Finding the best wholesale clothing for women can be tricky as there is a lot to consider. Read more for guidance.
If you own a clothing boutique, you want to provide your female customers with items that will help them stand out in a crowd (in a good way). You want them to feel and look their best in the outfit they purchased in your shop.
Choosing the best wholesale clothing is not something you can do on a whim. There is a process, with proven steps, to help you successfully supply your customers with great products and bring in profits for your boutique. First, you must buy wholesale.
What is Wholesale Clothing for Women?
As you search for clothing items to resell in your boutique, you have options of where to find the items, like the following:
- Make your clothing
- Buy from local makers
- Buy from a wholesale supplier
- Buy directly from a manufacturer or designer
The best and possibly easiest option is to work with a wholesale supplier. They can be your one-stop-shop, where you can find clothing and all the other great items that enhance apparel, such as jewelry, bottoms, jackets, and handbags.
Purchasing clothing wholesale means getting a discount on the clothing you buy based on quantity. The more items you purchase, the more significant the discount. Bulk pricing discounts can increase your profit margins.
Once you decide on a wholesaler, you can choose the best clothing pieces. Here are some tips to help you along the way.
Match Your Need for Quality
Your customers want clothing that holds up and makes them look and feel good the first time they wear it and the hundredth. The following are must-haves for quality clothing:
- You can’t see through it
- Patterns match at the seams
- Zippers are hidden
- It is sewn, not glued
- Fabric is durable and won’t rip easily
- Colors do not bleed or fade
- Closures, buttons, and hemlines are sturdy
Match Your Boutique’s Theme
It’s essential to keep your boutique’s theme in mind when buying great wholesale clothing for women. If your boutique theme is “Celebrate Summer,” you don’t want to purchase business suits.
Choosing the right theme for your boutique involves brainstorming and thinking outside the box. Research your competitors but avoid accidentally copying their theme. Be creative and ask others for feedback.
Your boutique’s theme should carry over into floor displays, artwork, decorations, and packaging. Themes can change several times throughout the year.
Match Your Boutique’s Brand
Themes and brands are quite different. A theme is a temporary message. A brand is a permanent message that describes why your boutique exists. Brands have much bigger purposes than themes, which are meant to inspire customers to visit your shop and make a purchase.
Brand purposes include the following:
- Makes a promise to your customers
- Establishes trust
- Sets you apart
- Makes your boutique memorable
- Defines your “why”
Match Your Customer’s Fashion and Style
Shopping wholesale for clothing to sell in your boutique does not mean buying all the clothes you love and want to wear. It’s about the customer’s style. Always keep your customer base at the forefront of your decisions.
Style is different than fashion. Fashion items focus on your external appearance. Style, however, represents who you are internally, your identity, and your sense of self. Both are important. As a boutique owner, you want to offer clothing that satisfies a little bit of both fashion and style.
Buying wholesale clothing for women gives you the most options for capturing fashion and style. A wholesaler also offers accessories to enhance your customer’s fashion and style further.
Match Your Future Goals
What is your vision for your boutique? Do you want to expand your product lines? If so, the best wholesale clothing supplier will offer extensions that match your vision. You are selling clothing for women right now. One day you may want to add makeup, perfumes, shoes, or products for a different age group.
When you find the right wholesaler, making moves like this will be easy.
Match Your Location Needs
Where the wholesale clothing supplier is located matters. Location plays a role in shipping costs, deadlines, delays, and returns. Also, communicating with a supplier located in a different time zone can be frustrating.
Wouldn’t it be great to visit your wholesale supplier in person? You could view and handle the products before ordering. You can meet your primary contact and spend time building a relationship. You can inspect the facility to ensure it matches your standards.
When possible, choose a wholesale supplier that is accessible and welcomes visits from retailers.
Match Your Budget
You could purchase the most beautiful wholesale clothing on the planet, but if the cost is outside your budget, it will not be a blessing to your boutique. The wholesaler for you is the one that offers your desired items at a price you can afford.
A boutique budget can mean developing multiple budgets for different activities. You can create a purchasing budget, operating budget, display budget, celebration budget, or a petty cash budget. The idea is that having a budget helps you stay organized, aware, and within your means.
Match Your Margins
The cost of wholesale clothing for women must be low enough that you can enjoy healthy profit margins but not too low to compromise quality and beauty. When you achieve good profit margins, you can pass on savings to your customers. You can offer more discounts, sales, and other promotions. You can also spend more on marketing.
Match Your Storage Capabilities
Not all boutique owners have massive storage space to hold inventory. Storage space must be considered with choosing the best wholesale clothing for women. Most wholesale suppliers offer products in bulk, and the higher the bulk, the bigger the discount. However, this policy may not work for you.
Choose a wholesale supplier that offers small-batch purchases. You may not get the biggest discount, but you won’t be overwhelmed with excess products piled up in a back room.
Finally, have fun. It’s been your dream to own a clothing boutique. You did it!!
