Why Seasonal Pre-Ordering Boosts Your Gel Profit Margin

As a nail salon owner or online gel seller, you understand all too well the struggles of business, where margins are thin. Raw material, shipping and storage costs, and before you actually receive your first bottle of sale your profits seem to be shrinking. One clever marketing strategy that business owners don't think about is seasonally pre-orders, though. As simple as it sounds, it can be a world of difference when it comes to cash flow and inventory management. We have been working with salons and e-commerce partners from the USA, Italy, Brazil and many other countries at MANNFl. Those who plan for the seasons almost always are the ones getting a good night's sleep.

Why Buying Early Saves You More Than Money

Explain why it is advantageous to buy early before money.
For most, pre-ordering is simply a means of getting a discount. Certainly a part of that. But the true value lies in making a decision which means not ordering the last minute or rushing the decision. Any freight during peak season will be paid at premium prices. Sometimes, since your supplier may not have the items you ordered, you have to order from more than one supplier. This will be a substantial one-off reduction in your margins that will rapidly happen. Orders placed in advance via MANNFl will not only ensure you a better price on your order but will also ensure that a portion of your production will be available that can be produced in advance of the busy time. Giving us a 2,000 m² sterile workshop to work on, we know that we can operate more efficiently when we know production needs in advance. This efficiency directly means costs savings for you.

How Pre-Ordering Helps You Plan Your Best Collections

The other nifty side benefit of pre-ordering is that you have to create your product mix creatively. Don't have to buy the same colors as in the previous year – can look ahead and anticipate seasonal color trends. Consider spring pastels, summer neons, fall earth tones and winter glitters. Pre-ordering enables you to think through a range and develop a message. This well packaged stuff is much more effective in selling than random bottles thrown together. The experience of our MANNFl team is more than 13 years in high end R&D and color mixing. It's constantly new fashion gel polishes being created, and the first to get the news of it are our pre-order partners. It simply means that you're not chasing trends. You are being a leader, in your local market.

Reducing Waste and Freeing Up Cash

A small business owner's worst nightmare is to see products languishing on the shelf for six months. Money that is not used is dead money. Although gel polish will hold up for awhile, trends change. The hot coral colour of the previous summer might not be as much in demand in December. The answer to this is seasonal pre-ordering, which ensures that there is a stock that is in sync with customer demand. You're selling what you know you'll be selling over the next few weeks/months. No guessing. No overstock. In addition, as you're placing an order ahead of time, you may be able to get better terms from your supplier. Pre-ordering is an excellent way for MANNFl to keep people happy and “fresh” with new and exciting products that will help them keep their cash flow and stay loyal.  

Building Excitement and Loyalty with Your Own Customers

This is where human comes in. Pre-ordering doesn't have to be a business approach only. It could also be a sell opportunity for your brand. You build anticipation by saying you've got a new season's collection of gels, and it's now for preorder. Your customers know that you value them by being the first to have access. Consider even offering a little more, like a free top coat or even limited edition color. This builds a loyal customer base, which eagerly awaits your seasonal sales. And your most profitable customers are loyal customers. They return, they return. It has been successful for our partners at Taobao, Amazon and even for small shops at Instagram. Just a little extra effort can make a lot of difference.

The upside to seasonal pre-ordering is that it gives the confidence that is taking a shot at the dark. Plan better, spend less, and waste less and build better relationships with your customers. Not pushy or salesy. It's about the clever way of using resources. We would love to assist you to make your next season's outfits at MANNFl. From providing ODM or OEM customisation, to just an idea on what colours will be successful this spring or autumn season, we're ready to help. Please be free to come to our factory in Yiwu. Be in the same garden, shoot by season.