With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many people are on the hunt for great romantic gift ideas. Although the concept of a consignment shop or thrift store isn’t new, in an era when many people are working remotely and establishing online shops, e-commerce has seen a rise in customer-driven successful resellers, making their cost-efficient, home-based stores more popular than ever.

If you’ve considered setting up shop in your own home and marketing all sorts of merchandise that can be flipped for a higher resale value, here are some of the most common and professional habits of successful resellers.

Noticeable habits of successful resellers

Always seek out new merchandise

Venturing out into the marketplace (those thrift stores and consignment shops mentioned above) can feel like a scavenger hunt. Successful resellers, however, look at it a little differently. Hot sales, valuable items that could be turned into great gift ideas, and anything from clothing, jewelry, electronics, computer hardware, and even refurbished tablets or laptops are all things that a reseller will purchase to later sell for a higher profit. Antiquing is another great way to find romantic gifts or housewares, and today’s consumers often go online before even entering a retail store. Many people look for home accessories, birthday presents, holiday items, and Valentine’s Day gifts for their sweethearts through online resellers. Keep a wide demographic in mind, and most importantly, have fun.

Keep the holidays in mind

Thinking outside the box and always considering the possible profit in items other consumers often overlook can lead to your ongoing success. Many customers purchase their electronics and computer needs through reputable resellers for better value. As mentioned, most people head online for their shopping needs. Successful resellers keep all upcoming holidays in mind and will emphasize those themed gifts on their site.

For Valentine’s Day, you can create a page aimed at ideas for romantic gifts, and during the winter, feature gift boxes for Christmas and Hanukkah. Throughout the year, some of the best resellers will leave specific types of unique gifts, such as bracelets, candles, chocolate, perfume, and gadgets on separate pages as reminders to their shoppers that an anniversary date may be coming up, and the best romantic gift idea may be right in front of their eyes.

Customer service is always key.

Resellers may have a flexible schedule, but the goal of creating customer loyalty is just as important as in a retail store. In order to keep happy buyers coming back for holiday and gift ideas year-round, customer service is the perfect way to forge client trust.

If you want to have that same type of success, don’t stop by just offering the perfect gift ideas; consider offering loyalty programs, discounts, bundle options for themed items, gift basket designs, and “recommended” links to help your customers brainstorm for thoughtful gift ideas throughout your online store’s full inventory. For electronic items like an Apple iPad or the latest cell phone model, successful resellers will also know how to answer specialized questions from their customers.

As a small business, resellers are able to offer the kind of hands-on “personal touch” with customers that retail chains can’t manage. This is a huge plus in making customers feel welcome, not only to the online store but in all their potential direct communications with the seller.

Resellers’ Home Office Space

Aside from finding the best inventory of great gift ideas, resellers have to keep their home-based workflow steady. In order to compete with retail stores, time remains of the essence in shipping and customer satisfaction.

One of their healthiest business habits for successful resellers is finding the best buy for essentials of working from home. For this, a durable computer setup, fast Wi-Fi and internet connection, and accessibility to customer communications must be seamless. Some resellers even purchase their office necessities as resold items, since they know the savings first-hand.

You know that you’re running a one-person business from home, but your customers still expect the same quality and service as they would find through a major chain or retail shop.