What to Consider When Buying Wholesale Women's Clothing?
Before buying wholesale fashion, there is a lot of research that needs to be done. Settling with the first results that pop up on Google is not enough. But how to make sure you find the right wholesale clothing suppliers for your shop? TradeGala is the B2B fashion platform that will help you with that. Before you start searching, here are a few things to consider:
Know Your Target Audience
This is probably the most important point. If you’re opening a fashion boutique, you must know exactly who your customers are. If this is a physical store, starting with some research about the area will help. Visit the local coffee shops, supermarkets, pubs… and observe. Talking to people is great; chat to fellow shop owners! Local papers and media organisations might be happy to share an overview of who lives in the area. If this is an online store, then decide who your target audience will be – and stick to it.
Watch the Trends
When buying wholesale clothes you must be up-to-date with the latest trends. More importantly, you must be one step ahead of your customer. People will get informed about what is trending in fashion through magazines and online articles, social media platforms and through an even more organic way – just walking on the high streets and looking at fashion boutique displays. If you want them to buy items from your shop, make sure the trends that women are seeing will be available for them. And don't worry if you think you're running late - with short order stock at TradeGala you can order the latest looks and have them on your shelves within a week!
Go for Quality
Sometimes, when you buy cheap, you get what you paid for. Buying low-quality products is one of the quickest ways to ruin your business. If customers are not pleased with the items they purchased, they will not return. Fabrics that get loose or discard colour after washing are a classic example but not the only one. The devil is in the details, and the most demanding customers may be able to tell the quality of your items only by looking at the lining. This does not mean that only high-cost items are good; there are expensive items with poor quality standards too. The good news is, with low minimum order quantities, you can trial new brands at TradeGala without investing heavily in advance.
Define your Brand Identity
We just talked about the importance of keeping up with trends, but… you must think beyond the trends too. Even in wholesale women’s clothing, if retailers limit themselves to selling what is trending there is no future for the store. Think of trends as guidance and inspiration but insert them within the concept of your own business. The idea of branding is essential as you go through the process of selecting the items you will sell. Build your identity as if you were the curator of a museum.
Maintain Diversity
This is a very common mistake. The exercise of building your boutique’s identity and serving your target audience shouldn’t result in narrowing your options down. If someone has decided to shop for clothes today, they probably feel like they need something new, fresh and exciting! Seeing the same kind of items throughout the whole store is dull. Try to find the balance between your boutique having its own feeling and ensuring you are offering a diversified range of items.
Source Sustainability
Last, but not least, don’t forget sustainability. The climate emergency is becoming increasingly harder to deny and the legacy of COP26 will remain after Glasgow. This means that more and more customers will want to know about the sustainability and eco-friendly standards and practices of your store and the items you sell. Fashion is the most harmful industry for the environment. As a retailer, you have the opportunity to make a difference and your customers will value that. Learn more about how to shop sustainable.
The future is online, and wholesale is no exception. Find more ideas and tips in our blog at TradeGala, the marketplace that connects wholesale suppliers and retail buyers online.
Written by Catarina Joele
