If you’re a home stager, you are always looking for means to save money and get the most value for your business.
What are the top reasons stagers are buying their inventory wholesale? And what about the naysayers? Why are they holding back?
In this blog, we’ll explore the top reasons why home stagers are buying wholesale, and dispel some myths that keep others from making the switch.
Let’s dive right in:
Buying Inventory Wholesale Will Save Money on a Stagers Bottom Line
The first and most apparent reason stagers buy inventory wholesale is to save money on their bottom line. By purchasing products in bulk, they can get a significant discount on the price per piece on furniture and accessories.
This could be a considerable savings, especially for stagers starting their business or on a tight budget. By buying products from a wholesale supplier, they can get the products they need at a fraction of the cost.
TIP: Join the RESA Buying Group to get exclusive discounts and offers from some of the industry’s most trusted furniture, accessories, and art vendors. This is an added benefit for all active RESA members, let’s take advantage of our buying power as a group!
For Consistency in Style Buying Wholesale Saves Time
Staging a home for sale requires consistency. Home stagers want to create a look and feel that’s polished and professional, which means using complementing furniture, accessories, and decor throughout the house.
That’s where buying wholesale comes in. When you buy your home staging inventory from a trusted source, you can be sure that everything will go together and create a branded look.
What do I mean by branded look? When it comes to home staging, many veteran stagers find it essential to be consistent with their style. They prefer to use the same pieces of furniture and accessories, so that when one of their staged properties goes on the market, agents recognize their staging style.
Award winning home stager and Founder of OnStage, Todd McAllister, shares why thinking about your brand and consistency is key when buying wholesale:
“Curating a brand with your inventory helps set the expectation from the start… you get what you see on our website.”
To Get Access to Unique Pieces
There’s no doubt that stagers need to have a unique style if they want to be successful. And one of the best ways to access unique pieces is by buying wholesale.
To Avoid the Hassle of Shopping Around
When you’re in the business of staging homes, it pays to rely on a consistent style that has proven to work. This is why many stagers choose to buy wholesale, so they can have a steady stream of inventory that is always in line with their brand.
Say goodbye to spending hours shopping for inventory by walking the aisles (with multiple carts) and hoping to find multiple matching pillows for your upcoming stage. When shopping wholesale, most stagers just email their appointed rep a list of items they are looking for and wait for the invoice. The majority of our RESA Buying Group Partners also have an online ordering system, so you can literally shop from the comfort of your own bed at your leisure.
If you are the type of shopper who wants to see the items in person before you are ready to purchase, check out the furniture markets to see what wholesale vendors have showrooms and if the items you want to see are available to look at. We’ve got a list of all our RBG Partners and where their showrooms are at. When you join, you get access to this.
Not only does the ease of shopping wholesale save stagers time and money, but it also eliminates the hassle of shopping for different pieces at local stores each time they need to replace something from their staging inventory.
Ryan Marsh, who serves on the RESA National Board of Directors recommends that home stagers “always have a buying plan” before they plan on shopping. That means knowing your numbers, and what you can budget for.
Why Some Stagers Hold Back
There are a few reasons why some stagers might be hesitant to buy wholesale. Maybe they don’t have the space to store inventory or are unsure how to finance a purchase. But the main reason seems to be a lack of confidence—they’re uncertain if they can make the same profit by buying wholesale.
This is understandable, but it’s important to remember that buying wholesale is about volume. The more items you purchase, the more money you save. So, even if you don’t make as much profit on each piece, you’ll still be saving money in the long run. (The RESA Buying Group may help you reduce the minimum order when shopping with RBG Partners)
Another reason home stagers may hold back is because of financing.
If you need to shop for inventory wholesale for upcoming jobs, but do not have money in the bank to make a large purchase at once, you may want to consider financing your inventory through a RESA trusted partner such as R&R Financial.
Ryan Marsh, President of OnStage says financing your inventory through R&R Financial is “smart debt” and will usually come with less interest than a credit card. BONUS: you can even finance the freight most of the time.
During a RESACON session on how stagers can scale their business through wholesale Ryan also shared,
“The return on investment (When buying wholesale) is substantially higher than the cost.”
Learn more about how you can finance staging inventory here.
Buying wholesale allows you to source your favorite staging pieces when you are ready to replenish your inventory, and saves you money when doing so!
However, some stagers are hesitant to buy wholesale because they don’t have enough space for inventory or are unsure how to finance the purchase. If this is you, don’t worry – there are plenty of ways to buy wholesale without breaking the bank.
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