How to Price Wholesale Accessories for Profit (Keystone and Beyond)

Buying great inventory is only half the job. The other half is putting the right price on it so your shop actually makes money. This guide covers the basics of wholesale accessories pricing, starting with keystone and moving into the times when you should charge more.

Start With Your Cost Per Piece

Before you can set a retail price, you need to know what each item really cost you. When you buy by the dozen, divide the dozen price by 12.

For example, most of our items are $9 per dozen, so each piece costs you 75 cents. If you paid for shipping, add a share of that too. A simple way is to divide the total shipping cost by the number of pieces in the order and add it to each item's cost.

Write this number down for every style. It is the base for every pricing decision that follows.

Keystone Pricing: The Starting Point

Keystone means doubling your cost. A clip that costs you 75 cents would sell for $1.50 at keystone. It is a common rule in retail because it is easy to remember and usually covers your costs with some profit left over.

But keystone is a floor, not a ceiling. For small accessories, doubling a low cost often leaves money on the table. Your rent, your time, your displays and the occasional item that never sells all need to be covered too.

Smarter Wholesale Accessories Pricing Beyond Keystone

Many boutiques price small accessories at two and a half to four times cost, or more. Here are a few ways to decide where each item lands:

• Price by perceived value. A shaped teddy bear or strawberry clip feels more special than a plain one, even if they cost you the same. Price the fun styles a little higher.
• Use round numbers. $4, $5 or $8 is easier to decide on than $3.79. Simple pricing speeds up the register.
• Bundle for bigger tickets. "3 for $10" on hair ties or clips gets shoppers to buy more than they planned.
• Match your neighborhood. Look at what similar shops nearby charge, and price where your customers feel comfortable.
• Leave room for sales. If you like to run promotions, start high enough that a discount still makes money.

Pricing Mixed Lots and Mystery Boxes

A wholesale mystery box changes the math a little. Our mystery box is 120 assorted accessories for $100, which comes to about 83 cents per piece. Since you do not choose each item, sort the box when it arrives and price each piece by what it is, not by the average cost.

Some items will be worth more to your customers than others. That is fine. What matters is that the box as a whole earns well above what you paid.

Review your prices every few months. If something sells out in a day, you may be priced too low. If it sits for weeks, try a new spot, a bundle, or a small markdown.

Start with a few dozen pieces from our hair accessories or grab a mystery accessory box and practice pricing a mixed lot. You can also join our Facebook live Monday through Friday at 7 AM PT (10 AM ET) to see new drops and comment SOLD to claim your favorites.