Wholesale News & Articles

Product categories with enormous appeal to today's consumers tap into two key consumer trends: The need to keep up with technology and advanced communications and the desire to be more fit, youthful, healthy and attractive. Kiosks and carts that carry products targeted to these current demands are seasonless. The iGo Emergency Charger captures the attention of anyone who needs to have cell phones, iPods, PDAs, Mp3 players and other handheld electronic gadgets always at the ready. And today, that's just about everyone.

The iGo Charger from Sky Gift, a supplier based in Las Vegas, is a problem solver. This multifunction device fits on a key ring. The iGo is about the size of a cigarette lighter and operates on a single replaceable AA battery, which is included in the product's eye catching package. It is a battery charger, battery block, universal charger and LED flashlight all in one.

It comes with nine different connectors in order to work with the full array of handhelds on today's market, and Fernando Heurta, owner of Sky Gift, says it works with more than 95 percent of cell phones. It provides 30 minutes of charging for 120 minutes of talking.

Simply unscrew the bottom of i/Go, insert the battery, connect the appropriate converter, connect the converter to the mobile phone or other device being charged, and an LED indicates that it is charging.

The unit comes in a choice of red, blue, black and silver. It is packaged in a distinctive orange, black and red box with a logo that immediately signifies its high tech status with the now familiar lower case, "i," made famous by iPod and iPhone. Sky Gift holds the iGo trademark exclusively.

Sky Gift has developed a slew of merchandising aids that helps kiosk vendors attract attention. Two posters are offered for free. One is 20 by 24 inches, and the other measures 35 by 24 inches. For impact, they both show a stranded car to highlight the need for emergency power and the iGo solution, which starts with its use as a flashlight. The additional features are also described.

While some kiosks and carts carry only the iGo Charger and do well, Heurta suggests combining iGo with other cell phone and tech gadget accessories. "It makes an instant add on to these other related products," he says.

The minimum order is a single, free countertop displayer containing 18 units, which makes it easy for a kiosk or cart vendor to give it a try with limited initial investment. On an order of that size, the wholesale price is $7.99 a unit. The wholesale is significantly lower on larger volume orders. The suggested retail price ranges from $19.99 to $24.99, making it affordable to the consumer and profitable for the vendor.

The iGo Emergency Charger is not the only product Sky Gift offers for kiosks and carts. It is just the hottest one now.

Meanwhile, the exclusive line of L'Avenir Skincare products solves a myriad of problems, from arthritis pain to cellulite, thinning hair, psoriasis and eczema. The Fairfield, NJ supplier provides its kiosk and cart vendors with all the materials necessary to attract attention and build a loyal customer base that will return again and again.

Mike Marenick, president, notes that L'Avenir Skincare is the only company in the world to utilize the whole egg in its formulations. "The whole egg contains 70 different vitamins and proteins," he says, which account for the products' performance. His company, which has been in business for 10 years, developed the patented process and technology that uses enzymes to hydrolyze the egg naturally, in order to fully capture all of its nutrient content.

The process breaks down the egg's molecular structure to a size that is small enough to penetrate the skin. The L'Avenir products then utilize a unique carrier mechanism to carry the nutrients into the skin. The source of the carrier mechanism is derived from a variety of essential oils the company imports from around the world, and then manufactures all of the 17 different products in the line in its own manufacturing facilities.

Initially, the line was sold only at salons, spas and high end pharmacies. It is never sold to big retail chains, Marenick says. Three years ago, L'Avenir Skincare began its kiosk and cart programs. "There were a lot of dead sea products out there, being aggressively sold from kiosks and carts in malls," he explains, "and malls were getting upset with the aggressive sales tactics." "We took another direction, selling not through aggressive tactics and misleading claims, but through the use of compelling before/after photographs that show the results from the use of our products." The program has met with great success, he reports.

It is now a complete turnkey program that includes signage, before/after product photos, reprints of the many articles that have been written about the products and the line, and autographed photos of celebrities that have benefited from L'Avenir. Marenick also suggests that retailers demonstrate the product, which not only draws attention to the kiosk, but also shows off the products' ease of use and benefits.

Vendors get background information on each product in the line, tips for their use and tips for selling. They can also visit the company headquarters for further educational support or obtain it over the phone or Internet.

In addition, the company offers a 30 day money back guarantee to consumers, a feature that kiosk and cart vendors can promote. Marenick says that primarily because L'Avenir is the manufacturer, kiosk and cart vendors can realize a markup of between 500 and 700 percent. "Our rate of return from vendors is less than one percent," he says, adding, "providing they sell correctly and do not make false claims."

Two starter packages are offered. One is a half cart order that wholesales for $1,250, and the other is a full cart order at $2,500. All the support materials are included free in both packages.

The company operated its own test kiosk for a full year, which enabled it to assemble a product assortment based on actual sales. While the assortment contains a selection of all 17 products, it is weighted with the best selling units. Marenick says the two top sellers are Cellutone, a Cellulite reducer that retails for $52, and the HealFast Dermasolve for psoriasis and eczema, which has a suggested retail of $42.

Among the other products in the line are Healthy Hair Shampoo Ultra Soothe, which is a muscle pain reliever, shaving oil, after shave, HealFast Acne, Instant Manicure, Returnal anti wrinkle cream and more. Each is targeted to and formulated for specific and common problems.

Because the products are proven performers and exclusive, the kiosk and cart vendors that carry them obtain a customer following. These are all consumable products, and satisfied customers not only keep coming back for more, they also tell friends, family members and coworkers, providing the vendor with referrals. To assure vendors maintain stock, they can place orders by the case, which generally range from 10 to 24 pieces on orders of as few as 48 total pieces. Orders are shipped within 24 to 48 hours.

While tapping into trends is a surefire way to capture consumers' attention, Sky Gift also offers another kiosk and cart program based on eye catchers. They are steel wind spinners, which come in 30 different designs.

They are approximately 12 inches tall and come in six colors. Among the designs are a cat in the window, dolphins, the ying yang symbol, a dragonfly and elephant. They can be used indoors or out, and when used outdoors, the sunlight reflects from them as they spin.

There is no minimum order. However, Heurta suggests a vendor start with an assortment of 500 pieces. This wholesales for $775, "and when they are retailed for $39.99, the vendor obtains a markup of five times the wholesale cost," he says.

Sky Gift will also sell vendors motors to keep the wind spinners in motion. "Demonstration is important," Heurta advises. On small orders, the least expensive wholesale price is $8.25 a unit. "Retailers that want quicker sell through can charge $29.99 a unit and still obtain a substantial margin of profit," he points out.

The following were interviewed for this article:

Mike Marenick, president
L'Avenir Skincare
1275 Bloomfield Avenue, Bldg. 9, Unit 86
Fairfield, NJ 07004
Toll Free: 888-528-3647
Tel.: 973-227-9009
Fax: 973-227-9077
Website: www.marenick.com

Fernando Heurta, owner
Sky Gift
4280 West Reno, Ste. B
Las Vegas, NV 89118
Tel.: 702-633-0202
Fax: 702-617-0744
Websites: www.igocharger.com and www.mallspinners.com

Article ID: 536