Consigment is the act of placing goods in the hands of another while still retaining ownership of the goods. Generally, consignment involves providing special instructions for the sale, transport or auction of goods. The term consignment is utilized mostly in reference to consignment shops, which sell second-hand items. While many second-hand stores operate through consignment, not all do.In a
. consignment business, the person providing the goods for sale is called the consignor, and the person who performs the sale is the consignee. The consignee receives a portion of the proceeds of the sale and remits the remainder to the consignor.The relationship between a consignor and consignee is similar to that between a buyer and a seller, but has notable differences.Certain rules apply to the consignment model. All the risks associated with the sale of goods are borne by the consignor; if the goods are damaged in transport, the consignee is not considered responsible. However, the consignor is entitled to receive the agreed-upon proceeds for the sale and also receives any expenses related to sale of the goods. The consignor receives payment only when their goods are sold.Some consignment businesses depend upon specialized software designed to assist the business-owner in tracking inventory, consignors and customers.Consignmentsoftware.biz sells a program called The Consignment Shop. Among its features include a point of sale screen, the ability to create bar-coded tags for items, layaway tracking, suggestions for mark-downs and cash-management. Additionally, store-owned and consigned items can be tracked separately and the program can be used to print checks for payment to consignors.ConsignPro is another resale tool for those who provide consignment services. Their website touts the program as an industry favorite, citing its user-friendliness and powerful features as selling points. The company also sells point-of-sale hardware compatible with ConsignPro. A variety of packages that include the software along with various pieces of supporting hardware are available. Training in the software's use and an online consignor account that supplies data backup services are offered as add-on services.More reference links: http://www.consignmentsoftware.biz/Home.htm http://www.consignpro.com/package.php
