Q: What kind of merchandise does Concord Enterprises,
Inc. sell?
A: We sell a large variety of general
merchandise including; health and beauty aids, cleaners, hardware,
paper products, office supplies, housewares, tableware, kitchenware,
gadgets, toys, giftware, party goods. We also sell grocery
items such as canned food, candies and cookies, baking items, drinks
and mixes, spices and condiments.
Q: Do you have any brand name merchandise?
A: We carry a large number of brand name
products.
Q: What are some of the brands you carry?
A: Procter & Gamble, Colgate Palmolive,
Revlon, Aquanet, Crest, C&H, Mazola, Zest, Camay, Dove, Disney,
Sterilite, Lever, Raid, Ajax. Clairol, Glade, Wizard, Hi & Dri,
Suave, Right Guard, Lander, Personal Care, Finesse, Gillette, White
Rain, Flex, VO5, Helene Curtis, Gerber, Evenflo, Reynold, WD_40,
Turtle Wax, Contac, Aspirin, Advil, Tylenol, Bayer, Cutex, Eveready
Batteries, Toshiba Batteries, Panasonic Batteries, Black Flag, Duncan
Hines, Nabisco, Life Saver, M & M Mars, Nestle, Hershey, Gamesa,
Del Monte, Wrigley's, Tootsie Roll, Kool-Aid, Tapatio and more.
Q: What is Concord Enterprises, Inc. niche?
A: For the retailer we are a one stop-shopping
source for all their product needs. If you have a 4,000 square foot
store, every day that the store is not operating you will be paying
between $300 to $400 for overhead. We have seen people take two
to three months to find suppliers and manufacturers and even travel
abroad to find merchandise for their store. Even then the wrong
decisions can cost you thousands of dollars. Without experience
it is difficult to know what to buy, how much to buy and how many
of each item to buy. At Concord with our reliable and experienced
sales staff, in one day your can fill all your needs and be back
behind your cash register the next day.
For the wholesaler or distributor, Concord Enterprises,
Inc. can supply the most merchandise at the best price. Due to our
enormous buying power, our considerable experience and our large
warehousing capability importers, wholesalers and distributors can
acquire merchandise at the right price and then resell to other
retailers or distributors.
Q: How many items does Concord Enterprises, Inc. have?
A: We have more than 40,000 sku, and
over 10,000 items in stock at any one time.
Q: How often does Concord Enterprises, Inc. add new
items?
A: Every day we receive between 100 and
200 new items.
Q: Does Concord Enterprises, Inc. carry the same items
continually?
A: Yes, many of our popular items are
carried at all times.
Q: Do you sell only one-dollar retail products?
A: Although we sell more than one-dollar
items, the majority of our merchandise is for the one-dollar retail
trade.
Q: Do you import any merchandise?
A: Concord Enterprises, Inc. is one of
the largest importers of general merchandise in the industry; our
merchandise is imported from Hong Kong, Chins, India, Mexico, Taiwan,
Brazil and other countries.
Q: Do you have any close out products?
A: Yes we buy and sell close-outs and
have close-outs of our own from time to time.
Q: Does Concord Enterprises, Inc. carry seasonal merchandise
such as Christmas, Easter, Back to School, Halloween, etc.?
A: Yes, we do carry seasonal merchandise
but most of concentration is on every day items.
Q: In the USA do you sell only to wholesalers and distributors
or others too?
A: We sell to a wide variety of customers:
large chain stores, small chains, independent stores, department
stores, dollar stores, variety stores, discount stores, grocery
chains, independent grocery stores, supermarkets, liquor stores,
distributors, wholesalers, importers, jobbers, gift stores, stationery
stores, hardware stores and others.
Q: Do you sell to the public?
A: Not at this time but look for our
new 'Retail Store' at dollaritem.com coming soon!
Q: Does a buyer with one store pay more than a multi-store
buyer?
A: No. We believe that small buyers need
the best prices so that they can succeed and become a regular and
repeat customer.
Q: Can I buy your merchandise and sell to another store
at wholesale?
A: Of course, since our prices are very
competitive, many of our customers are jobbers, distributors and
wholesalers.
Q: Do you charge tax on purchases?
A: If you are in the State of California
you need to have a resale license number to buy from us, if you
are from out of state or from another country the resale number
is not required.
Q: Do you have sales reps that will come to our store?
A: We are very price conscious therefore
we prefer to work with customers on a direct basis. Normally the
sales rep would charge about 5% to 10% of the order. If your purchases
run $50,000 to $70,000 it would cost you $2,500 to $7,000. Therefore
we suggest you save the money and come shop with us directly.
Q: Do you have sales people on the phone and in the
show room?
A: Yes, we do. Our experienced sales
staff assist visitors as well as telephone callers.
Q: If I have a super market is it a good idea to have
a $0.99 section?
A: Absolutely, we recommend it highly.
Many super markets have dollar day sales.
Q: Does all your merchandise have UPC bar codes?
A: No, but if it is a must, for sizable
order we can arrange it for additional charges.
A: Yes, our show room is about 15,000
square feet and located near Downtown Los Angeles, California.
Q: Do buyers visit your show room from other states
to do buying for their store?
A: Not only do people visit from other
states but they come from all over the world to do their shopping
with us. Los Angeles, geographically, is becoming the depot for
this industry and we are one of the industry's largest distributors.
Q: Why should I come to your show room?
A: If you are opening a store of 2,000
square feet or more you need to have about $35,000 dollars of merchandise
to fill your store. Therefore, a round trip air ticket of $300 to
$500 to fly to Los Angeles is nominal. In one trip you can satisfy
all your needs, purchase merchandise, establish your account and
set up the shipment of goods.
Q: How will I know what to buy?
A: Our salespeople are hand picked for
their expertise and will be happy to assist you in purchasing the
correct merchandise for your specific purposes.
Q: How long will it take to order from the show room?
A: We are always ready to take your order.
It takes 5 to 10 minutes the first visit to setup your account.
A small order can be filled immediately, a larger order of 4,000
to 5,000 items will take longer.
Q: If I am spending that much money do you guarantee
sale of the merchandise?
A: Sorry, we wish we could do that. But
there is no "guaranteed sale" policy.
Q: If I come to your facility can I buy full a container
of merchandise, stay to load the container and then leave?
A: Yes, if before your arrival you call
us and set up your appointment we can help you to do so.
Q: If I buy merchandise from another supplier can I
consolidate my shipment at your facilities??
A: Yes for the convenience of our customers
with advance notice we can assist you with this.
Q: How big are your warehousing facilities?
A: We have multiple warehouses in Los
Angeles, California, enough to warehouse thousands of containers
merchandise.
A: Concord Enterprises, Inc. is located
at 2957 East 46th Street, Los Angeles, California 90058. It is about
5 miles south west of Downtown Los Angeles.
Click
here for directions.
Q: What are your business hours?
A: 6 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Monday through
Friday.
Q: Are you open on national holidays and weekends?
A: No, but if you are coming from out
of the USA and plan to purchase container loads, with advance notice
arrangements can be made.
A: In the showroom there is no minimum
as long as you order in inner box or case quantities which could
be as few as 12 pieces or more. Phone and internet orders require
a $50.00 minimum buy.
Q: Do you have cash and carry service so we can order
and pick up the same day?
A: Yes lots of our customers are like
that; they place an order and wait to pick it up.
A: All orders need to be paid in advance
in cash, cashier checks, or wire transfer before the order gets
pulled for shipment. We accept personal or company check, but allow
14 days for the check to be cleared.
Q: Do you accept L.C. (letter of credit) for payment?
A: For export customers we sometimes
do accept L.C. but it has to go through our bank and meet our conditions
as outlined. All bank charges in and out of the USA must be paid
by the customer.
Q: Do you have CIF or C&F prices?
A: No all of our prices are FOB our docks
in Los Angeles. Occasionally some customers request CIF or C&F
prices and we can accommodate this request by adding a $200 processing
fee to their order.
Q: Can I cancel my order the same day?
A: If your order is not pulled it is
possible. If the order has been pulled, there will be a 20% restocking
fee.
Q: Can I cancel the order after you shipped the order?
A: OOP's, this is a no-no.
Q: If I place an order at the show room, should I expect
to receive it 100 % complete?
A: Although we try our best to keep all
out items in stock at all times, out merchandise moves quickly and
sometimes sells out. Also some items are close-outs or discontinued
lines and once sold out cannot be restocked. If the items are still
available we will back order them for you. On an order with a variety
of items you should expect a shortage of 10% to 15%.
A: Phone orders require a minimum of
$300 or more per order and can be shipped UPS as long as the order
is prepaid.
Q: If we have a store in Los Angeles do you deliver
the order?
A: If your order is over $3,000 we deliver
free within a 5 mile radius.
Q: What should I do if the order is smaller or if we
are located further than 5 miles away?
A: There are delivery services available
which charge from $60 to $150 in the Los Angeles area.
Q: Can you help find a trucking company to deliver for
me?
A: Yes, if you do not have your own trucker
our traffic department will help you find one.
Q: It is my first time in the USA. Can you help me book
my shipment?
A: Of course! Our staff will help you
from start to finish to prepare your order, arrange booking the
vessel, the transport of the container to the warehouse, loading
the container, and delivery to the harbor.
Q: Do you pay the freight charges?
A: No, the customer is responsible for
all freight charges, our selling price is FOB our docks in Los Angeles,
California.
Q: What should I do if I receive the merchandise broken
or damaged?
A: All shipments are inspected for damage
or breakage before shipment. However accidents happen in shipping.
Therefore at the time of receiving you should make a claim through
the shipping company. Make sure the driver makes a note on the bill
of lading before he leaves.
Q: Can we place an order and have it shipped?
A: Yes, we can prepare the order and
give it to the trucker of your choice.
Q: How does the trucker charge for freight?
A: All the freight charges are based
on the weight and volume of the order and different trucking companies
have different rates by weight. But in general we can say the bigger
the order the less it will be per pound for the freight charges.
Q: What are 20-foot or 40-foot container and how much
merchandise can be loaded on them?
A: On 40 feet container you can load
about 40,000 pounds of merchandise and if you load the container
with our merchandise it could add up to about $30,000, of course
it depends on what is to be loaded. 20-foot container is half of
40-foot container.
Q: If I get a full 40' feet container is the price cheaper?
A: It is considerably cheaper. If you
get 4,000 pound order to go to New York from Los Angeles, it may
cost you between 25% to 35% of the value in freight charges. But
if you ship 40,000 pounds in a full container the freight charges
may be from 5% to 8% depending on what kind of merchandise is shipped.
Q: But I do not know any truckers?
A: We do know lots of trucking companies,
We know which ones are more effective and competitive for the destination.
Q: Do you guarantee the trucking company?
A: No, we do not guarantee any trucking
or shipping company. We assist as a courtesy to our customers.
Q: How long would it take to receive the order?
A: Of course it depend in where the order
goes, if it is in Dallas for full container load, it takes one or
two days to prepare the order and two to three days on the road,
but if it is going to Chicago or New York may take 5 to 7 days.
A: Yes, A large part of our effort and
energy is dedicated to exports since we have customers all over
the world. Because of our volume buying power and our ability to
carry huge inventories of each item, we buy everything at very attractive
prices. This makes our prices very competitive and allows us to
not only sell to the US market but abroad as well.
Q: To what countries do you export?
A: We export all over the world, including
but not limited to: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru,
Ecuador, Chile, Panama, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela, Colombia,
Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Caribbean, Australia, China, the Philippines,
Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Africa, the Middle
East, France and Europe, Russia.
Q: Are there duties on your products?
A: Many of products are duty free. For
those that require duties, they are usually only 2% to 4%.
Q: Why should a distributor/exporter buy from Concord
Enterprises, Inc. instead of a direct manufacturer overseas?
A: Again, because of Concord Enterprise's
volume buying we can sell at a price most distributors cannot meet
and still remain profitable. There are many contingencies to be
considered when importing merchandise such as product variety, product
stability, consolidation, containerization, brokerage, and import
duties. Concord Enterprise's many years of experience (since 1982)
has given us the expertise to minimize the cost of these contingencies.
A: You need about $20.00 worth of merchandise
per square feet of your store. For example, if you have 1,000 square
feet you need about $20,000 and if you have 5,000 square feet you
need $100,000.
Q: What is a good neighborhood for opening a store:
low income, average income or high income?
A: We have seen dollar stores or general
merchandise stores in all kinds of neighborhoods.
Q: Targeting what ethnic group is better? (Korean, Spanish,
American, Chinese, others)
A: We have seen success in all areas.
Q: What is the most important factor for the success
of the store?
A: There are three factors Location,
Location, Location.
Q: Should the store be located in a shopping center
or residential area or where?
A: The store could be any place; there
is no guarantee which is better than the other. We wish there was
a better answer to this question. We have been looking for it since
1982!
Q: If my store is located next to a supermarket, is
that a good location?
A: Yes. Supermarkets usually advertise
weekly which draws many customers to the area. Their price for general
merchandise is usually higher than what you can sell Concord Enterprises,
Inc.'s products.
Q: Should the store be next to a chain store like Wall
Mart, K Mart, Target?
A: This is even better than supermarkets.
Usually these chains take a high mark up and they draw a lot of
customers to the center with their advertising.
Q: How big should the store be?
A: We have seen stores from 800 square
feet up to 30,000 square feet. It depends how much you would like
to invest in a store. Sometimes the effort to manage a 1,000 square
feet store would be the same as 3,000 square feet if you have the
availability of funds it may worth it to do the additional investment.
Q: How much money do I need for opening a store?
A: You need about $20.00 worth of merchandise
per square feet of your store. For example, if you have 1,000 square
feet you need about $20,000 and if you have 5,000 square feet you
need $100,000.
Q: What about fixtures, how much should I pay for them?
A: Some people buy new fixtures and some
buy used for a fraction of the cost, it is your personal preference
and the prices vary greatly.
Q: Do I need to have any permits?
A: You have to check with your local
city to see what the requirements are. Each city is different.
Q: How much in sales should I have after opening the
store?
A: This is a hard question. It depends
on so many factors like location, size of the store, line of merchandise,
advertising, management, and purchasing. We have seen stores sell
from $0.20 per square foot per day up to $1.00 per square foot per
day.
Q: What should be the average gross mark up?
A: We could say average gross mark up
could be from 35% to 70%.
Q: What percent is my net income?
A: This is another difficult question.
It depends on so many variables like; rent, personnel, utilities,
telephone, advertising, accounting, theft, hours and the days open.
Q: Should I mark everything same mark up?
A: No, some items could have 2% and some
items 600%; it depends on what the item is and how much you paid
for it. If you purchased low and you want to make money or you want
to make it promotional to get the customer in the store!
Q: For a dollar store, should I buy all the items between
$0.55 to $0.65?
A: No, buy items with different prices.
Some you could buy at $0.20 and sell for $0.99 and some you could
pay $0.90 and sell for $0.99. Also keep in mind that you should
not sell everything for $0.99. You can sell one item for a dollar
or sell two items for a dollar or even sell three items for a dollar.
Q: Do I need to have another warehouse for my store?
A: Usually you should have a back room
in the store to inventory some of your merchandise; it is not necessary
to have another warehouse.
Q: Is this business seasonal?
A: If you manage the store properly and
have the right mix of merchandise you will sell more in Christmas,
Back to School, Father's day, Mother's day, Halloween, etc. You
should take advantage of these seasons for additional income.
Q: Should I open my store if it is not ready and I do
not have enough merchandise?
A: This is a no-no. Your store should
be ready and full before you open. The best month and most important
month is your first month. In the first month usually you have the
highest sales and customers check out your store to see how it is.
Therefore, if you do not have enough merchandise you miss the sale
and the customer gets a bad impression and will not come back. That's
why most stores under construction cover their windows.
Q: Is it better to purchase daily, weekly or monthly?
A: Dollar stores are high volume you
always have to be in a purchasing mode but most store owners purchase
weekly.
Q: Can you supply 100 % of our needs for merchandise?
A: Yes, we can supply you 100 %, We have
enough merchandise and we will do a good job, which is what we have
been doing since 1982. Of course, you may find some deal or close
out here or there, but you can count on us for one stop shopping
everyday.
Q: Does one category of products sell faster than other
categories in a dollar store?
A: Yes, some categories sell faster than
other categories in dollar stores. The list by ranking is grocery
and canned foods, health and beauty, cleaners and detergents, toys,
stationery, housewares and plastics, kitchenware, hardware, gifts,
ceramics, etc.
A: Our 200 page catalog is in full color
printed on glossy paper and is an indication of the variety of products
we carry. It is organized in the different categories of general
merchandise, such as grocery, health and beauty aids, cleaners,
housewares, kitchenware, gadgets, tableware, hardware, toys, gifts,
paper products, Christmas items, hair care, hair accessories, etc.
The catalogs are printed often but since we receive and finish merchandise
daily, you may find items in it that are not in stock. We reserve
the right to change the prices and packing without prior notice.
The pictures are for illustration purposes only.
Q: Can I order the Concord Enterprises, Inc. catalog?
