Pictured are some of many cosmetic products sold by James Crandell's JNC Wholesalers.
A few years ago, James Crandell was a mechanic specializing in forklifts and other heavy machinery. If you had told him then that he would wind up selling cosmetics, soaps and lotions, he would have thought you were crazy.
But the entrepreneurial spirit rears its head in unpredictable ways. When Crandell was laid off from his job as a mechanic, it ignited his lifelong desire to run his own business.
Luckily, it was around this time that some friends of his turned him on to a unique business opportunity: When companies like Dove or L’Oreal place products on the shelves of local stores, they do so on a trial basis. Products that sell quickly get to stay. Products that move more slowly are often taken off the shelves. Not because they are inferior to their quicker-selling counterparts, but because they are less popular.
This leaves warehouses in the region stuck with (literally) tons of products that they cannot sell. Their loss is Crandell’s gain: He and his business partners approach the managers of these warehouses and offer to buy their unwanted stock. Eager to reclaim the space, the managers will sell these products in bulk at a fraction of retail value.
In turn, Crandell can sell these products — including cosmetics, lotions, hair and skin care, organic shampoos, pajamas and protein shakes — for half of what they would cost in stores, reaping a decent profit along the way.
His success stems in part from the fact that his products — though not quite as popular as the ones that remain on shelves — often attract a following. He rents tables at outdoor markets throughout the state, and his customers on eBay (he is a PowerSeller) shop from throughout the United States and Europe.
Many of his overseas clients — anxious to bid on products they cannot find in their home countries —drive the auction price of Crandell’s products up to amounts that surprise even him.
But the most rewarding part of running his business, Crandell says, is saving people money in New Jersey. He develops a strong connection with his customers. “I love to see the look in their eyes,” he says, “when they see that there’s a place they can go to get a great deal for their families.”
Crandell can be reached at (908) 307-7236. His products are generally half off retail price.
