QuoteReplyTopic: Why Do Accessories Go Out Of Stock & Then Never Are Replenished? Posted: April 05 2003 at 1:22am
I have noticed this trend, not just at HairBoutique.com where I buy tons of hair accessories but I have noticed it at other online stores. It drives me crazy because I might find a barrette or other set of hair jewels only to go back to buy them and they are out of stock. Then they either completely disappear or don't seem to be replenished. So what is up with that trend?
I am soooooooo glad you posed this question. It is one of the things that drives me truly nuts about the HairBoutique.com Marketplace and other e-stores that sell accessories for hair.
Hair accessories are like shoes, purses and clothing. They cycle in and out of fashion faster than a speeding bullet. Of course it never fails that the hair accessory items I don't think will be that popular, sell like hotcakes and the items I think will do great, move slowly. I think there is a Peter Principle for Hair Accessories :-). The other thing is that people seem to always want to buy our accessories AFTER they have just sold out. LOL.
At any rate, in the case of HairBoutique.com, the store automatically tracks the items as they are bought and posts them as out of stock and then sends me an email notice. Then I have to try and replenish the stock. Some lines like France Luxe & Karina have "classic - always in stock - pieces" that can be reordered and restocked. Other custom pieces like the ornate Austrian Crystal barrettes, hair snaps, hair magnets & assorted French & regular jeweled hairpins change according to the fashion trends. Once they are gone...they are forever gone.
The only thing I can say is that if you see an item either at our store or somewhere else that you love, buy it then because it may not last and even worse, it may not be able to be replenished.
I wish I had a nickel for every customer that bought a hair accessory piece, loved it and then was sad that they couldn't buy more of the identical piece in different colors.
Although I try to keep track of some of the accessories that are NOT from the major accessory lines...so that I can buy extra amounts, it doesn't always work because my wholesaler may or may not have stocked a large quantity. Or they may have only the less desirable colors.
The reason that the various hair accessories go out of stock and disappear is that I can't restock them or they were one-of-a-kind items. If they disappear that means that are gone for good. If they stay out of stock for awhile and then show up instock, it means I was able to find more of a popular item.
Also, sometimes I discover that a particular accessory line doesn't live up to the quality that I want to offer the HB customers and I will drop the line. In some cases the wholesalers become difficult to work with (for a myriad of reasons which will be in my book someday :-) and then I discontinue their line & switch to alternative offerings or other options.
I hope that explains it well. If not, please post and I will do my best to explain it.
I might add that working with the accessories is my absolute favorite thing to do for the HB store because I get to see all the fabulous hair toys and sparklies as they show up at the HB warehouse. The bad news is that each item has to be scanned & put in the store but the good news is that I get to look at them in their little drawers until they are packed up and sent out the door...which is a sad time because I have to say goodbye to the beautiful accessories. :-)
Thanks for the explanation about hair accessories and why they go out of stock and never come back. I have to say that the first time I went to the Marketplace and saw all those hundreds of hair accessories I was in heaven. I think I counted something like 250 different France Luxe pieces (one of my fav lines) and then something like 85 or 90 banana clips and hundreds of barrettes and hairsticks. So I don't know how you even keep track of all that stuff. I have a hard time just keeping track of a few barrettes. :-)
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