There are deals absolutely everywhere. Every time you are out grocery shopping, or cruising the mall or town centre….
….you are walking by products that will make you money on Amazon
For some sellers, what stops them from making the most of the opportunity is not knowing how to really do Retail Arbitrage - and avoid wasting a LOT of time.
They compare the number of deals they can analyse with BuyBotPro for Online Arbitrage in a very short space of time, and without leaving their desk, and think that is all the matters….
….and it does matter, but there are more factors to consider that YOU could take advantage of
The fact that so many AREN’T doing this gives the ones that do a definite edge when it comes to finding those great Retail Arbitrage deals.
For the ones that do step out from the crowd, and have been successful, have likely found the methods that make it as – or more – effective than OA for them. They’ve discovered….
….how to REALLY do Retail Arbitrage.
What Are The Advantages Of Retail Arbitrage?
Arbitrage, in whatever context, is the simplest – and oldest – form of commerce. You buy something from one source and sell it for more to your customers.
For what can sound like a complex, jargonistic title, Retail Arbitrage is a very simple business model
Go to a store, buy something at a low price and then sell it on at a higher price. In this case, on Amazon – the biggest marketplace of them all.
Ok, the process is a little more multifaceted than that, but it is worth remembering that is all you are doing.
Similarly, Online Arbitrage is exactly the same basic model, but….
….there are some distinct advantages that adopters of RA will have over OA sellers
You’ll likely have heard this before, and possibly dismissed it as sellers gloating or over-exaggerating, but you really WILL find deals you won’t find online.
For one, a lot of retailers with bricks and mortar stores don’t list every product they have online – if they have a web presence at all!
You can find virtually ANY branded product online, but not all versions or bundles will be available online….
….not to mention pricing can be very different instore
The types of end of line product or limited availability stock stores might carry can often only be found there. You never know when you might come across the very last of a line ANYWHERE….
….the Retail Arbitrage holy grail!
The fact is you are going to find unique deals, or at least limited availability deals. This might be at a particularly low price….
….but equally, products that have very limited competition on Amazon
This is what appeals most to Retail Arbitrage sellers, and why they are NEVER off-duty when out shopping. If you are one of a few, or – in a lot of cases with end of line products – the only seller….
….you can set YOUR price at which to sell it.
Not being dictated to by other sellers. You control the listing
There are some practical reasons why sellers like RA over Online Arbitrage too.
Some online retailers put limits on how many items you can order, whereas instore this is an obstacle you are less likely to come up against.
They can also easily control what they purchase vs the space they have to store goods, but more significantly….
….the turnover time from purchase to being on sale in Amazon will be far shorter
If you have limited space in which to operate your Amazon business then this is will be appealing.
Say you’ve been out to do your weekly grocery shop on a Tuesday morning and spotted some hand soap on offer that you discover will make great profit on Amazon. You get it home, list it, prep it, box it up and drop it at your local UPS drop-off point in the afternoon….
….it could be being sold the very next day, not 24 hours after you’ve purchased it
No waiting for an online retailer to process your order, ship it and perhaps receive it the following day if you happen to be in.
Amazon can be quite dynamic the way pricing changes – Retail Arbitrage sellers get a distinct advantage as they can have it in customers hands within a day or two of sourcing it….
….even quicker if they are a Manual Fulfilment seller!
Where Do I Find Deals?
As we’ve said, anywhere!
Much like online retailers virtually every store will have sales and clearance sections, or just an offer for that day.
Physical stores are more likely to have the REALLY low prices as they have limited shelf space
And, when we say anywhere, we mean anywhere. Stores in malls, city centre shops, local stores, petrol stations….
….anywhere that sells branded goods is a potential source for great deals.
The big stores that have outlets in every town and city will still have deals specific to them, and even the generic store offers will only reach sellers who actually bother to do Retail Arbitrage….
….when was the last time you went to a store and saw anyone buying a bulk load of products?
You will be in a small minority of sellers who do RA so competition will STILL be lower than for most Online Arbitrage deals – they are out there on the public domain after all.
If you are shopping around in independent, local or niche stores then the opportunity to find deals unique to you increase enormously.
Whilst not totally unusual in the mega chain stores, you are also MUCH more likely to be able to strike up a rapport with shop owners and managers….
….and handled right, this could virtually automate some of the best deals you’ll find
It is fairly common to hear of Retail Arbitrage sellers having built up a relationship with stores and becoming their go-to when there is stock that needs shifting.
Smaller stores, or those with lower footfall, will have limited space and potentially slower turnover of stock. You could be doing them a huge favour.
With limited shelf and storeroom space, retailers will be keen to make space for new lines
If you come along and are offering to buy some of their dead stock in one go you are removing a big headache for some retailers.
Be honest, tell them what you are doing if they ask, and give them your contact details….
….it could be the start of a beautiful, very mutually beneficial, relationship
It’s also worth taking into consideration where NOT to try and find deals. Amazon have strict guidelines when it comes to authenticity so, at the very least, you will need a legitimate printed receipt from a recognised store.
Buying a crate of flowerpots from a market stall, or a box of unopened plush toys from a garage sale just won’t cut it.
Regardless of the model you use – OA or RA – the same rules apply so stick to stores that will give you a proper receipt for your purchases.
How Do I Know If A Deal Is A Deal In Store?
Ah, the nuts and bolts of actually doing Retail Arbitrage….how to analyse a deal in store.
This was what turned a lot of sellers away from RA - the time it would take to ascertain how good a deal might be….
….and a lack of really accurate analysis without making on-the-spot manual calculations
The Amazon Seller App is free - and always has been - but it is a little clunky to use and doesn’t provide much in the way of analytical data.
What BuyBotGo delivers can’t be compared to the Amazon Seller app – they are two very different tools
Looking at the results BuyBotGo delivers alongside what the Amazon Seller App provides is like comparing apples and oranges.
Only one of the two is providing enough information for sellers to make INFORMED decisions
Both allow sellers to scan a barcode and see if that product has a listing on Amazon, what it currently sells for and calculate profitability – well, only one does this automatically.
BuyBotGo has all the power that BuyBotPro offers when sourcing Online Arbitrage deals but in your pocket wherever you go.
The assumption many sellers might make is that a super-low price instore means it’ll make profit on Amazon….
….even the Amazon Seller App will give some indication of whether this is the case.
Nowadays this isn’t enough information to decide if a deal is a deal
Just because at that one moment you could find profit in it using the Amazon Seller app, even if you’ve calculated your tax liability correctly, doesn’t make it a deal.
The BuyBotGo app was built so that Retail Arbitrage sellers could get the same level of analysis that OA sellers do whilst in store, wherever they may be.
Much like BuyBotPro, the app is still having features added to it, but is already a fully functioning in-hand deal analyser….
….and is helping Amazon sellers really make Retail Arbitrage work for them
All of the big-hitting BuyBotPro features are included; IP Radar, Confidence Score, Eligibility Estimated Sales….
….but the Charts and Analysis tabs are really what make this an elite tool when stacked up against the Amazon Seller App.
Zoom in and out of the Charts to dial into some of the minutiae of any listing’s history
The history and competition analysis of a listing tell far more than the snapshot Amazon offer.
This the information that really successful sellers use to establish a profitable long-term business
In fact, for many, the Charts in the app are slightly better than in the desktop version. The developers have harnessed the touch screen ability of devices with it to allow really dialled in analysis of the Charts.
BuyBotGo, bearing in mind it is a free tool with a BuyBotPro subscription, has become the most significant reason for many sellers to revisit – or even just start – Retail Arbitrage.
Full deal analysis on the go is NOT to be sniffed at.
BuyBotGo Keeps Your Sourcing Organised
None of the Amazon seller tools in the BuyBotPro stable serve only one function. It’s that one-dimensional thinking amongst what was out there at the time that created the inspiration for Matt and the team to develop them in the first place.
BuyBotGo has one specific main function….but it’s features still fulfil several other roles
Whilst most sellers will use it purely to scan and analyse in-store, it can easily get out of hand!
The history tab has a couple of beneficial uses, but is most handy when you are standing in front of a packed shelf of goods or clearance section and want to revisit exactly what you’ve analysed.
You’ll see all the products you’ve scanned – and in the chronological order you did it – so having to remember what you’ve already analysed and how they performed is simple.
The History tab is also popular with Online Arbitrage sellers….
….it syncs with the main BuyBotPro panel too so any user can access ANY listing they have analysed ANYWHERE.
This is proving useful if they are tracking recently searched for products, but the really mobile – and shrewd – OA sellers are using it to analyse their inventory on the go too.
Search for any listing you have previously analysed – on BuyBotGo or BuyBotPro
Search in the History tab and you’ll be able to access any listing you’ve searched for, which will of course include those in your inventory.
If time is precious, BuyBotGo is a convenient way to analyse current inventory
Regular inventory maintenance is good practise, even if one of the more laborious tasks to undertake. Use that dead time on trains, buses, sitting in waiting rooms – effective time management can be a real game-changer….
….especially for side hustles and online businesses!
RA Vs OA – Who Wins?
There are arguments for both. Retail Arbitrage often produces prices – and products – you just won’t find online.
With Online Arbitrage you can cover a lot of retailers and their inventory in a short space of time using some of the BuyBotPro tools.
The real winners are sellers who can harness both and source both ways for their business
The thing that prevents sellers from doing both is often routine – or habits. Most sellers are doing Online Arbitrage….
….it is considered easier, or more conducive to finding products from a range of sources in a shorter amount of time with the right tools.
Some of the tools BuyBotPro users get access to make online sourcing much faster
And you won’t get too much argument from us there. It can really deliver great results and you really can quickly scour a lot of retailers with the Manual Sourcing Accelerator, but….
….a business that sits still – as all business owners should know – is one that moves backwards
Yes, Online Arbitrage is likely working well for those who have found the routine and methods that work for them. The nature of it is that they will be mixing it up with the retailers they source from and the tools they use….
….but Retail Arbitrage opens a lot of doors they won’t find online.
There’s an obvious familiarity to the features on the app and desktop versions, making it seamless to transition into RA
The two Amazon reseller models aren’t mutually exclusive.
The advent of BuyBotGo is what inspired a lot of online-only sellers to return to RA
By marrying the power of Online Arbitrage and the profit potential of Retail Arbitrage the cornerstone of a GREAT business can be built.
It only requires committing a few minutes whilst out shopping or visiting the mall, or a detour when out for a walk, and you could be knee-deep in stock at prices you would never find online.
Don’t limit yourself to ONE way of doing things – you have the tools to diversify right in your pocket!
Retail Arbitrage has already made a comeback. It lost a little of its shine in some marketplaces thanks to the fallout of the events of 2020, but there is little-to-no excuse not to be making it part of your business now.
The times when sellers would need to spend hours hovering from aisle-to-aisle are long gone….
….if they have the right tools in hand.
The purpose of BuyBotGo was – and is – just that. Reduce the amount of time sellers need to spend in stores by scanning and generating instant deal analysis.
There is still some leg-work to do, but now RA can be done EFFECTIVELY in far less time than in the past.
The RA model is simple….now finding great deals and saving time is just as simple
If it’s not in your armoury now, just fire up BuyBotGo next time you are out and near some retail stores….
….you’ll soon get hooked!
If this has piqued your interest in Retail Arbitrage, or you want to level-up your RA game, check out some of our other articles and videos:
BuyBotGo’s 5 Best Features: Fill Your Shopping Cart With Great Deals
Retail Arbitrage Mobile App: Scan The Barcode Of ANY Product And Get Real-Time Analysis