About Me – Bob Nelson
(My wife Pat calls this the “What About Bob” page.)

My dad worked for Pope & Talbott as a master mechanic, so I suppose that’s what I expected to be when I grew up. But, at age 16, I got a job at Safeway, and that determined my career path. Now, 40 years later, I’m still running a price gun and am never without my box cutter, and I wish I had a dollar for every pallet I’ve shrink wrapped.

I eventually became Variety Manager at my hometown Safeway store. When they moved to a new building in 1981 and didn’t want another grocery in the old location, they opened a closeout store and named me manager. That’s where I got my first taste of searching for great items to sell at attractive prices. That’s also where I got my first lesson in how freight costs affect the bottom line.

In 1983 I opened my first retail store, and that led to many more stores over the next 25 years. When I decided to scale down and operate just one store, I didn’t want to lose my buying power. I still wanted to buy from the same vendors that had treated me well for years, but I knew I could no longer order enough merchandise to meet their minimums and I would pay much more freight if I could not buy by the trailer.

I knew I wasn’t the only small retailer in that predicament. Many retailers cannot take the time away from their stores to attend trade shows. They can’t order in large quantities, so they pay top dollar for their merchandise, leaving less profit. Because they can’t fill a trailer, freight costs take another huge bite out of their profits.

That’s when I decided that by increasing my wholesale selling…by setting up a wholesale warehouse and showroom in Portland, OR, instead of wholesaling as a sideline of my retail business…it would be a Win-Win situation for me as a retailer and for other retailers who could share in my deals and take advantage of my lower freight costs without meeting high minimum orders. That’s how Big Deals West Coast Wholesale got its start.

In the winter, we distribute Paricon snow sleds. We also distribute Gold Medal and other winter gloves, hats, scarves, and socks at prices that are affordable for both you and your customers. In the summer, we distribute Intex and other inflatables for fun in the water. Every day, we distribute a variety of tapes…duct, masking, cello, etc. Socks bring customers back to your store over and over, and we carry a wide variety for the whole family. We also distribute many styles of the popular LED flashlights, as well as Unison and other brands of home décor and giftware.

Those are the items you’ll find on our website all the time. Then there are those fun deals that we often get…the ones you have to catch quickly or they’ll be in someone else’s store instead of yours…bargains in gift, toy, lawn and garden, outdoor living, and all sorts of categories. The way to get these deals is to shop the showroom or the website on a regular basis.

So now you know…I've decided to be in the wholesale business when I grow up.

Bob Nelson

About Me – Pat Nelson

I entered the world of retail and wholesale with a credit union financial and marketing background. You’d think the two fields would be nothing alike, but 23 years later, I still use the financial, marketing, and management skills that I learned at the credit union.

I dreamed of being a writer, and wrote a book for credit union members several years ago. Since then, I’ve written newsletters, employee policy manuals, menus, ads, Chicken Soup for the Soul stories, a blog, and a newspaper column, and I work on my book-in-progress whenever I can squeeze a page into our busy lives.

One thing I love making time for is the grandkids. Two live here in Washington and two live in Arizona. During basketball and football season, Bob and I hurry from work to get to their games. We’re still hoping to watch our five-year-old Arizona granddaughter play soccer. There’s nothing like proud grandparents on the sidelines!

Our business has allowed us to make friends all over the US., both vendors and customers. One of our vendors from Chicago spent a week’s vacation with us a few years ago, and even though it rained every day and we made him trek through the Ape Caves near Mt. St. Helens, he plans to come back for another visit. When customers stop by the showroom or call on the phone, or when we see them at shows, it’s fun to catch up on news of their lives and their families.

I think being in business is all about relationships. That’s what makes the long hours, tired eyes, box-knife cuts, dry hands, sore legs, and aching feet all worth it.

Pat Nelson