American Stock Lots is a Houston-based supplier of adult and children’s clothing. They got their start buying children’s apparel directly from brands and supplying them to chains of independent stores in Guatemala. The shorter supply chain meant fewer steps, less overhead and lower prices. “We’ve got a different business model,” says principle Mike Barone. “We have agreements with two major manufacturers in Central America and only buy from them. This allows us to assure quality products and provide a continuous supply to our clients.”
In 2011, American Stock Lots entered into a contract with a Fortune 500 company, allowing them to purchase all of the surplus, irregular, and cancelled order apparel from this company’s factories and distribution warehouses. American Stock Lots still maintains a Central American facility where they hand-grade all of the irregular clothing according to high standards. From there, American Stock Lots opened a warehouse in Houston, Texas where all of their orders are shipped. Being closer to the Port of Houston helps them ship faster and with lower expenses.
In 2015, American Stock Lots entered into another buy-all agreement with a manufacturer that owns thirty-five clothing factories. These factories produce children’s, adolescent and adult clothes for over thirty American brands. Some of their recently added brands include: All Star, Athletech, Basic Gear, Danskin, Everlast, Faded Glory, Jesse James, Joe Boxer, Outdoor Life, Piper, Russell, Sonoma, Starter, and Tek Gear.
Today, American Stock Lots sells in-season new and hand-graded irregular clothing that is purchased directly from the manufacturers. They typically ship in bulk; however, custom packing and sorting options are available. “We only sell what we have in our warehouse in Houston, TX,” says Barone. “Our customers can inspect the inventory, watch us load it and seal the container.”
To learn more about American Stock Lots, visit www.americanstocklots.com.