An Hao casually picked up a bag of cosmetics and checked them, indeed, they were all half a year away from expiration.
A box of Snowflake Cream, if used quickly, can last two months, or four months if used sparingly, so there was plenty of time before the half-year expiration.
The clerk was eager to clear them out, which indicated one thing: the Snowflake Cream was selling too slowly, with not many boxes moving per month, leading to selling them just to break even.
"What do you think? Take a few boxes back with you. I can offer you a pretty good discount," the clerk, too, wanted to help clear out the backlogged stock to prevent wasting it upon expiration.
"Okay. I can buy more, but you have to guarantee me the lowest price!" An Hao made up her mind, figuring she could still make a profit this way.
"How many boxes do you want?" If she was buying a lot, giving a discount wouldn’t be an issue.
"How about eighty boxes for twenty yuan?"
She wanted a significant quantity, but the price she pressed for was extremely low, and the clerk, unable to decide alone, said to An Hao, "Please wait a moment, I need to check with our sales director!"
The clerk went to consult with the director about the price, to see if they could clear some of the inventory at a low cost.
When the director heard that someone actually wanted so much stock, he came over with the clerk to negotiate the price with An Hao.
"I hear you want eighty boxes?" The sales director, seeing An Hao’s attire and realizing she didn’t look much like a city dweller, doubted her purchasing power.
"Yes, eighty boxes. If you can sell them to me for twenty yuan, I guarantee I will come back again. What do you say?" An Hao confidently proposed.
She had already analyzed the deal and was sure it would be profitable.
Nowadays, with urban incomes rising, the variety and quality of cosmetics people buy are also gradually improving, so Snowflake Cream had become less popular. However, its use was just starting to catch on in the villages.
Everyone wanted to use it, but because it was expensive, they were hesitant. An Hao believed that if she could sell it at a cheaper rate, the young ladies and wives from the surrounding ten miles would certainly love it.
After hearing what An Hao had to say, the director turned and asked Xiaozhou, "How much inventory do we have approximately?"
"Probably about five hundred boxes," Xiaozhou responded, offering a conservative estimate.
With a cost price of two jiao per box, selling to this young woman would at most make a profit of one jiao per box. But unsold stock risked expiry and would lead to a loss of the cost price.
The product was not moving anymore, the last distribution was too much, and young people rarely bought Snowflake Cream anymore. Older customers didn’t have the purchasing power, monthly sales were low, and with expiry approaching, they needed to speed up clearance.
"Alright, then. We’ll sell it to you at that price!" Making back the cost was better than nothing.
An Hao was overjoyed, not expecting to actually secure the deal at that price.
"That’s wonderful, director! Thank you so much! Let’s arrange the pickup, and I’ll pay you!"
"Good, good, good!" the director hastily agreed.
The Snowflake Cream was all packed into a large woven bag, which An Hao hoisted onto her shoulder and hurried off to catch the bus.
By the time she returned to the village, it was already getting dark, the time when every household was preparing dinner.
As she crossed the small bridge with her load, she saw a group of people gathered together, chattering away about something.
As An Hao passed by, she greeted them, "Aunts, grandmothers, haven’t you gone back to cook yet?"
Lady Li saw An Hao returning, oblivious of the events at home, burdened with such a hefty woven bag on her back.