I am interested in selling something at a mall through a kiosk during
the Christmas season however; I have never done anything like this
before and I have no idea what to sell.
My questions are: 

Where can I find a distributor for the current hot selling items that
you see every year?

Second, what are the potential risks and rewards in pursuing something like this? 

Third, would you recommend it for someone like me who has a few (3,000 - 5,000)
dollars to spare and is in good shape financially as far as
credit is concerned?

Anything else you could provide would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks.

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Request for Question Clarification by alienintelligence-ga on 08 Apr 2005 18:01 PDT

Hi mikedynamite,

Working backwards on your questions,
3) It's not a bad idea... but, are your
funds going to have to cover inventory AND
rent (as well as incidentals)?

2) I am sure you already know the answer to
this one. Risks, you lose everything invested.
Rewards, you make a profit. Oversimplified
but accurate.

1) That is a tough question. What 'type' of
items are you looking to sell? You will have
to nail that one down to a narrow range or
scope of items. Next, I am sure all of us
would like to predict the next Tickle me
Elmo, but it is not that easy. The markets
are fickle and while you might have the
next Razor scooter, you could easily be
overshadowed at the last moment by an item
that is "more interesting". What is worse,
you could jump on the bandwagon early and
end up with a product that is fundamentally
flawed or have unknown issues that ends up
in litigation.

Something you might consider in the meantime,
and it requires very little startup costs...
Try ebaying. Or selling on Craigslist. It
would be a great way to see what sells to 
a large customer base. You can also see if
you are up to selling piece goods.

let us know,
-AI

Hi, I currently manage a Mall a saw your question. I thought I might
be able to offer some free advice. While the answer to your question
about the "right" product was answered for the most part I'd like to
tell you about the kiosk renting process.

First thier are two ways to negotiate rent structures in a Mall
setting. The first being a percentage basis and the second of course a
fixed rent. The rent for a typical kiosk depends on the Mall, but for
larger Markets you're looking at around $2000 for November and another
$2000 for December (that's ballpark) The profits for kiosks are always
high at Christmas we've had kiosks make over $30,000 in one month at
our Mall. (We are a small Mall) so I can only imagine a larger market.

If I were you and wanted to test a Market I would go to a Mall's.
Items that sell frequently are Bath products such as lotions,
chocolates, & TOYS! You can review magazines such as "Specialty Retail
Report" for fantastic ideas for your merchandise! If you would like
more information please let me know!