No brand escapes excess inventory. The only question is what you do with it and how you sell excess inventory strategically. Cancelled orders, seasonal items that missed their window, products that didn’t land with customers, or packaging changes that left products stranded are problems every company faces. For many, off-price and discount retailers like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, Burlington, and Ollie’s have become the go-to solution to sell excess inventory quickly and recover value. Shoppers at every income level love the thrill of finding a deal, and these chains have built their success around that demand.
To keep customers coming back, they buy merchandise at steep discounts, often 20–60% below wholesale, and resell it at prices 60–90% lower than MSRP. The “treasure hunt” model works brilliantly for consumers and provides brands with a reliable way to move unwanted inventory. But that benefit comes at a price: in order to deliver bargains that excite their shoppers, off-price buyers purchase at very low costs, often only 5–20% of MSRP, reflecting the risks and markdowns they must absorb.
Because every brand eventually faces excess, buyers at these chains are constantly inundated with offers. Simply having a product isn’t enough to break through the noise. If you want your goods on their shelves, you need to understand how off-price retailers buy and what their buyers expect from vendors.
This guide will show you exactly how to do that, from seeing the world through the buyer’s perspective to preparing a flawless offer, reaching the right contacts, navigating onboarding, and delivering a pitch that earns attention. Think of it as your playbook for success in the off-price channel.
Read Dirty Truth About MSRP in Discount Retail Article
Step 1: Understand the Buyer’s Role
To succeed with off-price retailers, you must first understand how their buyers think. Unlike traditional merchants who plan assortments months in advance, off-price buyers are opportunists. Their job is to identify value and act quickly. They are not concerned with brand stories or elaborate marketing campaigns; their focus is whether a product can deliver margin and sell quickly on the sales floor.
Each buyer typically manages a broad category, such as women’s outerwear, small kitchen appliances, or home décor. Their performance is measured not by creative merchandising but by gross margin return and sell-through rates. Every deal is judged by how much profit it generates and how fast it clears inventory.
Reliability is just as important as price. A buyer who has to chase you for missing paperwork, deal with mislabeled cartons, or handle compliance problems will quickly move on to the next vendor. Conversely, when you consistently deliver complete data, follow their routing guide, and ship on time, you build trust. In the off-price world, trust equals repeat opportunities.
In short, off-price buyers are value hunters under pressure. They must fill stores with compelling products that will sell quickly while minimizing risk. Your role is to make their job easier.
Step 2: Prepare a Buyer-Ready Offer
Once you understand the buyer’s perspective, the next step is building an offer that can actually get a response. Many suppliers stumble here by sending vague or incomplete details. Off-price buyers don’t have time for back-and-forth. If your first message leaves questions unanswered, it’s easier for them to move on than to chase you for clarity.
In this channel, the gold standard is a manifest, which is a comprehensive presentation of your offer. A manifest is more than a simple list of products. It should include UPC codes, case pack and inner pack details, unit counts, carton dimensions and weights, MSRP, original wholesale price, and your offer price. It should also clearly indicate where the goods are located and when they can ship.
Here’s the Manifest we use at Overstock Trader
What buyers really want to see is the economics of the opportunity. Their job is to quickly evaluate hundreds of offers and zero in on the ones that stand out. They need to know: What did this product retail for? What was the wholesale price? And, most importantly, what are you offering to them for now that makes it compelling? If your manifest can answer those three questions in a way that demonstrates clear value, you are already ahead of most of the pitches landing in their inbox every week.
This is also where off-price differs sharply from traditional retail. In more conventional channels, buyers often want to hear the brand story, understand exotic ingredients, or learn about unique differentiators that can be marketed to the consumer. In off-price, those details take a back seat. What matters most is the math: how much margin can they make, how quickly can it sell, and how easily can it flow through their system. Your manifest should frame the deal in those terms.
Pricing is the critical piece. Off-price buyers expect to pay a fraction of MSRP, often only 5–20%, depending on category and seasonality. That pricing isn’t arbitrary, it reflects the risk they take on, the markdowns they may have to cover, and the low prices their customers expect. A strong manifest doesn’t just list numbers; it frames the deal in terms of value. For example, a knit top with a $40 MSRP offered at $6 tells the buyer they can realistically sell it for $14.99, leaving ample margin for markdowns while delivering obvious savings to the shopper.
A complete, honest, and well-structured manifest that shows the economics clearly is what makes your offer stand out from the hundreds of others crossing a buyer’s desk. It signals professionalism, respect for their time, and an understanding of what makes their business model work.
Step 3: Find and Reach the Right Buyers
This is often where many stumble, and the buyers aren’t often easy to track down. A clean offer is useless if it never reaches the right person. The hardest part of selling to off-price retailers is access. Large chains like TJX employ hundreds of buyers, each with responsibility for a narrow slice of product. Sending a generic email to “the buyer” is like tossing a note into the ocean. To succeed, you need to reach the specific category buyer who controls purchasing for your type of product. Below are some tools that when used properly, can help you reach those discount retail buyers.
Published Buyer Contact Information
Some retailers make it easier by publishing buyer contact details. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet has a “Reach the Buyers” page with direct emails for category buyers, while Five Below provides a general merchandise buyer email. These open doors are valuable, but remember: public addresses attract floods of offers. To stand out, your outreach must be short, professional, and centered on your manifest.
Peer Referrals
One of the most effective yet overlooked strategies is leveraging peers. Use your business and personal network to reach that buyer. If you see a similar type product at TJ Maxx, Burlington, or Ross, reach out to them. Ask who their buyer is. Many vendors are surprisingly open, especially if you aren’t in direct competition. Peer referrals cut through the maze of corporate bureaucracy and connect you directly with the decision-maker who matters.
Collecting Business Cards at Trade Shows
Trade shows are another key access point. Off-price buyers often walk the floors quietly, scouting for items that catch their eye. When they’re interested, they hand out business cards. If you’ve exhibited before, it’s worth combing through your old stacks of cards. The contact you’ve been searching for may already be in your possession. To make the most of this, log every card immediately after the show, note the category on the back, and share across your sales team. A single overlooked card could represent thousands of units sold.
Direct Outreach on LinkedIn
LinkedIn has become one of the most practical tools for finding buyers. By searching “[Retailer] + Buyer + Category,” you can often identify the right contacts. Look for titles like Buyer, Assistant Buyer, Planner, or Merchandise Manager. When reaching out, keep it short and respectful. Acknowledge their role, mention what you have, and offer to send a one-pager or manifest. The goal isn’t to close the deal in your first message, but to open the door.
Step 4: Deliver a Sharp Pitch
Once you have the right contact, the quality of your pitch determines whether you get a response. Buyers receive dozens of emails every day. The ones that get read are short, factual, and easy to evaluate.
A strong pitch starts with the product and unit count, followed by readiness details such as case packs, UPCs, and ticketing. Then provide MSRP, your offer price, and the retail you believe they can achieve. Close by noting the product location, earliest ship date, and the fact that compliance documents are ready. Offer to send the full manifest for review.
For example:
Subject: Closeout offer – Small Appliances, 1,200 units, ready to ship
Hi [First Name],
We have 1,200 units of small blenders available. They come in case packs of six, all retail-ready with UPCs and labels. These carried a $60 MSRP in Macys and sold well at full-line retail. We can offer them at $10 a unit.
Goods are in California and can ship immediately. Compliance docs and the full manifest are ready.
Can I send the one-pager and item file for your review?
Thanks,
[Name, Company, Phone]
This pitch works because it’s concise, factual, and action-oriented. It tells the buyer what you have, why it’s a deal, and how quickly you can deliver, without wasting their time.
Step 5: Master Onboarding and Compliance
Great job! You’ve secured an offer from an off-price or discount retailer. That’s a major milestone, but it’s only the beginning. The next stage is onboarding and compliance, and it is just as critical as the pitch that got you in the door.
Every retailer requires new vendors to be set up in their systems. This may involve providing tax documents, insurance certificates, product testing reports, or even compliance audits. Once approved, you’ll work not only with the buyer but also with their logistics, compliance, and accounts payable teams. From this point on, success depends on following their processes exactly as written.
The retailer’s routing guide becomes your rulebook. It outlines everything: how goods must be packed, labeled, palletized, and shipped. Some chains require GS1-compliant UPCs, SSCC carton labels, or specific pallet configurations. Others mandate advance ship notices (ASNs) transmitted through EDI within strict timeframes. Any deviation risks delays, chargebacks, or rejected shipments. In extreme cases, noncompliant goods may be returned to you at your expense.
You’ll also coordinate with the retailer’s logistics team on delivery. That may mean booking appointments, shipping prepaid to their specifications, or routing through designated carriers. Missing a delivery window or sending inconsistent case counts can lead to penalties and frustration. Buyers see the first order as a test, not only of your product, but of your ability to execute. Vendors who pass by shipping smoothly, providing clean paperwork, and meeting every compliance requirement earn trust and are far more likely to be called back.
The first offer proves you can sell. Onboarding and compliance prove you can deliver. Handle this stage with care, and you position yourself for repeat business.
Conclusion
Off-price and discount retailers are one of the most dependable outlets to sell excess inventory, cancelled, or seasonal inventory. Every brand faces these challenges eventually, and this channel provides a proven way to recover value and clear products. But while the opportunity is real, it comes with its own set of rules. Buyers expect complete, well-priced offers; they expect vendors to find the right contact rather than blanket the company; and once an order is in place, they expect suppliers to follow their processes carefully.
The playbook is straightforward. Understand how buyers think. Prepare a manifest that answers every question and highlights the economics of the deal. Use referrals, cards, and LinkedIn to find the right inventory buyer. Deliver a concise, fact-driven pitch. And once you land the order, master onboarding and compliance so the product flows without issues. Do these things well, and off-price retail stops being a last-resort dumping ground and becomes a long-term, strategic partner for your business.