Get Rid of Inventory with Mystery Bags

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Mystery bags are a collection of items unknown to the buyer, also referred to as grab bags. It is advertised as retail value while the mystery of what will be curated remains. Customers may get nostalgic thinking about their visits to Dollar Tree as a kid picking out their $1 mystery treat bag. Okay, maybe that's just me.

Nonetheless, mystery bags provide a fun shopping experience for the buyer and a great way to destash for you.

 

Inventory

The beauty of mystery bags is allowing you to purge items you may have not otherwise sold. The goods you have in inventory are just what the IRS considers that as well, inventory which is not tax-deductible :( Look at the top and bottom of Schedule C to find the Starting and Ending Inventory boxes. Not only did you spend your hard-earned money on those supplies, but now you won't be able to write it off... until it becomes COGS (cost of goods sold). Mystery bags can help you do just that. 

👀 Read more about Inventory and COGS by reading this blog by Janet with Paper + Spark.

 

Advertising your offer

Queen B Graphics & Design offers mystery bag graphics in the majority of her Tee Party & Basic Party collections. Mystery bags are not limited to use only in Tee Parties but allow for a diverse offer in your VIP groups as well. Take the premade mystery bag graphic or customize your own with a blank. Post to your VIP Group or Tee Party.

Two ways to execute depending on your POS (Point Of Sales) system are below:

  • INVOICE

    "Who doesn't love surprises?! No two bags are alike. Every bag will come with at least one tee and various other goodies. To claim yours, comment below with "bag amount, size & your least favorite color." 

    I love capturing their least favorite color, so I have a better chance of knowing they won't hate their purchase. I prefer knowing their least favorite color versus their favorite color due to the options it provides me. If you ask their favorite color, they may assume that will be the focus of the mystery bag. 

    *Tell your customers only one bag can be claimed if you want to up the ante.*

    • SHOPIFY LISTING

      "Who doesn't love surprises?! No two bags are alike. Every bag will come with at least one tee and various other goodies. Select your mystery bag & size. If you'd like., leave your least favorite color in the box on the cart page before checking out."

      Want help building your Shopify listing? Click here to get my template.

      Fulfilling the order

      As mentioned earlier, you can use items already at your disposal or order themed items to tie the contents together. I recommend having a larger item in the mystery bag, such as a tee or tumbler, whatever your staple product is. The amount purchased should equal the retail value of the box. Throw in a few extra goodies to make the deal that much sweeter. 

      If there are items you have had online for months that wouldn't sell, or you have posted about it multiple times in your group with no bites, it may be better to destash that item than use it in a mystery bag. You don't want your mystery bags to become junk in the mail, but instead, a bag curated with care!

      Add a handwritten note to the order to encourage them to post their bag contents to your group. Word of mouth can do wonders for your small business. If others see that your mystery bags are something they can't miss out on, it will encourage more to buy!

       

      So what

      Mystery bags are potentially fun for the customer to treat themselves, and you can also market the mystery bags as a gift. Offer to remove any business branding and send it directly to their loved ones in the mail (drop shipping for your customer). 

      All in all, mystery bags enable you to turn inventory into COGS... magic!

      ➡️ Do you offer mystery bags in your small business?

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