I've ordered twice from MVS and have been very pleased.
My constructive feedback?
1. On my iphone, using standard webpage, I have trouble selecting links on the drag down menus and must open in another tab to get them to open.
2. Have Cuttwood juice
3. You have a great template going right now but I look forward to you being even better so increase selection please.
4. Have preorder for items. My example is, as of today I want to be on pre-order for the istick 50watt but don't want to start shopping at other online shops that have pre-order.
5. If you get out of stock items back in stock fast, be smarter about out of stock items. Out of stock items need to say estimated restock date so we won't be tempted to shop elsewhere if we can wait a week or so for our item. In addition, out of stock items should have an option to auto order when MVS gets it in stock, kind of like the pre-order function, so that when we items and have one or two items we put in cart are out of stock they can be auto ordered (basically we pre-authorize you to charge our card) when they come back into stock. These fuctions should happen automatically with mixed instock/outof stock items so we do not have to make a separate invoice. If we have to make separte backorder invoices/carts ourselves we will more likely go to other sites who have it in stock.
6. Game changing internet purchasing idea: Taking ideas from #5, further this and offer immediate 5% discount on all backordered items. I do not see anyone doing this online but there is much logic behind the idea.
For one; this will entise customers to backorder from you instead of going to other online retailers, two; you can afford the discount as no inventory stocking expenses are incured (unsold capital sitting in inventory is deadly for any business) and three; by promoting pre-authorized backorders, you can better track real demand and adust your minimum inventory numbers for your just-in-time inventory system attempts. That last part is important as ordering high amounts of inventory and "seeing if it sells" can result in dead inventory you must clearance later. You can afford to have smaller minimums on all items in general and still not risk lost sales because you have pre-authorized backorders for those hot items you did not consider being so popular. This wil give you time to adjust only those hot item inventory minimums higher. Freeing up captital by not having as much dead inventory will assist you in stocking more selection. Make certain policies such as when 'x' amount of this item goes on back order 'y' amount of times, within a 'z' period of time, we will increase our minimum inventory for that product. This way you are not increasing inventory minimums because one guy orders a large number of one item then noone orders anymore. Sales reports sometimes do not show this and you think items are hotter than others when in reality they are slow movers that got lucky with a guy who just liked to buy in volume. HOWEVER, from what I have seen in this industry hot items can be hot one month and dead obsolete the next month so make your "x period of time" short or you will miss the bus on sales potential and risk later overstocking items when they become obsolete.
If you have a good Just-in-time inventory system or business major operations/inventory manager this is all common knowledge and I appologize for blabbing on. But it surprises me how often online retailers we think are big and proffessionally run are actually small outfits that do not really have a solid business background to base their decisions on. I have seen too many of them quickly get overstocked and capitalized in dead inventory and have liquidity problems that force them to lose market share and go out of business. I love your fast shipping, great prices and service so feel enclined to wish you much growth in the future!
My constructive feedback?
1. On my iphone, using standard webpage, I have trouble selecting links on the drag down menus and must open in another tab to get them to open.
2. Have Cuttwood juice
3. You have a great template going right now but I look forward to you being even better so increase selection please.
4. Have preorder for items. My example is, as of today I want to be on pre-order for the istick 50watt but don't want to start shopping at other online shops that have pre-order.
5. If you get out of stock items back in stock fast, be smarter about out of stock items. Out of stock items need to say estimated restock date so we won't be tempted to shop elsewhere if we can wait a week or so for our item. In addition, out of stock items should have an option to auto order when MVS gets it in stock, kind of like the pre-order function, so that when we items and have one or two items we put in cart are out of stock they can be auto ordered (basically we pre-authorize you to charge our card) when they come back into stock. These fuctions should happen automatically with mixed instock/outof stock items so we do not have to make a separate invoice. If we have to make separte backorder invoices/carts ourselves we will more likely go to other sites who have it in stock.
6. Game changing internet purchasing idea: Taking ideas from #5, further this and offer immediate 5% discount on all backordered items. I do not see anyone doing this online but there is much logic behind the idea.
For one; this will entise customers to backorder from you instead of going to other online retailers, two; you can afford the discount as no inventory stocking expenses are incured (unsold capital sitting in inventory is deadly for any business) and three; by promoting pre-authorized backorders, you can better track real demand and adust your minimum inventory numbers for your just-in-time inventory system attempts. That last part is important as ordering high amounts of inventory and "seeing if it sells" can result in dead inventory you must clearance later. You can afford to have smaller minimums on all items in general and still not risk lost sales because you have pre-authorized backorders for those hot items you did not consider being so popular. This wil give you time to adjust only those hot item inventory minimums higher. Freeing up captital by not having as much dead inventory will assist you in stocking more selection. Make certain policies such as when 'x' amount of this item goes on back order 'y' amount of times, within a 'z' period of time, we will increase our minimum inventory for that product. This way you are not increasing inventory minimums because one guy orders a large number of one item then noone orders anymore. Sales reports sometimes do not show this and you think items are hotter than others when in reality they are slow movers that got lucky with a guy who just liked to buy in volume. HOWEVER, from what I have seen in this industry hot items can be hot one month and dead obsolete the next month so make your "x period of time" short or you will miss the bus on sales potential and risk later overstocking items when they become obsolete.
If you have a good Just-in-time inventory system or business major operations/inventory manager this is all common knowledge and I appologize for blabbing on. But it surprises me how often online retailers we think are big and proffessionally run are actually small outfits that do not really have a solid business background to base their decisions on. I have seen too many of them quickly get overstocked and capitalized in dead inventory and have liquidity problems that force them to lose market share and go out of business. I love your fast shipping, great prices and service so feel enclined to wish you much growth in the future!
