How Do I Become a Webkinz Retailer?
Although the Webkinz craze may have subsided, many toy, gift, card and specialty retailers still do very well selling the interactive plush toys. The only way to become a Webkinz retailer is to work through Ganz, the parent company of Webkinz. While technically Ganz will sell to any company in the above categories, the minimum order and other ordering requirements have varied depending upon the demand for the Webkinz product.
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Things You'll Need
- Company contact information
- Credit references
- Banking information
- Pictures of your storefront
- Resale certificate
Instructions
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Call Ganz (1-800-724-5902 in the United States) and arrange for one of their outside sales reps to come visit you in your store. The sales rep will come, usually within a few weeks and show you the entire range of Ganz products.
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Meet with sales representative and go through the Webkinz product offering. If you are only interested in Webkinz, that's okay, but it's the sales rep's job to push the entire product line. Sales reps work on commission in most cases, so it is in there interests to sell you as much as possible.
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3
Decide based on the required minimums and other conditions if you still want to be a Webkinz retailer. At different times of year there are different deals. Most toy companies (like Ganz) offer deals around the New York International Toy fair which traditionally takes place in mid-February. Ask your rep if any special buying opportunities like that are available or coming soon. Sometimes you can save money simply by delaying your initial order a few days or weeks.
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Fill out the Ganz credit application and provide credit references and banking information. If you are new to retailing this will likely be personal credit info, but established stores should provide references from other lines they sell.
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Place your initial order. How much to order depends on shelf space and initial order requirements. Ganz offers a number of different Webkinz merchandisers and racks.
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Tips & Warnings
In most cases a sales rep will come to visit you to discuss your interest. In some parts of the country where a rep is not available, you can discuss your interest with a phone representative. This will usually require sending pictures of your store front.
How much you need to buy initially varies depending on the overall demand for the product.
Consider buying a "rack" or other merchandiser. These usually are offered for free as part of an initial deal requiring buying a certain amount of merchandise.
Put WebKinz someplace visible because the "tags" that contain the codes for going online are a theft target.
The Ganz sales representative will try to sell you Ganz products beyond the Webkinz lines.
