After Bill McIvor bought a motorhome five years ago, he had a hard time finding RV accessories online at a good price. So he did what entrepreneurs do; he started a business to fill the need.
McIvor already had experience selling computer software online, so he had the expertise to launch RVToyOutlet.com to sell RV accessories online at discount prices.
“We got a good reception from the start,” McIvor said, and even during the current economic slowdown, business has grown. “We’ve been on the upswing the last couple of years,” he said.
On its website, the company summarizes its business model this way: “RVToyOutlet.com purchases products in huge lots and sells them dirt-cheap.”
The company acquires products from manufacturers and distributors at closeout sales and even auctions. It also actively seeks out new products, and it searches for products that have appeal to RVers, but haven’t been marketed to them.
Increasingly, RVToyOutlet.com is developing its own brands, working directly with suppliers to import products from China in 40-foot containers. McIvor said his company tests products and makes improvements as part of the manufacturing process. “We make sure the quality is there,” he said.
By buying in bulk, the company can offer bargains to its retail customers, and also distribute merchandise to dealers at attractive prices.
Top sellers currently are RV patio mats, backup cameras, RV covers and folding bikes. The company sells a full range of outdoor products, including camping gear, barbecue grills, hitching and towing products, RV shades and screens, and jacks and leveling devices.
RVToyOutlet.com and its sister computer software company occupy a 12,000-square-foot distribution center with 17 employees in Santa Ana, California.
For information about its products, visit rvtoyoutlet.com.
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