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Swiss Watches for All Buyers
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SwissOutpost.com, a carrier of high-end Wenger watches, is one
FE
of only two companies in the U.S. privileged to sell products on the
Internet that are made by Victorinox Swiss Army. Recently, they
were also given rights to sell Swiss Army watch closeouts online, an
achievement fi ve years in the making.
heir history with Victorinox dates carry a diverse line of other Swiss Army
back to 1991, when Peter Adler, products such as fragrances, cutlery,
Tcurrent President of SwissOut-
pens, clocks and both travel and busi-
post.com, and his father, petitioned Com-
ness gear. “We have about 800 items on
puServe for permission to sell Swiss
the site, but the majority of the business
Army watches and knives online.
is Swiss Army watches and
Adler’s father began the company in
knives,” said Adler.
1975, initially dropshipping sunglass-
Currently, since their
es for Cendant, a Fortune 100 com-
site is retail, the best way
pany that publishes catalogs such
for a wholesaler to car-
as MobileShopper and CitiShopper.
ry products from Swis-
Even now, 90 percent of SwissOut-
sOutpost.com is to phone
post.com’s wholesale business con-
them, although the com-
tinues to be dropshipping for compa-
pany plans to have a
nies of all sizes, including house-
B2B website by the
hold name catalogs like SkyMall,
end of January. Said
and well known Internet com-
Adler, “All we need
panies such as
Overstock.com
to do is program a
and
SmartBargains.com.
sign-in page, and we
Conversely, they have
will be able to show
customers who are much
wholesale prices instead
smaller organizations as
of retail prices. Right now
well. “We dropship for
we are getting ready for
people who sell on
the holidays.”
eBay or make their
In the meantime, there
own websites. Of-
is a New Products sec-
ten they are small
tion, which is updated regularly.
and sell only online,
While the Wenger watches and
but sometimes they
knives come out with new prod-
have a retail store
ucts only once each year, Victo-
and a website,” said
rinox puts out new products at least
Adler. “We also get lots
every quarter. “After that,” Adler said,
of calls from people who
“unless they are closeouts, we put them
want to buy in bulk.”
in the general category where they are
Predictably, many of their
shown by popularity.”
customers are sporting goods
Though the site is retail, wholesal-
stores, but there are also airport
ers can use it with the same advantag-
gift stores who like the high-end Wenger
es as retail buyers. Clicking on a product
watches. SwissOutpost.com’s product
category, and then on Best Sellers auto-
line is also excellent for mainstream gift
matically sorts the products in the order
stores, since in addition to knives, they
of what is most popular. “However you
Continued On 42 E
40 December 2008
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