Private-label Products

In fact, if you’re a small cataloger (e.g., $5 million to $10 million in sales), you may have trouble getting into private label. “You may not have the clout or the volume to establish the vendor relationships you’ll need,” explains Schmid.

Scott admits that the minimum-order quandary surfaces periodically. “You can find yourself ordering a lot more than you might need for a season.” Scott says she is looking at different ways of dealing with the problem. For example, the company Web site has played a large role in helping it sell overstocks.