Store sells ‘a little bit of everything,’ from A to Z

The deer antler chandelier is sold, but it shouldn’t be long before other unusual items make their way into A to Z Wichita.

After all, when you buy liquidated goods by the truckload, a few unexpected ones are bound to creep in.

Aura Seba is finding that out as co-owner of the store with her sister, Kira Miller. They acquired it in April, changed the name slightly and moved it from its former home on South Broadway in June.

The sisters had worked at the old location, which was called A to Z Discount. The new spot on South Oliver has about twice as much space and cheaper rent, Seba said.

Asked to describe their inventory, she said: “I lean towards ‘a little bit of everything.’ We’ve got tents, tools, home stuff, a small amount of electronics, toys, outdoor equipment coming later this month.

“Just all kinds of things.”

Deals at the store this week include a family-size tent for $80, a patio umbrella for $34 and a picnic basket with plastic utensils and cooler for $12.

The merchandise consists of products that have been returned to other stores, have suffered slight damage or have gone out of season. Seba said it’s the first business she and her sister have owned. So far, things have run smoothly.

“We both do kind of everything,” she said. “We both run the register and front desk. We jokingly refer to her as the business manager and me as the store manager.”

Seba said it’s not a difficult business to establish connections in.

“You just have to have your business paperwork in order so you can buy from liquidators,” she said. “Most of them will only sell to a business, not an individual.”

The sisters hope to turn over their inventory every two to four weeks. Prices start at a 20 percent markdown from the lowest retail price they can find on the same items in Wichita.

“Then the price goes down depending on if it’s got damaged packaging, or a scratch, or a nonessential piece missing,” she said.

A to Z stocks “lower end” items compared with Tuesday Morning, another store that sells liquidated goods, she said.

Miller’s husband is the only other employee, working in the warehouse. But the sisters outsource some repair work to fix-it men at their stepfather’s lawnmower business, Seba said.

Their biggest challenge, Seba said, is simply getting people in the door. After giving it some thought, Seba recalled one more item that shoppers might find unusual: a hand-carved, wooden pool cue rack.

“It’s just kind of an oddball thing.”

This story was originally published August 18, 2016 at 6:55 AM with the headline "Store sells ‘a little bit of everything,’ from A to Z."