Discount Stores

How discount stores can help your business

By Romy LeClaire Loran, Freelance writer

If you're like many small businesses, discount stores can help you because you're always looking for ways to save money. From paperclips to paper cups, businesses often need a variety of items. In order to maximize the benefits you can receive when shopping at discount stores, ask yourself the following:

1. If there's a membership fee to shop at this discount chain, will my expenses be worth it?
2. Does this discount chain offer rewards or partner plans?
3. Will joining business organizations offer me member benefits at the discount store chains I use?
4. If needed, is it easy to return items to this discount retail store?

Weigh membership benefits against what you might spend at discount stores

A business will often recoup the membership fee many times over at a store used regularly.
Try: Discount chain stores like Costco Wholesale Corporation offer products online that are not available in the stores. At the stores they may be able to pull up your record online with your ID card and give you a summary of what you have bought lately. BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. offers a variety of extra benefits to its business card members, from auto insurance discounts to phone discounts, and it offers exclusive members-only coupons on many discount retail items.

Find discount stores with rewards or partner plans

Rewards programs and partner plans give you money as you spend money. These amounts can add up, whether at discount furniture stores or at a discount tire store.
Try: Staples, Inc. offers a 10% back rewards program for individuals. If you have 20 or more employees, check out the more comprehensive businesses benefits. OfficeMax Inc. now has a MaxPerks, a rewards for business plan.

Find discount chain stores with friendly return policies

There's nothing worse than buying something and being hassled at customer service when it doesn't work. Shop where you know you can return items easily and expediently.
Try: Costco Wholesale Corporation guarantees all of its merchandise with a full refund, but you have only 90 days on electronic equipment, which includes such items as computers and cell phones. Check the Best Buy return policy if buying such items as computers and monitors, where a 14-day return policy applies. For most other store items, a 30-day policy applies. Opened software will be credited if damaged or defective.

Join organizations whose member benefits include discounted merchandise and services

The dues may be worth the benefits. Associations and organizations can gather their resources and offer their members discounted merchandise at brand-name discount stores, as well as other products and services.
Try: The National Federation of Independent Business offers its members discounts on merchandise through Dell as well as services such as FedEx. The National Association for the Self-Employed offers its members discounts on everything from office supplies to health insurance.

Keep a list of what you need handy, so you can consolidate your out-of-the-office shopping trips to save yourself time while saving money on discounted merchandise.