Curious to know what happens with stock when store closes

[brians34]

My wife and I are thinking of opening a small hobby shop. We have been buying some supplies a little at a time and have literally filled a couple of rooms and are getting ready to start looking for a location.

After looking at those two rooms a few days ago, I started wondering what businesses do with all the left over stock when they shut down. Anyone know?

I know they'd have a big clearance sell, but what do they do with the merchandise left when doors close for good?

[Pack-Secure]

Many will sell the stock to liquidators.

[dereksbicycles]

Drop them off at a local auction place and let them sell them for you.

[Wozcreative]

Donate to a school, hospital or whatever guv/charity might use it.

[Harold Mansfield]

Yep pretty much all of the above. Have you ever seen those traveling close out sales where they take over a building for a weekend and advertise crazy deals like $10 Nike's and $30 car stereos? That's where they get that stuff. Discontinued products, closed business and factories, and of course a smattering of Chinese knock offs sprinkled throughout.

They buy from liquidators who go in and buy from closed businesses for pennies on the dollar. I'm sure every city has at least one liquidator like that, that is open to the public.

Here, the hotels get new furniture and stuff every 2 years or so and they either sell through a local liquidator, or in the case of a closing like most recently The Sahara, they announce that they are selling it themselves and everyone flocks there to buy up memorabilia. It's actually cool. You can buy anything from furniture and electronics, to gaming tables.

[billbenson]

Yep pretty much all of the above. Have you ever seen those traveling close out sales where they take over a building for a weekend and advertise crazy deals like $10 Nike's and $30 car stereos? That's where they get that stuff. Discontinued products, closed business and factories, and of course a smattering of Chinese knocks sprinkled throughout.

They buy from liquidators who go in and buy from closed businesses for pennies on the dollar. I'm sure every city has at least one liquidator like that, that is open to the public.

Here, the hotels get new furniture and stuff every 2 years or so and they either sell through a local liquidator, or in the case of a closing like most recently The Sahara, they announce that they are selling it themselves and everyone flocks there to buy up memorabilia. It's actually cool. You can buy anything from furniture and electronics, to gaming tables.

Will liquidators sell just one piece of say furniture to the general public?

[Harold Mansfield]

Will liquidators sell just one piece of say furniture to the general public?
Of course. The ones I know of operate just like regular stores, open to the general public. The one I'm thinking about is called "Hotel Furniture Liquidators".

I'm sure there are B2B outfits as well where you can buy whole lots of stuff.
There's also a local one for office furniture that is the same way. Used stuff from closed business or business that have upgraded.

I'm sure there has to be simular businesses in most major cities.