An under appreciated but highly profitable branch of the online wholesale industry tree is the sale of electronic digital scales. Sometimes tiny but highly accurate scales serve a thousand purposes both at home and at work. Advances in technology and manufacturing practices have made scales that would have been too expensive for most uses just a few years ago available and affordable to just about any budget.
An under appreciated but highly profitable branch of the online wholesale industry tree is the sale of electronic digital scales. Sometimes tiny but highly accurate scales serve a thousand purposes both at home and at work. Advances in technology and manufacturing practices have made scales that would have been too expensive for most uses just a few years ago available and affordable to just about any budget.

The online sale of scales has grown into a multi-million dollar industry over the last several years. It has been claimed that sales of electronic scales have moved ahead of such popular online sales items as auto battery chargers and stun guns.

One of the big advantages of offer electronic scales is the while the demand may not be as wide spread as merchandise like apparel or jewelry the customer base is often businesses and institutions. Those sorts of customers are often repeat buyers and they usually pay their bills.

Digital scales are used in a variety of industrial and academic as well as home purposes. Jewelers need these types of scales for weighing precious metals and gemstones. Some jeweler scales are so advanced they can be used to determine the specific gravity of a mineral. Chemists and other academics depend on accurate and minute measurements for scientific experiments. High schools are excellent customers to market electronic scales to. Countless businesses need a good postal scale and digital scales are often used in the kitchen for exact food weights necessary to dieters.

The scales vary in price and size tremendously depending on the functions of the scale and the materials used in its construction. For example, a digital scale intended for meat markets and seafood shops that supports up to 40kg of weight, has thirty different function keys, and is constructed of stainless steel retails for about $350. On the other hand, a tiny plastic scale weighing only a few ounces and with only three functions cost as little as $30 retail. Some highly scientific scales can cost as much as $4800 but unless you have a ready market for these types of scales you should certainly stick to the lower cost and more generally useful scales.

One possible baffling aspects of getting into the digital scale business is sorting out the brand names. A good general rule when considering scale brands is stick to a few recognized brand names.

Ohaus is one of the very best and most famous brand names available. Ohaus scales were until quite recently made in America but are now, like so many former American made products, now manufactured in China. Only time will tell if the changes have any effect on the Ohaus’ normally high quality.

Another excellent scale manufacturer is the Japanese company Tanita. While Tanita scales are famous for their durability, there are some complaints regarding their accuracy especially when dealing with very small weights. Once a dominate force in scales Tanita has seen its market share drop over the last several years.

The very best selling scale available in the U.S. is the MY Weigh manufacturer. They were the very first company to offer digital readouts on a scale and so have obviously been making scales for many years. Other firsts from My Weigh include the first precision talking scale, the first touch screen scale, as well as the world’s smallest digital scale.

Sartorius is a German company that has long been the biggest player in scale manufacturing in Europe. They have recently entered the American market and are gaining a growing share of it. Traditionally Sartorius scales have been used for highly exacting scientific purposes but have started to make scales with more general appeal. They tend to be a little more expensive than other brand names but the quality is equally high.

Digi-scales have long been a leader in the manufacture of scales intended for the restaurant and hospitality industry. Beyond simple scales Digi also designs software to connect series of scales together for data collection. Innovation combined with an excellent reputation for durability has carried Digi-scales to the top of the industrial scale business.

It is always a challenge for a fledgling online business to find corners of the market as yet uncluttered with competition. While there are a good many scales retail sites out there the market is still relatively uncrowded. It will take research as there is a good deal of technical information to absorb, particularly for scales built for the scientific or academic world, but the potential to start a profitable and interesting business is there.

Art Micklewraith is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Top Ten Wholesale. He can be reached at Content and Solutions or by email at artmicklewraith@gmail.com.