A recent report puts the global clothing and apparel industry at a whopping $2.5 trillion. The same report indicates that U.S. citizens spend almost $380 billion on clothing and footwear. Wholesale clothing startups are quite popular due to the potential financial success and their versatility. In this post, we share seven fashion secrets that will help you start a successful wholesale clothes apparel business.
1. Have a niche
There are lots of choices if you are venturing into the fashion and apparel industry. When deciding on a niche, you need to consider your target market. What do you want to specialize in? Is it ladies wholesale denim? Children’s clothes? Or will you be catering to the teen market? If you are uncertain, study the market to establish who is under-served. Focusing on a specific group of people means that you face less competition, and it becomes easier to market your products. Also, there is a high probability of customer loyalty.
2. Choose a business model
When it comes to a clothing line business model, you can choose to print on demand, create a private label apparel and clothing line, or custom cut and sew the clothes you are selling. The print-on-demand option is where you print your logo or preferred designs on blank apparel only when you get an order. This a perfect choice if you are just starting. If you prefer the second option, you have to buy blank clothes in bulk and customize them by adding your tag, print, label, or design. When it comes to custom cut and sew wholesale clothes, you will be designing, sourcing for fabrics, and running or paying for a complete production run.
3. Have unique clothing designs
Whether your designs are embroidered or printed, they need to look good in the eyes of your target market. If your target market cannot relate to your designs, you will be losing out.
4. Quality
There are huge variances when it comes to the quality of clothing and apparel. The quality of the clothes affects how it washes, shrinks, fades, lasts, and also how it will look on your client’s body. Before venturing into the clothing industry, educate yourself on the different clothing materials and their quality. While it’s tempting to sacrifice the clothes’ quality for higher profits, understand that this affects your customers’ future buying decisions. They are also less likely to refer someone to buy your brand.
5. Connect with reputable merchandisers
After choosing a niche and identifying your business model, you will want to get reputable suppliers. You can find clothing suppliers on online directories, word of mouth referrals, search engines, trade events, or from online forums and social media groups. You will also want to decide whether you will source your clothes locally or from overseas. When choosing a supplier, consider such factors as:
- Their pricing
- The shipping times
- The minimum quantities you can order at a time, and
- Whether you can get samples
6.Differentiate your brand
The clothing and apparel industry is one of the most flooded industries the world over. To remain competitive, you will need to differentiate your brand completely. This means choosing a competitive niche and choosing a unique style, fit, or design.
7. Test your product
Sample how your target market receives your clothing products by before you commence with the full product run. Trade fairs or online platforms are a good place to start. Take notes of how the market perceives the product and ask for feedback and improvement recommendations. This helps you make any necessary changes so that the end product is received in the best way possible.
Starting a wholesale clothing store may seem overwhelming at first, especially if you are new to the industry. Whether you are starting an entire range of cut and sew wholesale clothes or a t-shirt business, the above information and resources provided in this post will help.
