What are your kids wearing back to school? How do Fubu, Nike, Reebok and RocaWear sound? Expensive? Not when you know the secret that people all over the country are learning - the secret that unlocks prices like Nike shirts for $8.95 each. Two piece Jimmy boy's jean sets for $10.50. Girl's Meow! Tank tops for $5.98. Put the car keys down. You won't find these prices in your local stores. All over the country, parents are turning off the ignition and turning on the computer. Following on the heels of the hugely successful Overstock.com, which stocks name brand and surplus merchandise of all sorts, entrepreneurs like Tabatha Tucker have taken the concept of closeout children's clothing to the web. With the debut of her new web site, Tucker joins a growing trend of entrepreneurs discovering the online market as a place to connect with parents who are both style-savvy and savings smart. Tucker's web site, T. Y. Tucker & Associates (www.tytassociates.com), features popular, brand name children's clothing at rock-bottom prices. Tucker, who markets her products to both consumers and retailers, deals in liquidations and closeouts. "We negotiate once in a lifetime deals with clothing manufacturers who were bankrupt or going out of business," says Tucker. By negotiating deals well below wholesale prices, liquidation dealers acquire top quality, name brand merchandise at pennies on the dollar. Because she doesn't pay for a brick and mortar storefront to attract customers, she saves again - and those savings get passed on to her customers. "We carry official name brand tags like GAP, GUESS, POLO, OSHKOSH, ADDIDAS, TOMMY HILFIGER," Tucker said in reference to the range of clothing and apparel accessories that can be found on her site. It's "...brand new merchandise in factory condition with savings over 50% below retail." When Tucker says 'over 50% below retail", she's short-selling herself. Prices on internet closeout clothing sites are so low that you'll sometimes have to check your glasses to make sure you're reading right. Name brand girls' apparel like Fubu skorts - one of this season's hottest back-to-school looks - retail in stores for $15.95. Thanks to a special deal with a store that couldn't maintain their lease, Tucker's price is $3.90 per skort. Matching shirts that retail for $22 are just $6.98. Boys' two piece Reebok sports sets that retail for $40 in local stores are priced at just $5.98. And three piece baby RocaWear sport suits that retail for $30 and more are Tucker-priced at $10.50 each. While prices like those have been available to retailers on internet clothing closeout sites, it's only recently that sites like Tucker's (www.tytassociates.com) have offered those low, closeout prices to parents. Just six months ago, if you could find closeout children's clothing online at all, it was in bulk shipping pallets for purchase from wholesale liquidators. Tucker and others like her undercut even those prices by discounting the name brand clothing on her site even further for bulk orders. "For consumers, (prices) range anywhere from 50% - 70% below regular retail prices. For Wholesalers/Retailers, this could range anywhere from 40% - 60% below regular wholesale prices." But price is only one part of the reason that parents are turning to online wholesale and closeout clothing shops. A site like Tucker's is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for shopping. There's no need to round up the kids and drag them out to the store, or to fight your way through crowds of other bargain hunters on hot summer afternoons. Online shopping allows parents to shop at THEIR convenience - and save those summer afternoons for doing something the kids will enjoy a lot more than shopping for school clothes. Because selling kid's closeout clothing on the Internet is still a new undertaking, many of the clothing sites offer coupons and incentives to entice surfers to give online shopping a try. Tucker's site is no exception. Customers who make purchases can claim a 3-day/2-night vacation at one of 20 different U.S. city destinations. Tucker also exhibits another trait that is more common in online entrepreneurs than not - an altruistic soul. T. Y. Tucker & Associates has a special program that helps churches, schools, youth groups and charities to earn 10% of purchases made by their members. Great clothes, great prices, great convenience - and a chance to do good. If there are any negatives in the equation, they're well-hidden. Tucker does offer the following caution: "Our closeout prices usually go very fast so shop early, get your coupon code and check often for new arrivals." |
