Joe Conlin Sees 60% Growth in Productivity Launching eCommerce Business

Customer : Joe Conlin

Challenge : Choosing a Successful Inventory for a New eCommerce Store

Solution : Using Algopix to Discover Product Gems

Added Value :

Analysis across multiple marketplaces
Rapid insights enable smart purchasing decisions
Data for international sales potential

Joe Conlin Sees 60% Growth in Productivity Launching eCommerce Business with Algopix

About Joe Conlin

Based in Reno, Nevada, Joe Conlin has a degree in business management and spent the last 25 years working in warehouse distribution, logistics and plant management with companies that manufactured food, vitamins and most recently, cannabis. He has held many positions throughout his career including warehouse manager, logistics manager, director of special products and VP of operations. With the goal of working more flexible hours, Conlin left his job to devote six months towards setting upon eCommerce business with his fiancé called Shop Circles. Currently, he sells his merchandise on eBay and is in the early stages of selling on Amazon.

The Challenge:Choosing a Successful Inventory for a New eCommerce Store

Joe Conlin had a plan for getting Shop Circles up and running: First, he would begin by selling familiar and trusted items that people were likely to purchase. Eventually, he planned to manufacture his own products based on these top-selling items, which he plans to have manufactured in China and purchased through Alibaba or a similar platform.

Launching his new eCommerce business required selecting a best-selling inventory, but choosing the right products took time. For three months, he made decisions by looking up items individually on Amazon and eBay to see how they sold, but he was dismayed by the amount of time this took.

“It was a difficult and lengthy process,” he recalled, “so I started looking for a solution. That’s how I found Algopix.”

He chose Algopix because it worked with both Amazon and eBay, unlike other solutions he saw that focused on only one marketplace.

The Solution: Using Algopix to Discover Product Gems

Conlin saw an immediate improvement in his product sourcing process once he began working with Algopix. He connected with a wholesale liquidation vendor offering products originally from Costco, Sam’s Club and Target that were sold on pallets, truckloads and cases. He entered their items onto Algopix, and using the data provided, he determined which merchandise to purchase.

“I have to do a lot of hunting and pecking to see if there are any gems that will sell,” he explained. “SoI use Algopix to see if they have any value.”

Conlin primarily searches for products that are small and light, so he can keep his shipping costs low. Some of the products he sells that fit these criteria include electronics accessories and small garden and home improvement type items. One particularly successful product was a usb adaptor for printers having a serial port.

“I was able to purchase the plug/adapter product for about 60 cents each,” Conlin said, “and they sell for $8 to $10. Total monthly sales volume on the adapter for Amazon alone is approximately $200,000.That includes info from all of the available sellers, and I am of course anew seller, but that’s one of the products I am starting with. I found that item by using Algopix.”

He currently has products shipped to him from his supplier for inspection to help determine whether to send them to Amazon, but that process will likely change: In the near future, he plans to hire someone to open the boxes at the liquidation center to decide if the merchandise is worth purchasing, and whether it can be shipped directly to Amazon.

Overall, Conlin has found Algopix’s insights to be extremely valuable for launching his new business.

“I love that I can quickly find out the monthly sales on eBay and Amazon,” he said. “There are even items I find that are not selling well on Amazon US but are doing well on Amazon Canada or Europe. Even though I might be paying an exorbitant shipping price, the cost can make sense in certain markets. I’m not selling internationally yet, but I am excited about these possible opportunities.”

Conclusion: A Great Start in a Competitive Market

Conlin hasn’t been selling long enough to see significant profits yet, but he expects that will change.

“My plan is for Shop Circles to net $75,000 to $100,000 next year,” he said. “The year after, I expect to earn between $100,000 to $200,000.”

He believes he can achieve this while keeping his work hours limited so that he does not have to return to the full-time schedule he kept for so many years. There’s no question, he said, that Algopix will play a part in helping him reach these goals.

“Algopix helps me a great deal because it removes all my legwork,” Conlin said. “I gain a good 60 percent in productivity because I can just punch in the products, and it says ‘yay’ or ‘nay.’ It’s definitely a huge time saver.”

About Algopix

Algopix aggregates data from 16 global marketplaces in real time and analyzes over 12 million products for over 30,000 users worldwide. Using innovative, proprietary algorithms, Algopix provides online sellers with comprehensive actionable recommendations, product research, competitive analysis and more. The Algopix platform saves valuable time, reduces risks, and helps sellers make better, more informed decisions about new and current products in stock and expansion into international marketplaces.