It often seems that retailing is getting tougher by the week. But, imagine you are a supplier and trying to get your product exposed to consumers in a retail location. That can become a real challenge. I have recently visited a number of trade shows around the world and walked past supplier after supplier booth. All of these suppliers were hoping a retailer would pick them and display their products on the shelf.

The consumer is now confused by the array of “stuff” that is offered to them. If you do not believe me, take a walk around your local supermarket and see the different options available for milk, drinking water and toilet paper. You will soon see why the consumer is confused.

The challenge is that although the consumer may seem to be spoiled for choice, the supermarket is still not stocking the whole range available; there are other suppliers who would like to get their products on the shelf as well. What is happening is a space war; the winners get the opportunity to play the game, while the losers are still figuring out how to play the game.

There are challenges for retailers and suppliers in the space war. The key is that retailers need to help the customer make a decision. What steps need to be considered to maximise the opportunities?

Decision One: As a retailer, you need to decide the maximum space you can provide for a category. This decision will depends on a number of factors, including the total number of product ranges you have to stock and the width and depth you want to stock within a range.

The decision will depend on your positioning in the market place. If you are perceived as the expert in the category, consumers will expect you to be wide and deep in the core range you are famous for, and this allows you to be shallow and narrow in the ancillary range that provides a service.

For example: If you are an expert in gardening, your consumer will expect you to be wide and deep in the plant material you provide, but narrow and shallow in slug control as you can provide expert advice. If you were a hardware store, they make expect you to be wider and deeper in slug control.

The key to the thinking process is that a retailer should provide Good, Better and Best. This will eliminate the “me too” products in the range. This also provides a challenge to the supplier to ensure they are in the good, better and best range of the product on offer.

Decision Two: Then, suppliers should be providing a planogram on how they believe their product should be presented to the consumer. The retailer does not have to agree with the planogram and may change it, but without this information, a supplier should not expect to get the best exposure for its product. It’s amazing that I come across suppliers that feel they don’t need to provide this information to the retailer. I often get comments like, “I am the maker, not the retailer; the retailer knows better than I how to sell it.” The retailer may have over 25,000 different units to think about at any given time and this is just one of them. The supplier needs to provide as much information as they can to help the retailer make a decision.

Decision Three: How can you get the product “off location”? I recently visited my local supermarket; the cans of tuna fish were displayed in the toilet paper aisle on a unit that projected out from the shelf. Tuna fish was not on my shopping list or on my mind, but because it was “off location” I noticed the product and may have been inclined to purchase it. In my view, this was not a logical “off location” decision, but it did work. How can you take your product and display it in a unique way that allows the retailer to use it in an “off Location” situation where it will get noticed? This means looking at how it might help with solutions for the consumer.

How can you take your product and display it in a unique way that allows the retailer to use it in an “off Location” situation where itwill get noticed? Off location merchandising catches the consumer’s eye, and as a result sales should increase.

Decision Four: Social media marketing allows the supplier to work with the retailer to both push and pull the product through the supply chain. The key is to develop partnerships where both parties are involved. Social media allows the manufacturer and supplier to have a conversation with the consumer and encourage them to visit a particular store. This partnership should be a win: win for all the partners in the supply chain.

With so much choice in the space war, suppliers need to be proactive in ensuring they are part of the good, better, best product range and can manage to stay in the race.

John Stanley provides conference presentations, workshops and consultancy to the retail industry in 30 countries. He can be contacted at john@johnstanley.com.au.

Buyers that want to find top-quality merchandise at below-wholesale prices should look no further than BigLotsWholesale.com. This business-to-business exchange is a division of Big Lots Stores, Inc., the nation’s leading buyer and seller of closeout merchandise. BigLotsWholesale has long-time relationships with most of the world’s leading manufacturers and it features a wide variety of unique products and great brands at extraordinarily low prices.

The selection at Big Lots Wholesale changes constantly, so buyers can check the site often. The New Products section displays merchandise that has been added to the site within the last 14 days. While some of the merchandise is also sold in Big Lots stores, the majority is only available to its wholesale customers.

The Big Lots Wholesale website was re-launched in 2008, but the company has been doing business as Consolidated International and Wisconsin Toy for over 34 years. As an online merchant, it offers 24-hour access to its online catalog, which has a large selection and provides value and service. There are no membership or registration fees. Below is a list of categories in the catalog.

• Toys
• Licensed Products
• Seasonal
• Giftware
• Health & Beauty
• Housewares
• Sporting Goods
• Stationery Products
• Electronics
• Clothing
• Infants
• Hardware
• Lawn & Garden
• Backpacks & Luggage
• Frames & Albums
• Home Furnishings
• Pet Products
• Food Products
• Auto Accessories

To make purchases at Big Lots Wholesale, you must have a resale license/State Tax ID or be a 501 C non-profit organization. If you don’t have a resale license, Big Lots Wholesale is required by law to charge sales tax on your order. To avoid paying sales tax, you are required to complete a State Sales and Use Tax Blanket Exemption Certificate. Big Lots Wholesale must have this form on file before they can ship your order.

The minimum order requirement for Internet orders is $500.00. The standard minimum order requirement for Trade Show and Showroom orders is $1000.00.

You must be a registered member to place an order. After completing the registration process, you can log in using your password to place an order. Note that many of the products offered are closeouts, which are usually available in limited quantities. Orders are filled on a first-come first served basis.

Big Lots Wholesale offers many payment options:

o Net 30 days requires a $1,000.00 minimum order and a credit application, which is completed online.
o Cash in advance is a certified check or bank wire transfer.
o Credit Cards accepted are Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
o They also have a “Call Me” option, which requires contact by their offices to make other arrangements.

When you order, you have two shipping options: A 15 percent freight rate for all domestic shipments. Shipping costs vary depending on items shipped. Buyers are notified for approval if the freight rate differs from that quoted when placing the order. They also offer customer routing (buyer chooses the carrier and is responsible for all freight charges). In this case, they will contact the buyer’s traffic department to arrange delivery. All freight is FOB Columbus, Ohio.

Big Lots Wholesale does not ship outside of the continental United States. For international shipments, buyers must provide Freight Forwarder information for shipment outside the United States, and the buyer is responsible for all freight charges from their Freight Forwarder.

If you have an item you’d like to present to Big Lots, Inc. for consideration, please send an Email to Sell2Us@biglots.com. Your product offer will be given to the proper buyer for consideration. If buyers want to order merchandise seen in Big Lot Stores, they can contact a Customer Care Specialist by email at Talk2Us@biglots.com or by phone at 866-244-5687 for ordering that merchandise by providing a SKU#, item #, price, or complete description of the item.

It’s smart for B2B merchants to optimize their site for tons of mobile and tablet users, as they will soon outnumber computers and laptops. More and more of your customers can now connect directly from their handheld devices, thanks to new technology. That means your website must visually accommodate all these users. This article tells you how to minimize your site while maximizing your visibility in the SERPs.

Creating a mobile version of your site can give you the advantage of reaching customers who are always wired. Today, nobody sits at a desktop waiting for pages to load; rather, they’re holding mobile devices. That’s why it’s more important than ever to ensure your website is available for the growing mobile audience. It must be well optimized for optimal viewing, searching and connecting. Below is some info you can use.

• Search for mobile specific keywords in Google AdWords to help narrow down exactly what words you need for reaching today’s mobile and tablet consumers.
• Use the same SEO tactics to optimize your mobile site that are used to optimize your website, but use your mobile keywords to create the title tag, description and headers.
• Don’t overwhelm mobile users with content. Keep it short and simple, ensuring that your images are small. This provides the best mobile experience for you customers.
• Use clear fonts that are easy to read, create large action buttons and easy navigation so information can be found.
• Test for small screen viewing.

It’s important to transform your website from computer-friendly to mobile-friendly to reach all the people using mobile and tablets on the go. Most sites have two URLs − one for mobile and one for computers.

Did you know there’s an SEO advantage to having a mobile version of your site? Google now has Googlebot Mobile, a special crawler that looks for mobile versions of classic sites to index. This can be an advantage if you optimize your mobile and classic sites properly because you’ll be twice as searchable on mobile and web. There are several things you can do to make your site mobile-friendly.

• Create visually appealing content for small-screen viewing by using CSS. Reduce image sizes and ensure fonts and content are simple for easy scanning.
• Optimize your content and images by including keywords from Google AdWords mobile search. Don’t use ads on a mobile site – it’s hard enough to read content.
• Ecommerce apps provide a competitive edge that keeps your customer from going to competitor sites.

You can also consider two design options for your mobile site: Google Transcode vs. Mobile Subdomain.

• Google Transcode: If you use Google’s configuration tool to transcode your site from classic HTML to mobile HTML, it doesn’t give your customers the best user experience because images and content can be resized in an unsightly manner, resulting in error pages. Avoid this by creating a mobile subdomain.
• Mobile Subdomain: Create a subdomain specifically for your mobile site. Having separate URLs for mobile and web allows the GoogleBot Mobile to visit and index the mobile version for mobile searches, a key factor for searching and indexing.

Don’t use Flash, Java, Ajax or Frames. You can use XHTML (WAP 2.0), cHTML (iMode) or WML (WAP 1.2).

• Be Sure to Test: Run your site through WSC Mobile to ensure it is mobile-friendly. Test and re-test on multiple browsers and devices.
• Optimize for All Screens: Not everyone has a smartphone since there are still a number of users using classic phones. Make sure your site views properly no matter what screen is used.

The Ubiquity of Tablets. Tablets are quickly replacing laptops and even televisions – they are lighter and easier to pack, making them more attractive for today’s users. Unlike the majority of mobile phones, tablets rely on Wi-Fi and 3G to connect. A tablet-friendly site is fast and looks familiar and simple. Here’s what you can do:

• Provide classic and mobile versions of your site for iPad users. Since iPads don’t use Flash, sites with Flash content can redirect iPad users to their mobile site.
• Ecommerce sites can have an application developed that directly connects their products to mobile and tablet consumers with one tap. Apps can store all your information in one place, making payments easy while providing fast-loading pages.
• Content-heavy sites are good, but it can be time consuming and annoying to scroll down for info. Avoid this by including “Previous” and “Next” buttons to make content navigation easy.

Optimizing for Tablets. Here’s what you can do to make your site tablet friendly: 

• Limit duplicate content by changing CSS so it’s optimized for tablet viewing.
• If you use Flash, redirect to your mobile site from the tablet.
• Create an app for ecommerce pages and information storage to avoid slow loading time.
• Optimize the check-out process for buyers by using cookies, postal codes, and PayPal.
• Make pages touchable by using HTML5 and CSS3 to create scrolling and horizontal navigation with content all on one page.
• Offer downloadable content by creating PDF versions of important site content, allowing users to store content for future reading.
• Test and retest.

Following the above tips will get your mobile site indexed, while giving you instant purchasing and sharing from mobile and tablet customers. Using individually developed apps that remove users from the browser and into your online store will keep your customers’ attention focused on your products, resulting in more conversions.

Google Wallet was released in September, and the company has recently added more merchants and expanded its features. For instance, users can now get automatic rewards, expanded and exclusive offers, and partnerships with a number of major merchants. You can watch a video on the Google Mobile Blog showing the look of amazement as shoppers try out Google Wallet.

Google’s Payment Solution. Google Wallet with PayPass uses the NFC payment technology that lets users pay with a single tap. Since security is a concern, the NFC specification requires the phone to be less than 20 cm from the reader, and the mobile app requires a PIN to be entered before making purchases. This is the same way users pay with a debit or credit card at a payment terminal when making a purchase. The advantage of Google Wallet is having all payment solutions in one device in addition to gift cards, boarding passes, tickets and loyalty cards. However, if the phone is dead, users can’t make a payment right then and there.

New Features. The new features include automatic rewards options, which allow merchants to give their customers loyalty points or other rewards at the moment a purchase is made with Google Wallet. The technology is driven by Punchd, a firm acquired by Google that offers electronic loyalty cards.

Google is now giving users access to exclusive deals like “15% off at American Eagle Outfitters, 10% off at The Container Store, 15% off at Macy’s and an all-fruit smoothie for $2 at Jamba Juice,” as announced on the Google Mobile Blog.

Users can also search for special offers using Google Wallet and save these offers in their account. When making a purchase, Wallet dispenses the saved deals automatically. How cool is that? The expanded deals may also come from Google’s recent acquisition of Zave Networks, which creates software connecting users with coupons and special offers in their local area. Google anticipates many more Wallet exclusive discounts will follow which can be saved in Google Wallet’s Favorites and be automatically applied to purchases at checkout.

Google has also improved transaction details for the Google Prepaid Card with real-time transaction information that includes the merchant’s name, location, dollar value and time of each transaction.

New Merchants. Lastly, Google is adding a lot more merchants to Wallet. The blog said the Offers Tab was updated to include many new “Featured Offers” with discounts exclusive to Google Wallet. These include American Eagle, Foot Locker, Guess, Jamba Juice, Macy’s, OfficeMax Outfitters, The Container Store and Toys’R'Us. Additionally, merchants like Chevron, D’Agostino, Faber News Now, Gristedes Supermarkets and Pinkberry are now implementing plans that allow their stores to accept Google Wallet. Google plans to eventually partner with major retailers worldwide.

Conclusion. We are on the brink of a paradigm shift in the way consumers pay for merchandise. Smartphone and tablet adoption is growing exponentially, and Google says hundreds of thousands of locations are now PayPass enabled to accept mobile payments. It’s important for merchants to get ready for mobile commerce now to attract and retain customers. Shopping will be changing forever, so it’s wise to become a part of the mobile commerce movement.

ShadeCase is a new product − actually, it’s the first multiple sunglasses holder on the market. These compact, leather-type cases allow consumers to safely store two or three pairs of sunglasses in their automobile, boat or at home without scratching or damaging the surface. The durable, weather-resistant case with zip-up style provides great protective gear for sunglasses.

If your customers have ever scratched or broken an expensive pair of sunglasses, they’ll appreciate the idea behind the ShadeCase. The deluxe ShadeCase model features a solid foam interior covered in black felt to give the case a stylish, trendy look and feel. The deluxe models also include a 2”x 3” Velcro strip for mounting in a car or boat and a handy microfiber cloth for cleaning the glasses.

We asked Christopher Bulzis, president and CEO of ShadeCase, how he got the idea for this new product. “I jumped in my car one day and sat on and crushed a really nice pair of sunglasses,” he said. “I had other pairs, but one was loose in the glove box and the other was lying on the back seat. Suddenly a light bulb went off in my head,” he recalls. Bulzis quickly put together his idea for a case to safely secure multiple pairs of sunglasses, and the company was formed.

“ShadeCase fills a void in the optical realm,” continued Bulzis. “The concept we developed for the optical industry serves customers who want to protect their eyewear investment and store them in a protected case – making it much easier then looking for multiple glasses everywhere,” he added.

ShadeCase targets sports, hunting, fishing, boating, golfing, fitness enthusiasts, medical practitioners, students and celebrities who use multiple eye wear, storing them in a single case or other inconvenient areas. Actually, it’s a great idea for anyone. Ladies can stop fishing around in their purse, and the guys can stop looking everywhere for their sunglasses.

“Now your shades can travel first class,” said Bulzis, “I’m a world traveler with years of
fashion experience and a great eye for product. The ShadeCase is the perfect way to store or travel with up to three pairs of sunglasses whenever you hit the road. No more breaking your frames or scratching your lenses,” he declared.

As the first patented multiple sunglasses holder on the market, ShadeCase is a great option for anyone. The case is made of durable, scratch-free foam, a solid case for great stability and protection of your eyewear investment. Consumers can zip up the case and go — knowing their sunglasses won’t be damaged when not in use in all sorts of environments. ShadeCase comes in both dual and triple sunglasses holders, allowing consumers to store multiple eyewears in a fashionable case when not in use.

The two-pair size wholesales for $15, with an MSRP of $29.99, and the three-pair size wholesales for $20 and retails for $39.99. The minimum order is 24 pieces with custom signage available. The cases are manufactured in a wide variety of styles. Corporate logos can be added for both companies and manufacturers. Volume discounts are given for large orders. For more information, contact:

Christopher Bulzis
ShadeCase
Phone: (347)443-9785
E-mail: shadecase@gmail.com
Website: http://www.shadecase.com

Toilet Tattoos removable appliqués give consumers a new way to beautify their toilet lids. For years, the only toilet decorating options were the rug-like covers that grandma used or the more permanent decorative seats. But now, a new patent-pending concept in toilet décor called Toilet Tattoos® is designed to satisfy the 21st century lifestyle need for an easy-to-use, quickly changeable toilet lid decorating solution.

Toilet Tattoos® are the only toilet lid embellishment on the market that are removable, reusable and wipe clean. These appliqués can transform the look of a toilet by simply peeling them off, placing them on the toilet lid and smoothing them out. Because Toilet Tattoos® are made from electrostatic vinyl film; they are reusable and will not harm the toilet lid when removed.

Toilet Tattoos® come in a wide array of designs including classic patterns, wallpaper styles, whimsical themes, floral scenes, seasonal and holiday motifs and more. New this year, customers will be able to create their own custom Toilet Tattoo® from their own photographs or artwork − or personalize a Toilet Tattoo® with their monogram.

Asked where she got the idea for Toilet Tattoos®, fashion design entrepreneur Celeste Massullo said she couldn’t find what she wanted on the market. “I wanted to decorate my toilet in a creative, modern and clean way, but soon realized that toilet décor products had not changed for decades,” said Massullo. “So I created Toilet Tattoos® to give consumers a contemporary and simple choice to decorate their commode.”

“This is a great new product for retailers,” said Massullo. “We can also do custom made Toilet Tattoos with the retailer’s design for very low minimums,” she added. Asked about the company’s major strength, Massullo replied, “We have a unique product, made in the USA, which has a very broad audience and solves a problem. We stock everything so our turnaround time is very quick, usually within 48 hours.”

One thing that differentiates Toilet Tattoos from its competitors is the fact that it has a patent pending on Toilet Tattoos. “The rug toilet topper is outdated and not clean and has fitting issues,” said Massullo. “Our Toilet Tattoos are modern, wipe clean and are sized to fit both round and elongated seats,” she added. “You need to install decorative toilet seats and then you are committed to that pattern, she continued. “With Toilet Tattoos you just peel, place and smooth, and in seconds you can change the look of your lid,” she opined.

Toilet Tattoos also sells other bathroom products, gift holiday and seasonal, home décor and general merchandise. The minimum order is 36 pieces of any assortment, FOB Ohio.

“Our product sells because it is unique, fun and priced right, and every person has one toilet in their household, on average three,” said Massullo. At the moment, the company does not have any competitors as they are the inventors and patent-pending holders for this product.

When asked about her prognosis for business in 2012, Massullo said, “So far, our business is up 35 percent over last year. We continue to grow as other companies are struggling in this economy and that is because our product has a broad audience, is priced right and is clever, different and fun. At the same time, it’s a solution for the consumer who wants to decorate their toilet without spending a lot of money and wants a beautiful modern look. The end consumer is the final judge and they love Toilet Tattoos®.”

Contact Celeste Massullo at:
Lena Fiore’, Inc.
1039 Riviera Way
Macedonia, Ohio 44056
Telephone: (330) 468-3226
Fax: (330) 467-0672
Email: sales@toilet-tattoos.com

Business in the wholesale industry can be very competitive. That’s why wholesalers need to make it easy for their customers to find them in the right vertical search directories, and then make it easy to conduct business. Some important variables include order response speed and customer service requests, the time to market with new products, your delivery speed and the overall customer experience on your site. Retaining customers and growing revenue from existing customers is vital to a wholesale company’s success.

Additionally, there are a wide range of electronic message exchange and business processes necessary in wholesale distribution, including ecommerce integration, punchout integration, purchase order exchange, invoice exchange, price and product availability verification and EDI integration. To achieve success, wholesalers need to streamline the following processes, which are further described below.

• Real-time integration between the ecommerce site and customers and suppliers
• Support for critical transactions and processes including punchout, real-time queries and business document exchanges
• Coordination between formats and protocols, allowing all companies to communicate with their native systems and applications

Ecommerce Integration. Ecommerce has changed the way purchases are made because of its convenience and ease of use. In B2B ecommerce, integration between the store and the buyers’ and suppliers’ applications is vital for a successful operation and essential for a seamless shopping experience.

Punchout Integration. This enables a direct connection and flawless integration between your customer’s eProcurement system and your webstore or online catalog. You need to support various eProcurement systems such as Ariba, Oracle, PeopleSoft, and others, while supporting various required Internet standards. When you provide easy connections, your customers will likely shop from you rather than your competitors, leading to increased customer retention and the growth of new business.

Purchase Order Integration. You need to provide the electronic exchange of purchase orders and related messages across systems, applications and enterprises. No matter what procurement system you or your customers, partners or suppliers use, you want to send and receive documents and data in your preferred format. You can optimize your procurement system by supporting all PO formats, from EDI 850/855 and XML to specific procurement systems like Ariba, SAP, Oracle and Lawson. This eliminates manual data entry and management, ensures faster, easier order tracking and delivery, and improves customer satisfaction.

Invoice Exchange. As with purchase order integration, you need to provide the electronic exchange of invoicing and related messages across systems, applications and enterprises. No matter what procurement system you or your customers, partners or suppliers are using, you want to send and receive documents and data in your preferred format. You can optimize your invoice exchange system by supporting all invoicing formats from EDI 810/811 to procurement systems like Ariba, SAP, Oracle and custom systems. This also eliminates manual data entry and management, ensures faster payment and easier payment tracking, and improves relationships with your customers, partners and suppliers.

Price and Product Availability Verification. You must enable a direct connection between a hosted online catalog and your back-end system. When customers shop through an online catalog, they often want to verify the pricing information and verify product availability. Once a buyer selects an item from your catalog, they want to initiate a real-time query and receive instant information on pricing, availability, estimated shipping dates and so forth. This real-time information is beneficial to managers and accounting departments during the procurement work flow to ensure pricing and availability is correct prior to approval or final submission of the purchase order.

EDI Integration. Since electronic data interchange (EDI) was introduced in the 1980’s, many companies adopted an EDI standard to expedite and streamline transmission of data between businesses and systems. There are so many standardized business documents today that you need a flexible system of interoperability across standards combined with increased security, visibility and business process.

While retailers have been struggling since the recession started a few years ago, many of them are now looking for ways to increase sales without using precious capital. Drop shipping is a great way to save capital because retailers can take orders without having to stock inventory, and they can ship directly from their suppliers. The benefits are low overhead, zero investment, no warehouse and shipping overhead. Retailers can negotiate a confidentiality agreement with suppliers so their customers don’t know the difference.

With suppliers shipping directly to their customers, retailers can experiment with new products. They can branch out into new product categories without prior experience, and they can try new styles because they eliminate the risk of investing in inventory that might not sell.

Drop shipping is a real boon for start-ups in apparel, giftware, health and beauty products and many other categories. Retail merchants can try drop shipping 20 percent of their products, and then increase gradually if it proves successful. They can warehouse the products they have a high demand for and drop ship other products with less demand.

Drop Shipping Contracts. Setting up contracts with various drop shippers can be a challenge. Retailers must take into account the supplier’s payment terms and whether they have a set charge for warehousing and shipping costs versus charging a percentage of sales. There are other questions regarding whether the products are always in stock. Retailers also need to ensure their suppliers will pack things to their specifications and provide good customer service. It is important to spell out your requirements and have a person on the other end you can deal with directly.

Drop Shipping Fees. Depending on a retailer’s sales, some suppliers will charge a drop shipping fee on top of a shipping fee, while others don’t. If you are a new vendor, the supplier might want to test you, starting off with a drop shipping fee.  For small orders, suppliers usually charge from $3 to $5 for drop shipping.

The margins vary widely in different product categories, but some suppliers average 25 percent gross margins on small appliance items, for instance, and 30 percent on those stocked in the warehouse. Suppliers usually must sell at least 12 such items per month to justify stocking the item in the warehouse.

No Cash Outlay. The benefit of drop shipping for retailers is they don’t have to pay ahead for products advertised and sold. On average, they get the payment from their customers 10 to 15 days before they pay their supplier so they never have a cash flow problem. They can offer a wide selection in a lot of different categories, providing customers with anything they need without the risk.

The biggest challenge, however, is ensuring customer satisfaction. This takes a lot of coordination with suppliers to ensure orders are fulfilled to customer satisfaction. Some suppliers will pick, pack and ship an order, sending back the tracking number and shipping confirmation in 24 hours excluding weekends and holidays, while others take longer. In the beginning, it may take trial and error before finding the best suppliers.

Drop Shipping Demand. Because of the increased demand for drop shipping, some large retailers that hold inventory have become drop shippers for other merchants. They know that many merchants are tight on warehouse space and money and do not want to invest in inventory. This has been a win-win for both parties, with some retailers expanding their warehouse space to accommodate orders from smaller firms. The demand for drop shipping is high right now, and it actually exceeds supply.

With the crowds that frequent the shopping malls during the holiday season, consumers will be looking for ways to protect their credit cards from theft. The answer lies in Twin Pines Enterprises Aluminum Theft Proof Credit Card Holders. These handsome protective devices come in a variety of colors and have exactly what savvy consumers are looking for.

The Aluminum Credit Card Holders offered by Twin Pines Enterprises not only stop identity theft, they are slim, lightweight, and come in the following colors and finishes.

Smooth Finish
• Black
• Blue
• Bronze
• Gold
• Green
• Grey
• Hot Pink
• Purple
• Silver
• Turquoise

Ribbed Finish
• Bronze
• Silver

We interviewed Ben Sartori, owner of Twin Pines Enterprises, to find out about the company’s competitive edge. “We believe in excellent customer service,” said Sartori. “We also believe our employees are the company’s major strength,” he added. When asked what differentiates the company from its competitors, Mr. Sartori said, “We always have merchandise in stock, and we ship the same day. That, together with the excellent customer service our employees provide, is what brings our customers back time after time for reorders.”

As you may know, electronic pick pocketing is the theft of consumer personal information using scanners that read credit cards and IDs through clothing, wallets and purses as fast as a thief can walk past you. Even when consumers carry credit/debit cards, IDs and passports with a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chip that contains personal account information and sensitive data, they can be at risk However, the way to protect this information is to keep the credit cards in special holder or wallet that features specialized RFID blocking materials that stop scanners from accessing the information. The protective holder is necessary whether the credit cards have the RFID chip or not.

The credit cards that come with a built-in RFID Radio Frequency Identification device designed to make them theft proof have been shown to be vulnerable to fraud in 13 different investigations. These investigations have shown how credit card information can be stolen from an ordinary wallet while it’s still inside the consumer’s pocket or purse. However, the RFID aluminum credit card holders provide the protection needed.

While major credit card companies say their new credit cards with RFID protection are safe, experts say consumers must have protective sleeves, badge holders and wallets designed to block the radio frequency waves from credit cards and IDs containing RFID chips.

It’s interesting to note that government agencies require protective covers for ID badges and ship all passport cards with a protective sleeve; however, no credit card company or U.S. bank currently provides consumers with protective covers for their RFID-enabled credit cards.

Besides the RFID Theft Proof Credit Card Holders, Twin Pines Enterprises offers Silicone Watches and Children’s Jewelry.

To order, go to: http://www.twinpinesent.com
Or, you can email: sales@twinpinesent.com
Phone: 702-541-8832 Fax: 702-541-8834

Note the company has a returns policy that requires the return of goods that were damaged via shipping in 48 hours, and the return of defective merchandise within 30 days.

Twin Pines Enterprises is located at:

4285 Rancho Road #120
Las Vegas, NV 89130

OC Surplus is your one-stop site for wholesale general merchandise. As a leading B2B supplier of wholesale closeouts and wholesale general merchandise such as stationary, school supplies, office supplies, hardware, kitchenware, toys, party supplies, baby products, gift bags, greeting cards and brand name closeouts, OC Surplus is having a great iPad2 giveaway for those that qualify with a $3,000 order.

OC Surplus specializes in high-end brand names such as Crayola, Panasonic, Papercraft, Papermate, and more. These are the brands consumers want and buy. So why not order now from OC Surplus and get a free iPad2? With more than two decades of experience in merchandising solutions, they are dedicated to providing their customers with excellent customer service.

Order $3,000 in general merchandise and get a free iPad2 from OC Surplus. Do it now!

Memory on Hand, flash drive band, fashionable flash drive band, portable digital files, portable flash drive, MoH, Computer Hardware, Software, Gifts and Crafts, Fashion Accessories, Consumer Electronics, Novelties, 4gb flash drive, 8gb flash drive.

Memory on Hand (MoH) is an exciting new product for techie folks that lets them wear these fashionable bands containing a flash drive for accessing their computer files anytime anywhere. Young folks and old folks alike can be wired while making a fashion statement at the same time.

Memory on Hand has created a stylish band to vitalize the jaded area of flash memory. As you can see in the image above, the model exhibits different band styles containing a flash drive which are both decorative and useful.

We interviewed MoH President Andrew Kitzenberg, asking him how the company got the idea for this innovative new product. “We believe flash drives haven’t evolved to meet consumer needs and wants,” said Kitzenberg, “which inspired us to design this product for users on the go. We provide people with a better solution for carrying their digital files wherever they go, providing style and portability as the core values of our products” he added.

The Memory on Hand Band is a great affordable gift item for students and techies as these products are perfect for students with busy lifestyles who use computers in multiple locations and need constant access to their files,” said Kitzenberg. “That’s what drives us to make the most effective portable products. Why sacrifice basic aesthetics to a product that is ubiquitous in our day-to-day lives?” he added.

As you can see, the MoH Bands are designed to give customers a sense of style and self-expression that supports their file portability needs. Memory on Hand was founded in 2009 by Andrew Kitzenberg, then an undergraduate senior at Babson College. The company has since grown with offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Memory On Hand is a band containing a 4gb flash drive that people can wear to carry computer files with them wherever they go. MoH has a great tag line: We’re more than fashion. We’re flashion.

When asked to define the company’s major strength, Kitzenberg replied, “Providing an effective solution to make digital libraries portable and accessible between multiple locations of computing.”

 So what differentiates this company from its competitors? “Our product is really the first of a kind to come to market, “said Kitzenberg.  “Memory on Hand’s superior style and branding has allowed the company to be recognized by its core users,” he added.

Memory on Hand offers a variety of products, which are listed below.

• Computer Hardware  
• Software
•  Gifts and Crafts
• Fashion Accessories
• Consumer Electronics
• Novelties

All products are shipped from Cambridge, MA and come with a one year warranty and ten years data retention. “Retailers love our product because it is new to the market, but more so because it isn’t just cute, it’s also useful – which makes for an easy sale,” said Kitzenberg. “It’s one of those ideas that make people say, why didn’t I think of that? The bottom line is the product sells and 70 percent of retailers come back for reorders,” said Kitzenberg.

The MoH Band’s convenient design provides a simple and clear advantage over other flash drives on the market, adding to the product’s popularity. It has the potential to become a trend setter with consumers showing their friends who will then want one.

The MoH Band is a great gift item, and Kitzenberg expects to so see big sales around the holidays and the back to school season. These products do very well in souvenir and gift shops, so the company hopes to see a strong spring and summer performance next year during the vacation season.

Memory on Hand experienced a huge growth in sales during 2011, as the MoH Band was brought to the national market. In 2012, the company hopes to see continued growth and will likely begin to offer 8gb MoH Bands as the demand for more memory increases.

For more information contact Andrew Kitzenberg

Email Address Andrew@MemoryOnHand.com               

Phone 877.234.4493

While it’s fall, we still have many bright, sunny days ahead, and it’s always time for buying wholesale sunglasses from Great L&H Trading. Sunglasses are not only a great fashion statement, they are also necessary for good eye health and comfort. Great L&H sunglasses feature the following properties: distortion-free vision, 100 percent UV protection, polarization to minimize glare and reduce eyestrain, spring-hinged temple grips, great craftsmanship, high quality and low price. Who could ask for more?

Consumers know it’s important to keep ultraviolet light from getting into their eyes, eyelids and the skin around them. They also don’t like to squint because of comfort and vanity. So it’s always the season for sunglasses because eyes are sensitive to brightness and glare. Consumers can cut down on glare with Great L&H Trading quality sunglasses for better vision when driving or participating in outdoor activities.

Another reason why sunglasses are so popular is that they make a great fashion statement. Sunglasses can make anyone look cool or add pizzazz to any outfit. Did you ever notice how movie stars always wear sunglasses?

More importantly, consumers want to protect the skin around their eyes with UV-filtering sunglasses to prevent skin cancer. From a comfort perspective, polarized lenses are very effective for blocking glare. You get all these features with Great L&H Trading quality sunglasses which further described below.

Sunglasses

Optical Frame

• Full Rim
• Half Rum
• Rimless
• Acetate Frame

Elite Series Sunglasses

• SS Eyewear
• COOLOOK Sports Sunglasses
• Christelle Collection

Accessories

Reading Glasses

We interviewed the owner of Great L&H Trading, Lina Li, asking her what differentiates her company from many others. “We offer the best in materials and quality workmanship, along with every desired feature in sunglasses” said Li. “Additionally, we care about our customers and offer superior customer service,” she added. One can tell that customers like the products at L&H sunglasses from the multitude of customer testimonials, a few of which are shown below.

“I just want to tell you again how much I love my sunglasses. They are exactly what I wanted. I am really enjoying it and receiving lots of compliments. Thank you again.” – David Greenfield

“GLH designs are sophisticated, elegant sunglasses designs. Additionally, they offer a refinement of traditional styles.” – Sunglasses Magazine

“Just a quick note to say we’re happy with our sunglasses. They have been selling fantastically.” – Ellen Spear

A tip for wholesale sunglasses buyers: now is the time to source at Great L&H Trading for the best choice of styles and colors as well as delivery in time for the selling season.

Great L&H Trading ships from UPS, EDI, UCL, and CTS for delivery of all orders. Credit Card approval must be received prior to order processing.

Orders placed Monday through Friday will usually be shipped the same day, excluding holidays. Overnight orders placed after 2 P.M. Eastern Standard Time will be processed the following business day.

Return Policy:
Great L&H Trading will gladly issue store credit within 30 days of purchase. Shipping charges are non-refundable.

Return Conditions:
1. All merchandise must be returned in the condition as sent.
2. Products showing wear and tear will not be accepted for return.
3. Buyers are responsible for all shipping charges.
4. No return accepted after 30 days of purchase.

Great L&H Trading Inc.
29 W.30th Street, Suite #601
New York, NY 10001
Office Hours: Mon-Fri. 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Tel: (212)868-5656 (212)868-5656
Fax:(212)868-3070
Toll Free #(866)454-8500 (866)454-8500

Cheng’s Enterprises, Inc. was established in 1983 and has earned a reputation as a respected importer, exporter and wholesaler in the footwear industry. The Chengs footwear brand, EasyUSA, is widely recognized for quality, comfort and affordability. New arrivals include ladies velour slippers with fur cuffs, children’s Velcro sandals and men’s printed zories.

New ranges in footwear for the autumn/winter season are here, and you can get them at Chengs. This seasonal update promises a new brand break in the men’s fashion casual shoes market. These are fashions where urban edge and fashion meet comfort and exceptional value. Chengs EasyUSA brand shoes have an excellent reputation for comfort and good prices, which they can offer in abundance. You will see new men’s fashion shoes with bold styling and lots of detail interest. Buyers can get all this along with shoes that offer great comfort for the modern man at truly affordable prices from Chengs Enterprises.

Ladies shoes also offer advanced styling and soft new comfort styles hot off the press and ready to go. One of the highlights in comfort is the two-button wedge shown below.

Chengs has an exciting new range of ladies shoes that cover all the season’s needs, from casual shoes, through to warm winter rain boots. There are loads of interesting styles that combine comfort and practical needs with style and at great prices. Womens shoes for winter are moving on. No longer do you see those dowdy mono colors and straight laced styles. Have a look at Chengs catalog with well thought out shoes with comfort in mind and an eye on fashion.

In addition to shoes, Chengs Enterprises carry oriental gifts such as Chinese dolls, wooden shell screens and lovely hand-painted paper parasols. Chengs has over 5,000 customer accounts throughout the United States, Caribbean Islands and South America. The company is known for its fast, accurate, reliable services.

We asked James of Chengs Enterprises what distinguishes his company from many other footwear wholesalers. “ We offer the latest and most unique styles made of quality materials,” he said. “We also provide friendly customer service and pay attention to the latest styles and footwear trends,” he added. “ That allows us to offer our customers the latest best sellers before anyone else.” he concluded.

Chengs Enterprises sells to retailers, wholesalers and importers across the United States, the Caribbean Islands and South America. They are known for selling well-made quality shoes that wear well. A list of products includes:

• Ladies Shoes
• Mens Shoes
• Childrens Shoes
• Aquastock
• House Slippers
• Ballerina Flats
• Flip Flops
• Garden Clogs
• Mary Janes
• Rain Boots
• Work Boots
• Wedge Platforms

Chengs accepts Visa and Mastercard only. You can request a price list by phone at (201-933-9088) or fax (201-933-3883).

Orders are shipped the same day as received as long as the items are in stock. Account terms are determined based on the customer’s credit rating. Any damaged merchandise should be reported within ten days of receipt. Chengs will be responsible for original manufacture damage or damage during shipping.

Chengs office and showroom are located at 68 Broad Street, Carlstadt, New Jersey 07072, in Bergen County. They offer free delivery services throughout most of New York City and Northern New Jersey.

To place an order, call the toll free number: (800) 886-3288 or 201-933-9088
Fax: 201-933-3883
Send an email to info@chengsusa.com
Puerto Rico: please call Samuel Melendez at (787) 632-4747
Business Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am – 6:00pm (EST).
68 Broad Street
Carlstadt, NJ 07072

Established in 1984, Translink Corporation is the renowned creator of Translink organic floral paper and other handmade decorative papers and stationery gift products. Translink takes pride in its environmentally friendly products and encourages recycling whenever possible. As part of Translink Corporation, Mascot International offers 24k Gold/Chrome Plated gift items with Austrian Crystals, which make fabulous gifts for your loved ones at holiday time and all year long.

Now is the time for buyers to stock up on the beautiful dry floral handmade paper and stationery items from Translink Corporation and the exquisite gold and crystal giftware from Mascot International.

We interviewed Michael Chan, President of Translink Corporation, asking him about the company’s major strength. “We have been manufacturing and wholesaling patented and copyrighted giftware since 1974,” said Chan. “We are a leader in the worldwide gift industry because of the ingenuity, variety and quality of our products,” he added. Mr. Chan went on to say the quality and variety of his products is what differentiates the company from its competitors. “In fact, that’s what makes our customers come back with repeat business,” said Chan. “Besides the multitude and quality of our products, we continue to develop new products for each season,” he added.

Translink organic floral paper was inspired by Tsai Lun, who invented paper in China in 105 A.D. Translink Corporation strives to keep the traditional art of papermaking alive by adding natural accents and colors. The result of a three-year project that took place many years ago resulted in the current Translink Organic Floral Paper designs. By using the traditional papermaking methods and ingredients, Translink is able to produce sheets made from organic materials that are natural looking and beautiful. Translink uses only the yearly new growth portion of living trees and have added pressed whole flowers, petals, plant fibers and flower sap to enhance their designs. Their products are ideal for paper crafts, stationery, decorations, scrap booking, gift wrapping, and many other art projects. Below is a partial list of products available from Translink.

• Handmade Paper Products
• Floral Paper
• Fiber Paper
• Goldspeck Paper
• Batik Paper
• Flower Sap Paper
• Mini Book Gift Sets
• Floral Card Gift Sets
• Greeting Card Gift Sets
• Bookmarks
• Brooches/Scarf Clips
• Crystal Blocks
• Butterfly Gift Sets
• Key Chains
• Magnets
• Men’s Gift Items
• Mirror Compacts
• Necklaces
• Pens
• Silky Wraps
• Religious Gifts
• Night Lights
• Music Boxes
• Business Card Holders

One very unique product is Translink’s Ready to Mail gift boxes, which were designed and developed over ten years ago. These Ready-to-Mail boxes provide convenience for those who want to mail a small gift without going to much trouble, especially if travelling. Translink holds six patents for this Ready-to-Mail design with additional patents pending. Even if you don’t need to mail a gift, you can use this box as a regular gift box to add an elegant touch to your gift set from Translink. The Ready-to-Mail box comes in four different sizes. In addition to the paper products, Translink offers gold plated gift items through Mascot International.

As a part of Translink, Mascot International has been manufacturing and marketing patented and copyrighted giftware since 1974. Its unique collection of 24K gold-plated and chrome-plated items mounted with Austrian crystals are exquisitely crafted with delicate workmanship and precise detail.

Buyers can order from:
Mascot International Inc.
1055 Harrison Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
Tel: 510-527-3965 Fax: 510-527-3967
Order: 1-800-325-4625
Email: sales@mascotusa.com

A minimum of $100.00 per order is required. Payment of new accounts is on a COD cash basis (Money Order/Cashier’s Check), or you can prepay in advance with Master Card and Visa. Terms are available upon request and approval.

Shipping charges are generated automatically by the shopping cart and are applicable for shipments within the continental United States. Additional shipping charges are required for shipping orders to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and countries outside the continental U.S.

All damage claims must be made within two weeks of receipt of goods. Prices can be subject to change without notice.

Wal-Mart in China is accused of selling ordinary pork as organic pork in the southwestern city of Chongqing. As a result, some Wal-Mart stores will close temporarily. “We have agreed to temporarily close some stores in Chongqing for 15 days. We believe this will allow us to complete comprehensive actions to upgrade the standards in these Chongqing stores,” said a Wal-Mart spokesperson in a statement.

The official Xinhua news agency said late Sunday that Chongqing’s municipal government will shut ten stores. Wal-Mart was fined Rmb 2.69 million (USD $423,548) by authorities in China for mislabeling ordinary pork as organic. Wal-Mart said it sent a task force to Chongqing several days ago to work with the authorities.

Xinhua’s Huang Bo, director of Chongqing’s Industry and Commerce body, confirmed that the ten Wal-Mart stores, and two other stores acquired by Wal-Mart, have been accused of selling 63,547 kilograms of falsely labeled pork over the last two years. Earlier in March, Wal-Mart, which is the world’s largest retailer, apologized for selling duck meat past its expiration date in a store in the Chongqing area.

Wal-Mart China confirmed it was cooperating with the investigation by the Chongqing Administration of Industry and Commerce. Furthermore, some of the company’s employees were detained by the Chongqing Public Security Bureau. The U.S.-based retailer declined to comment on the fine, which was announced by Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, quoting government officials in Chongqing.

In a statement, Wal-Mart said, “We believe the closure has come about as a result of the recent investigation in some of our stores in Chongqing due to the issue of mislabeled pork.” The company said the store closures would allow them time “to focus on implementing corrective actions.”

Paul French, an analyst at the Shanghai marketing consultancy Access Asia, said large retailers in China have been in trouble before for mislabeling food products, in addition to selling food after its sell-by date. However, he said this was the first time he heard of a product being wrongly passed off as organic.

French explained that, following a scandal earlier this year involving the toxic additive clenbuterol hydrochloride in pork in China, labeling a meat as organic would serve as a way of boosting sales. “People view organic as a guarantee of quality,” said French. “The problem in China is we have no central certification authorities; £1,000 in an envelope will get you the certificate you need,” he added. Late last month, China’s Ministry of Agriculture said it arrested nearly 1,000 people involved in the manufacture and sale of the illegal additive.

In January, Wal-Mart and France’s Carrefour supermarket chain were fined for overcharging on promotional items. After Wal-Mart was found to have misstated prices on promotional items at three stores, it promised to refund consumers five times the difference between the price on the promotional label and the price at the cash register if this happened again.

Wal-Mart’s annual sales in China are only USD $7.5 billion, a fraction of its global revenue of USD $420 billion, although Chinese sales are growing at double-digit rates. Wal-Mart has recently had to deal with personnel changes. In May, both Wal-Mart’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer in China resigned for personal reasons. The company declined to comment on the abrupt resignations.