The Value of Variety

by Danny Kole and Rob Kole, Co-presidents, Kole Imports, Inc.

Variety is the spice of life. William Cowper first shared this profound thought with the world nearly 250 years ago. We believe he was correct then and he is still correct even now 250 years later. We not only believe that the quality of one's life can be measured by its variety, likewise we believe that as a general merchandise wholesale supplier of dollar stores, the job we are doing can often be measured by the variety we offer our customers.

Just a few short years ago in 1998 we carried 1800 dollar store items in our product line. It has taken a lot of effort but we are proud to say that our variety has grown to over 4000 items and it is still growing. We have grown accustomed to stepping over boxes of samples to get to our desks and having the carpet in our office covered with everything from jump ropes to jumper cables. We review hundreds of new dollar items offered to us each week and only the top 2% of items we are offered make it into our line.

The hardest part of adding all this new dollar store merchandise has been staying focused on finding “winners” which will jump off our customers' shelves rather than simply finding “filler” items. That is why we constantly remind ourselves and our buying team that we want not just great variety but a “variety of values” which will result in a quick sell through and fast reorders from our customers. We believe in providing our customer with this variety is our responsibility and we take that responsibility very, very seriously.

We believe that you clearly have the same obligation to your customers and we feel good about helping you fulfill that responsibility. That is why we are delighted whenever we hear your compliments concerning our selection.

Most retailers have a limited number of customers who regularly visit their stores. It is clearly in your best interest to keep new and exciting items regularly arriving into your dollar stores. This accomplishes two things. New items sell well, so you will often see an initial rush of sales when a new item arrives. But, maybe more importantly, you will keep your store fresh looking and interesting for your customers which either consciously or subconsciously will encourage them to visit your store more often.

But having items available for you to purchase is only part of what we can provide you with. As you will see in the story about reports we can supply you with on page 4 of this newsletter, you will find we now have the ability to supply you with great information regarding what these new dollar store items are quickly and easily. We feel this new ability to supply you with quick, valuable information will immediately help you increase the variety you offer your customers and help you fill in any category in which you may need help.

As always, we sincerely thank you for your business and your support as your dollar store wholesale supplier. We appreciate you selecting Kole imports to do business with. Please feel free to contact either one of us anytime with your questions or suggestions. We welcome your thoughts. We will continue to look for new and exciting ways to continue to be “Your Profit Source. ”

Rob Kole       rob@koleimports. com
Danny Kole   danny@koleimports. com