Think you can't score a deal at TJMaxx?

[stripersnipr]

My Daughter has a friend who actually developed a nice little business started by reselling discount purchased items on Ebay. Its now become a kind of personal shopping service for people in rural parts of the country where they have limited access to major retail outlets. She develops family profiles for her customers and provides back to school clothing, holiday shopping etc. designed for their specific needs. She buys right throughout the year, takes specific orders and also sends a monthly E-Mail to each customer with offerings aimed at their specific sizes, styles and tastes. Any surplus she then offers in a monthly newsletter to the entire customer base. Last I talked to her she had 300 - 400 regular customers and strong growth. Perfect job for a shopaholic.

[spence]

Originally Posted by stripersnipr

Its now become a kind of personal shopping service for people in rural parts of the country where they have limited access to major retail outlets.

This is a big driver for this type of business.

It's also led to online shops like Zappos.com where they sell at near list price but offer free shipping both ways and very generous return policies. Unless you're in a large metro area most department or even specialty stores tend to be quite limited.

-spence