Each person loses an average of 1.3 socks per month, adding up to 15 socks per year and 1,264 socks over a lifetime. Whether they are “eaten” by the laundry washer or dryer, lost in the back of a chest of drawers, or stolen by the boogeyman, everyone has felt the aggravation of missing socks. Gail Reiken Tuzman, owner of GRT Online Promotion LLC, is no exception. In the 1970s, her husband found a product called Sock Rings in their local grocery store. The rings kept their socks paired up in the laundry and in their sock drawer. She and her husband used the Sock Rings for many years, successfully keeping track of all of their socks. When their family grew and Tuzman was in need of more Sock Rings, they were nowhere to be found. “We even kept a Sock Ring on our key chains and whenever we traveled to another city, we would show them to store managers and ask if they carried them,” says Tuzman.
Eventually, in 1999, Tuzman found a similar product called Sock Locks in another local supermarket. Tuzman contacted the distributor, purchased a few cases, and began selling them on the Internet. “We got great feedback from our online customers who were so happy to find these elusive items,” says Tuzman. From there, the business expanded, leading to GRT Online Promotion LLC’s acquisition of Loc-A-Sok sock holders. These holders are small pairs of rings than can hold either two pairs of thin socks, or one pair of thicker weight socks.
Now, GRT Online Promotion LLC is the exclusive manufacturer and wholesaler of Loc-A-Sok sock holders. The double-ring sock holders are available in six different colors. Tuzman recommends using a different color for each family member to easily identify whose socks belong to whom. They come in packages of ten; each package is a single color. Starter boxes contain 36 packages, with six of each color. Cases contain four starter boxes or 144 packages of ten.
Tuzman advises these products sell very well in “convenience stores, bed, bath, and home goods stores, laundry suppliers, grocery stores, shoe stores, and apparel stores.” She also suggests displaying the Loc-A-Soks by the register to drive awareness. Not many people know about sock rings, nor is it something people typically search for. But, as Tuzman experienced first-hand, it is a product everyone can benefit from because the rings save time sorting laundry and save money by preventing lost socks. When it comes to quality, “There are some competitors, but with our particular product, the double lock is unique. It’s flexible, it doesn’t tear socks, doesn’t damage the sock, it can fit all types of socks, and it survives washing machines and hot driers,” she explains.
Just for Independent Retailer readers, GRT Online Promotion LLC is offering 10% off of wholesale pricing using the promo code IR2016 for online orders, or by mentioning Independent Retailer when inquiring by phone or email. The minimum order is one starter box, which is $2.50 per pack of ten, or $90 total before the 10% savings. Cases are available for $1.50 per pack. Deeper discounts are available for larger orders. Tuzman suggests that retail pricing starts at $4.69 per pack of ten.
Brick and mortar retailers who order one case or more will have their store information listed on GRT Online Promotion LLC’s website for six months. Orders ship within two to five business days after payment, with several shipping options available. Orders from New York and New Jersey require sales tax exemption certificates to waive sales tax. For more information, visit www.sock-locks.com/wholesale.