more than a company near you.

#4) Shop around
There are many wholesalers out there, so picking the ones who charge the cheapest freight prices is often difficult. One of the top methods is to simply shop around and compare the freight costs of many wholesalers until you find the right one.

The best places to look are trade shows and industry events. You can simply ask there what the freight expenses are for the items you are interested in. Also, it is a good idea to get referrals from current wholesalers you work with and see if they can recommend anyone to you.

#5) Negotiate
One of the important skills you will need as a dollar store owner is negotiation. Basically, you will often times be able to establish agreements with wholesalers when ordering huge quantities of dollar store merchandise, so being able to talk them down is important. In a lot of instances this can get you lower freight prices than the advertised expenses on their website. The best places to negotiate are at trade shows.

While all these tips will help you save money with freight costs, you still want to go with a quality company. There is no point in saving money on freight if the products always arrive late.

Also, do not forget about finding quality items! Make sure you have tested the items beforehand. There is no point in saving money on freight for a product you should not even be selling in the first place.

High freight costs can be very detrimental to dollar stores. Use these 5 tips, and you should be able to lower your expenses.