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The Inventory Genius PodcastAuthor: Ciara Stockeland
Looking for a business mentor with decades of experience in business ownership, inventory and cash flow management, and client coaching? Get started with Ciara Stockelands Inventory Genius podcast. As a Fractional CFO and Profit Strategist, Ciara specializes in breaking complex business topics into bite-sized, actionable steps you can implement today. Tune in, get inspired, and learn from Ciara and her range of incredible guests. Discover why thousands of products-based businesses owners turn to Ciara for guidance on inventory management, debt reduction, e-commerce strategies, financial strategy, business growth, retail profitability, and more. Whether youre a new business owner or a long-time entrepreneur, each episode with give you nuggets of information, insights and strategies you can start implementing now. For business inquiries please email: hello@ciarastockeland.com. Language: en Genres: Business, Careers, Entrepreneurship Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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#295: Raising Margin in a Resale Business Model
Monday, 20 July, 2026
We are joined by one of my wonderful coaching clients, Lisa Lantz, the brilliant owner of The Getup—a community-focused resale store that sells everything from newborn and adult clothing to accessories, kids' gear, and toys. Lisa is just a few short weeks away from graduating from the Inventory Genius program, and she has made absolute leaps and bounds over the past year. We have never had a guest on the show with this specific type of inventory-based business model, and the breakthroughs she has made with her numbers are going to blow you away. Whether you run a traditional retail boutique, a resale shop, or even a dropshipping business, Lisa’s journey holds some massive gold nuggets for you. Key Takeaways from This Episode: Consignment vs. Buy-Outright: Understand the financial risk of buying inventory outright from your customers versus running a traditional consignment model, and why your margins must reflect that risk. The Fear of Policy Changes: Why we need to "stay out of our customers' pocketbooks" and make business-first decisions without letting fear dictate our financial policies. Cracking the Cash-to-Credit Ratio: How tracking the exact ratio of cash payouts to in-store credit (which, for Lisa, sits consistently at 70% cash and 30% credit) allows for highly accurate cash-flow planning. Data-Driven Curating: Moving away from buying inventory just because "it's in good shape" to hand-curating based on high-margin, fast-turning categories (like discovering women's wear drove over 50% of Lisa's sales!). The Power of One-Dollar Levers: How focusing on just one simple lever—like raising your average ticket size by a small margin through employee training—can bridge massive sales gaps. Inside the Conversation 1. The Cash vs. Credit Conundrum Because The Getup is a buy-outright resale store, Lisa's customers can choose between cash or in-store credit (which now offers 10% more value) on the spot. When we first started working together, this model created a lot of cloudiness around her COGS (Cost of Goods Sold). We realized Lisa was paying up to 40% back in cash just to support her community and keep inventory coming in. But when you buy outright, you take on 100% of the risk if that item doesn't sell. We adjusted her payouts down, and despite her fear that she'd drive people away, not a single customer complained. "We hold off on making really important financial decisions out of fear of what people will think or say, and a lot of times, that story is only created in our head." 2. Finding the Ratios and Taking Control of Cash Flow Once we started digging into the data, we discovered a highly consistent pattern: 30% of her buyouts were store credit, and 70% were cash. Knowing this ratio changed everything. Instead of guessing, Lisa can now accurately map out her open-to-buy plan and know exactly how much hard cash she needs on hand each month. No more putting out daily financial fires! 3. Curating with Intention (and Saying "No" Gently) In resale, your inventory is a daily surprise. Lisa used to accept items simply because they were nice. Now, she uses her category data to make smart buying decisions. When she realized women's apparel made up over 50% of her sales, she knew exactly where to focus her efforts. We also talk about the delicate art of saying "no" to individual black-bag drop-offs without making it personal. 4. Moving the Needle on Average Ticket Size Our latest project is bridging a big sales growth gap not by wishing for random traffic, but by focusing on average ticket size. Lisa shares her strategy for bringing her part-time team into the numbers conversation, recording training videos, and why she is temporarily stepping back onto the sales floor to spot the operational puzzle pieces herself. Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe
