This morning I received an e-mail notifying me that someone in Nashville had purchased a Po Campo Handlebar bag that I had listed on Little Independent. I was thrilled to make the sale particularly because I've had the bag in my store's inventory for a bit longer than I would have liked. It was from the company's fall line and I needed to move it to make room for new styles. Its original price was $120 and although I normally sell things at full price, my regular customers passed on it. I had overbought slightly and while we did sell some of the bags at full price, there were two remaining that were not selling. We put them out at the neighborhood sidewalk sale last weekend, but still they sat.
These types of slow turning items were why I created Little Independent. Most shopkeepers strive to sell things at full price, but occasionally find themselves with an item that isn't turning quickly enough. I had paid for that bag months ago and had already accepted that I would likely need to discount the item to make a return on my investment more quickly. There are shoppers out there that are looking for those items and that like to support small, independently owned businesses.
I e-mailed the woman in Nashville to thank her for purchasing the bag and to let her know I would box it, ship it and provide her the tracking number as soon as I could. She replied Thanks Lesley! I'm glad I found your store online. I was really happy to find this older Po Campo pattern. I can't wait to get the bag! And I'll be sure to check your store in the future. I can't wait to get her the bag. I hope she enjoys it for years to come.
Little Independent launched on June 1st and we already have 27 independent retail stores using the site. There are over 100 items listed for sale. I recently contracted with two talented women to expand our sales and customer service reach so I hope to see the number of stores and sale items continue to grow. The last 7 weeks have been exciting and overwhelming especially since its the peak of bike season and while I am the founder of a recently launched start-up, I am also the owner and operator of a brick and mortar bicycle shop.
I am looking forward to seeing Little Independent grow and help more independent retailers to access new customers, enhance visibility for their businesses and turn inventory faster.
Thanks for reading and please let me know if you would like any more information on Little Independent.
Lesley Tweedie, Founder
Little Independent
Twitter: @LitInd
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