The recent wave of retailer closings has focused a lot of attention on the liquidation industry. Liquidators have become an important part of the inventory management cycle for many prominent retailers and are increasingly using vacant spaces in shopping centers to host pop-up sales and move excess inventory.
AMS Liquidation
Asset Management & Sales, LLC (AMS) operates several outlet stores and conducts traveling liquidation events. AMS partners with retailers to offer great merchandise at low prices. They currently operate Disney Character's Warehouse Outlet Stores at several shopping centers on the West coast.
Liquid Events, LP produces great sales events that cater to successful catalog companies, fashions, and lifestyle businesses including Red Envelope, Diesel and Fresh Produce. Liquid Events launched their first outlet location last year which offers brand name merchandise at up to 90% off retail.
While the recession has caused many to cut back on fashion purchases, billions of dollars are spent annually on "affordable luxuries" like beauty care products and services. Services such as eyebrows waxing, teeth whitening, and even henna tattoos can happen without ever leaving the center of the mall.
Shapes Brow Bar
Shapes Brow Bar has grown from a street front store in Chicago to a global leader in brow shaping and other ethnic beauty treatments. They currently have more than 50 locations and serve over 500,000 clients with plans to expand to locations throughout the U.S.
Private Label Products manufactures a spa-grade line of lotions, oils, soaps and shampoos. They offer merchants the ability to package and sell their own custom branded product line.
A new form of vending is taking space in shopping centers and offering popular brands a cost-efficient alternative to staffing a cart. ZoomSystems (zoomsystems.com) retail stores can be found in over 700 airports, malls and stores internationally. Proactive and Rosetta Stone are two examples of this trend.
Proactiv
Vanessa Williams and Jessica Simpson are among the celebrities who have endorsed this popular skin care product. For many years, Proactiv used cart space in malls to make their products more accessible to consumers. They are now using interactive vending machines.
Rosetta Stone is promoted as the number one language learning software and "the fastest way to learn a language. Guaranteed." Instead of using the traditional cart program, the vending machines offer an interactive touch screen which allows consumers to try the product before they make a purchase.
