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Big
box "superstores," with their thousands of items, may
look like they offer any product a consumer could want. The truth
is, though, that they don't.
Missing
from the long aisle and ceiling-high shelves is a microwave
accessory listed as a Parade Magazine "Buy of the
Week." Nowhere to be found is the Miracle
Mini Pump, a device featured in the syndicated "Gadget
Guy" column, which can drain anything without electricity.
There
is only one thing wrong with these and other useful and even independently
endorsed products: they are produced by small manufacturers that
offer a limited number of items, or stock keeping units (SKUs).
Big
box stores are largely unequipped to work with single-SKU and limited-SKU
producers. These chains' high-volume approach to purchasing and
sales carries over into relationships with vendors. The administrative
costs of including small producers in massive, centralized inventory
systems discourage superstores from even considering single-SKU
and limited-SKU vendors. The result is the public never gets to
see many clever and helpful products.
In
effect, the bureaucratic tail is wagging the retail dog, and consumers
are being deprived of a wide range of helpful products.
Recognizing
this evolving void in the marketplace, we are making a dedicated
effort to find these overlooked products
and make them available to you.
By
providing a home in cyberspace for all the products the big stores
can't afford to carry, we can eliminate the marketing barriers between
small producers and consumers.
We
continue to search for products from single-SKU producers and individual
inventors. We are proud of our work and welcome your participation
and support.
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