Top 101 Stores For Retail Arbitrage Sourcing

The top stores for retail arbitrage sourcing are:

• thrift stores
• dollar stores
• liquidation stores
• discount retailers
• specialty stores

In my 3 years as an Amazon FBA seller, knowing where to buy is one of the most important factors to succeed in retail arbitrage. You want to find profitable products to resell online. 

Generally, retail arbitrage business owners buy during clearance sales. Their goal is to find products they can resell for a higher price. Of course, this also involves researching market trends and “a whole lotta luck.” According to Reddit user Sandygary4u, she found N’Sync and AC/DC Funko Pop sets sold at $10 on clearance. She was able to sell them at $125 per piece during the Christmas season.

That said, you need to have several store options in your area. You also need to develop an efficient system for product sourcing. Otherwise, you will end up wasting time and spending expensively on gas as you drive around looking for items in the wrong stores. If you can’t find new fast-selling products to replenish your inventory, your business will suffer from monthly overhead costs like storage fees, software subscriptions, and VA salaries. For example, Amazon’s storage fee typically ranges from $0.75 to $2.40 per cubic foot, depending on the time of year. This can quickly add up if inventory turnover is slow.

In comparison, you won’t have to visit physical stores or worry about inventory if you’re doing local lead generation. This business model can be an excellent alternative since it’s low risk and highly scalable. Plus, lead gen is the easiest way to potentially generate passive income on the internet.

Top Stores for Retail Arbitrage Sourcing - Thrift Shops

1. Salvation Army
2. Goodwill
3. Stuff
4. ReSource
5. Value Village
6. St. Vincent De Paul
7. Savers
8. Mom-and-Pop Thrift Stores

One of the best stores for retail arbitrage sourcing is the Salvation Army. Being a non-profit, the Salvation Army sets low prices. This means there’s a significant chance you can find great deals. According to a report by Thrift Store Flipper, items purchased from the Salvation Army can have profit margins ranging from 50% to 200%, depending on the product category.

Other non-profit thrift stores like Goodwill, Stuff, ReSource, and Value Village can also have great bargains. In addition, mom-and-pop thrift stores make excellent sources because they are less popular and fewer resellers raid these locations.

Remember to negotiate when you are buying in bulk. Also, try to befriend the manager and staff members. If possible, ask for their numbers so you can call ahead and get updates if they have new stocks in their stores.

Of course, the downside of buying from thrift stores is there’s a lot of junk. So you need to develop an eye for finding profitable deals. Make sure what you buy is in good condition and still has good packaging. According to Thrift Diving, only about 20% of items in thrift stores are in resellable condition. So careful selection is crucial. Items with original packaging can sell for up to 50% more than those without, according to an eBay Seller Central report.

Top Stores for Retail Arbitrage Sourcing - Dollar Stores

9. 99 Cents Only Stores
10. Dollar General
11. Dollar Tree
12. Family Dollar
13. Five Below

According to Retail Arbitrage Pro, 72% of resellers find dollar stores to be a reliable source for high-margin products. Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Five Below are some of the best dollar stores for retail arbitrage. However, be careful not to buy gated items. Make sure you know your categories and work to get ungated in others, so you can expand your business. For example, it can be tempting to buy cheap Lego sets in these shops. If you’re just starting out, you are definitely gated in that product category.

Also, take note that different stores have different specialties. You want to know where to get discounted product items, so you can visit the same stores again. Case in point, Dollar Tree is known for seasonal items and party supplies. Meanwhile, Five Below specializes in trendy and tech-related products. That said, you want to know where to get discounted products, so you can visit the same stores again. A Thrifty Reseller study says that 65% of successful resellers have a list of go-to stores where they consistently find profitable items.

Top Stores for Retail Arbitrage Sourcing - Liquidation Stores

14. QuickLotz

15. Bulq

16. Liquidation.com

17. BStock

18. Mid Tenn Wholesale

19. Merchandize Liquidators

20. Amlinc

21. Genco Marketplace

22. Viatrading

23. 888Lots

24. Direct Liquidation

25. Continental Wholesale

26. BlueLots Liquidation

Liquidation stores are an excellent source of discounted products for your retail arbitrage business. Liquidation.com reports that resellers can achieve profit margins of 30% to 70% on items sourced from liquidation stores.

Some liquidation stores even offer entire pallets for buyers while others do auctions. That said, be wary of Amazon liquidation pallets. These are items that didn’t sell on Amazon, so make sure you know your category.

Top Stores for Retail Arbitrage Sourcing - Big Box Stores

27. Bargain Hunt

28. Bi-Mart

29. Big Lots

30. BJ’s Wholesale Club

31. BrandsMart U.S.A

32. Cost Plus World Market

33. Costco

34. Dillard’s Clearance Center

35. DD’s Discounts

36. Macy’s Backstage

37. Continental Wholesale

38. Marden’s

39. Marshalls

40. Meijer

41. National Wholesale Liquidators

42. Nordstrom Rack

43. Ocean State Job Lot

44. Office Depot

45. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet

46. Roses Discount Stores

47. Ross Stores

48. Saks Off 5th

49. Sam’s Club

50. Shoppers World

51. Target

52. TJ Maxx

53. Tuesday Morning

54. United Apparel Liquidators

55. Walmart

The most popular stores for retail arbitrage sourcing are big box stores. In fact, a RetailMeNot survey says 78% of Amazon resellers source products from these retailers because of their clearance sections.

Checking out these sources can help you save time. As an arbitrage seller, you can cover a lot of categories with just a few visits.

Top Stores for Retail Arbitrage Sourcing - Malls & Specialty Stores

Malls are not your usual stops for retail arbitrage sourcing. Still, the good thing with malls and outlet malls is you can find different specialty stores that you normally wouldn’t see as you drive around your city. You get to check out multiple stores on one trip.

Specialty stores are great, especially when you already know your category and want to avoid general retailers. You just need to go straight to specific stores in your category and enjoy their wide selection of products.

Health & Beauty

56. Albertsons

57. Bath and Body Works

58. CVS

59. Drugstore.com

60. GNC

61. Kroger

62. Rite Aid

63. Sally Beauty Supply

64. Sephora

65. Ulta

66. Vita Cost

67. The Vitamin Shoppe

68. Vitamin World

69. Walgreens

Home

70. Ace Hardware

71. Bealls Outlet

72. Best Buy

73. Bed Bath & Beyond

74. Christmas Tree Shops

75. Hobby Lobby

76. Home Depot

77. Lowe’s

78. Menard’s

79. True Value

Shoes & Clothing

80. 6PM.com
81. Finish Line
82. JC Penney
83. Old Navy
84. Kohl’s

Sporting Goods

85. Academy Sports + Outdoors

86. Bass Pro Shop

87. Campmor

88. Dick’s Sporting Goods

89. Dungarees.Net

90. MooseJaw

91. REI

92. Sierra Trading Post

Toys

93. Build-A-Bear

94. Disney Store

95. Fisher-Price

96. Hasbro Toys

97. Lego

98. Mattel
      99. Steiff

99. TV’s Toy Box

100. Vermont Teddy Bear

What Are The Top Amazon Retail Arbitrage Items for Beginners?

Some of the top Amazon retail arbitrage items for beginners are:

 Home and kitchen: bedding sheets, pillowcases, paper towels, humidifier, wall decor posters
 Beauty and personal care: scalp and hair-strengthening oil, nail polish, perfumes, make-up remover
 Clothing, shoes, and jewelry: Crocs, jewelry cleaner, bodysuit, hoodies
Toys and games: playing cards, board games, puzzles, stuffed toys
 Sports and outdoor: dumbbell, water bottle, tumbler, yoga mat, gym accessories

 Pet supplies: poop bags, cat and dog food, puppy pee pads, animal odor control

In general, the best retail arbitrage products to buy will vary per store. Also, take note of market changes and adapt to them as needed. As Jungle Scout reports, 65% of successful Amazon sellers regularly update their sourcing strategies, depending on market trends and demands.

Is Amazon Retail Arbitrage Profitable?

Amazon retail arbitrage can be profitable for sellers who can find unique, best-selling products. On average, the profit margin for retail arbitrage is around 15% to 30%. Business owners generally earn $500 to $5,000 per month, while some successful sellers make way more.

For example, Nikki Kirk shares in a YouTube video that she made $2,000 profit in a single day doing Amazon retail arbitrage. According to her, she sourced products from Walmart and other Oklahoma-based stores.

Why Local Lead Generation Wins Over Retail Arbitrage

While doing retail arbitrage is still profitable, you have to deal with certain challenges to make it work. To begin with, the business model heavily relies on clearance sales from physical stores. If you don’t have the time to check out multiple local retailers often, you will miss out on potential earnings.

Also, retail arbitrage means you don’t have full control over the products you can offer online. You are essentially a reseller of branded items, plus you can’t really tell if you can still buy the same products on your store visits. Some retailers run out of stock while some manufacturers suddenly discontinue certain products. Price increase may also affect your profit margins, especially since you’re selling in a competitive marketplace like Amazon.

Considering all that, local lead generation is a more superior online business. After building and ranking your own business websites, you can earn anywhere from $500 to $3,000 per month. You can even multiply your revenue by scaling up and building several websites.

As a lead gen provider, you are in total control of your operations. You can’t get suspended by Amazon, plus you don’t have to rely on retailers for your product inventory. Instead, you own prime digital real estate that you can rent out to small business owners for maximum profit and passive earnings. Personally, I make up to $52,000 per month providing leads and teaching a coaching program.