As some of you may know, I post about a local (Phoenix, Arizona) store I frequent, Apache Reclamation and Electronics. They don't have a web site or online store. Here is something I find interesting, though:
http://www.manta.com/c/mmjpnsb/apache-reclamation-elctro
Supposedly 1-2.5 million in sales? If you have ever visited it, you know they aren't putting it into making the place look "better" (although they did recently get a newly painted sign, and they recently put up aisle numbers).
They have another shop (which I haven't seen) called "Surplus City" - which is located in Albuquerque, NM:
http://www.manta.com/c/mm85zxk/surplus-city
Sales of $500,000 - 1 million.
So - according to these numbers, about 1.5 million on the low end; their staff at the Apache Reclamation shop is typically 3-4 "main" people (people that I have seen there for many years), and maybe 2-3 extras that come in (appear to be family members of the others?). Unless there is somebody else behind them and they are hired staff...
I guess you have to go to see what I mean - Apache Reclamation is located in one of the poorest areas of the city, in an old warehouse of sorts. It is literally an "indoor" electronics junkyard (they also have an outdoor yard with large items located elsewhere - it used to be located on the same grounds, but according to them, the city made them clean it up and move it - which was really a shame, it was fun to explore).
From what I can gather, they do most of their business buying and selling electronic surplus in bulk quantities - that's the only way I can figure they can make that much and stay in business year after year. I only go on weekends, mostly; spending a few hours there, you see maybe 3-4 other shoppers. They probably get maybe a top-end of 20 shoppers on a Saturday, probably only clearing a couple thousand at most on a really good day, with most days probably less. If they are bringing in the dough claimed by those numbers, it has to be because of bulk b2b sales, not sales to the public.
Unless the numbers are completely wrong, of course...
No matter what, though - they've been great for me; I'm hoping to go there again this weekend and pick up some more crap I don't need!
;D