Going Wholesale – The Cheapest Way to Update your Wardrobe

Retail therapy is one of the great British pastimes and splashing the cash on new stuff is only surpassed by our collective passion for bargains.  We love to buy things, but we never want to pay full price for anything – and why would we?

Thanks to the internet, you are never more than a few clicks away from a reduced price tag and virtually everything you can think of is available cheaper elsewhere, you only need to know where to find it. When it comes to discount clothing online, the bargains we so crave can usually be found somewhere where the word ‘wholesale’ is present.

Wholesale – Is That Not for Retailers?

If you are shopping for clothing, a trip to the wholesalers is not going to be high on your list of places to visit – if it is on there at all. Clothing wholesalers in the UK are typically large cash-and-carry warehouse-type buildings that get goods from manufacturers and sell them in bulk to retailers,who then sell them on to you, the customer.

You would not want to go directly to the wholesaler to find what you need (unless what you need is 100 t-shirts all in the same size and colour) but there are definite advantages of shopping this way. You see, shopping at the wholesalers means cutting out the retailer – the middleman that marks up products considerably for profit.

Wholesale clothing allows you to shop for items at wholesale prices – the prices the retailer buys them at. Except, rather than having to buy in bulk, you can find what you need in smaller numbers. The wholesaler is the distributor that buys items from the manufacturer and you are the retailer, buying garments and accessories at pre-store mark up prices.

The Best Place for Big Brands

If it’s brand names that you’re looking for, wholesale clothing suppliers is the place to find them. Quite often, manufacturers try to move large lots in order to clear space for new stuff, wholesalers can then step in to negotiate cheap prices ad buy in bulk. And low prices for them invariably mean low prices for you.

So what sort of things can you pick up from a clothes wholesaler in the UK? Well, this really depends on the seller. Many wholesalers offer limited choice due to not being able selling only what a particular manufacturer is getting rid of. Some, like ukfashionwholesale.com, however, run their operation like any good fashion retailer and are able to offer a selection to rival any high street retailer. This allows you to pick up everything from wholesale t-shirts and tops to sandals to stilettos at prices that your bank account will find hard to believe.

Next time you are setting out in search of a bargain, ditch the sales section at Top shop and immerse yourself wonderful world of wholesale clothing – you will never look anywhere else for another bargain.

How to Set Up a Successful Market Stall

The relationship between clothing manufacturers and wholesale suppliers has opened a world of opportunity to would-be fashion retailers and has made it easier than ever for people to realise their dreams of owning a clothing business. One of the most cost-effective ways in which to utilise the availability of wholesale clothing is by setting up a market stall. This can be done the old-fashioned way with a pitch on high streets and market squares in the local area, as well as at special industry events, festivals, and country and car boot fairs.

Getting the Stock

Before setting up a market stall,you are going to need to invest in the stock to fill it. Whether you intend to sell men’s, women’s, or children’s clothing, it is best in the early days to test the waters by purchasing only a few pieces of your chosen designs. If demand is strong, clothing wholesalers in the UK are prevalent and you will have no problem finding more stock.

UK fashion wholesale specialises in purchasing items directly from manufacturers and selling them on in high volume with only a slight mark-up price. The larger the order, the cheaper individual items become and the more profit you get to make on each piece. If your stall is a success and there is significant interest in a particular product, it is well worth buying in bulk and maybe even selling in bulk too – 2-4-1 and 3-for-2 offers do great business on market stalls and will help you shift stock quality without sacrificing profits.

When stocking your market stall always be sure to display items according to price point (low to high) and prominently display tags and labels to show clothing is genuine.

Always keep the prices of your stock realistic – too low may lead to an assumption that products are fake, while too high will drive away custom.

Setting up a Stall

Getting the set-up of your stall right will take some practice and experimentation, but here are the essentials you will need to make it success:

1. Equipment – tent/stall; fixtures

2. Décor – fabric to cover a table and highlight the products on it. Plain colours are best.

3. Advertising – banners featuring your name and logo; flyers; business cards

4. Accessories – low cost items that can be purchased on impulse to put you in the mind of the customer for future reference. Jewellery, hats, and sunglasses are all good accessories.

5. Stock storage – boxes for your goods so that they can be transported safely.

6. Transport – a roomy and, more importantly, reliable vehicle to carry your stock. Running a market stall generally involves a lot of travelling around visiting UK fashion wholesale suppliers, local markets, and events.

For more information on getting started as a market trader, marketstartup.co.uk is an excellent free resource.

5 Things You Need to Know About Starting a Clothing Business

Thanks to the wonderful world of online shopping, starting a clothing business today is easier than ever. However, with simplicity come competition – the ease in which people can set up and promote clothing stores makes success harder to come by. Owning your own store, online or otherwise, isn’t going to be the glamorous job it is so often portrayed as, but get it right and there are definite rewards to be had.

If you are thinking about pursuing your dream as a fashion retailer, here are five things you need to know.

1. Research is Key

As with any good business, solid foundations are formed with good research. You have to know everything about your market – who are the customers and what do they like; where are the best clothing wholesale suppliers; who are the competition; what do they sell and how much for? There are dozens of questions you need to ask before starting out and research will help you answer them. Read industry magazines and blogs to gain market insight, check out the competition, talk to other small business owners, and maybe even get a part-time job within a retail outlet to learn the ropes – do anything and everything it takes.

2. Budgets Must Be Stuck To

Capital is probably going to be hard to come by, especially in the formative stages, so you will need to operate on a strict budget. Work out what you can spend and stick to it. Prioritise the things you really need; premises (if you’re going into brick and mortar retail), a website (if you’re going ecommerce), clothing wholesale costs and marketing costs – and call in favours regularly.

3. Networking is Important

Social media has made networking easier than ever and building up connections will be essential in helping you progress. Some companies invest heavily in networking – you do not need to do this. Connections can be made for free simply by interacting on sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter, or by picking up the phone.

4. Free Resources are there to Be Used

Take advantage of every free resource you can. Whether that’s a business webinar or a free bookkeeping course at your local community centre. With a little bit of digging around you will unearth endless free resources that will help you on the road to success.

5. A Great Product Is Everything!

The customers might be the most important element of a successful business, but these will only come if you have a quality product. Choose your fashion wholesale provider wisely; make sure they are reputable and can provide original products from real brands at the right price. Shifting a pallet load of wholesale t-shirts is going to be hard work if you cannot provide assurances on quality and you will need to get these assurances from your wholesaler.

How to Sell Clothing on eBay

Once upon a time, setting up your own business as a clothing retailer would have involved finding suitable business premises, securing stock, and drumming up interest by promoting your shop via leaflets and adverts in the local press. Success was a hard slog, and the upkeep expenses were difficult to manage. Today, starting out is much easier. Thanks to websites such as eBay, you can easily sell clothing from the comfort of your own home, with a guaranteed audience of millions and very little marketing costs.

Getting Started

If you are partial to a bit of internet shopping, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll have an eBay account. The marketplace has become the best place on the web to find bargains boasts categories covering pretty much everything that is a tradable commodity. You can easily use your account to start selling clothing on the site; however, if you are treating this more like a business, it is best to get set up with an eBay Shop – this will define you as a seller specialising in clothing.

While you’re at it, you should probably register for self-assessment with HMRC too – an eBay business is no different to any other business where tax and expenses are concerned.

Buying your Clothing

When it comes to clothing on eBay, everything sells. Men’s, women’s, children’s, dog’s – clothing is big business. One of the reasons we are starting to see more clothing manufacturers setting up shops on eBay is because they know the audience is there and items will attract attention.

To secure garments for your shop, you need look no further than cheap wholesale clothing suppliers. Wholesalers such as UK Fashion Wholesale provide everything you need at prices retailers simply cannot compete with. They purchase directly from clothing manufacturers and sell items to you in bulk at only a slight mark-up. You then put them on your eBay store at a greater mark-up, pay your sales fees and keep the rest to yourself.

Making Image Presentations

Once you have your stock, you are going to need to present it so that it is attractive to customers. Images are vital in securing sales on eBay so think about photographing your items in artistic ways, using background colours, and effects. Adobe Photoshop is a great program for helping you do this. Also, make sure you have at least three or four images of each garment and allow zooming.

Building a Customer Base

Customers are the most important element of any business and getting lots of them relies on you providing great products and even greater service. Always respond to emails promptly and contact customers to check that they were happy with a transaction and items have arrived safely. Also, make sure to provide positive feedback to good buyers – they will be more likely to respond in kind if you do.

Your Guide to Finding the Best Wholesale Retailer

Any clothing business preparing to open their doors needs to have a wholesale retailer on their side. It is the first step upon entering the world of clothing retail. Forming a strong connection with a wholesale retailer is essential because it is where your business will source its stock.

You want to find clothing wholesalers UK that offer quality, expedience, and the lowest prices possible. In this article, we are going to look at how you should be going about finding the best wholesale retailer.

What about your Competitors?

Contrary to popular belief, businesses do not always remain tight-lipped about where they source their clothes. It is a marketing technique. With customers becoming increasingly ethical and moral when it comes to where their favourite brands get their clothes from, businesses realise they have to be more open about their sources.

Want to know where your competitors are sourcing? Ask them. Give them a call as a customer and ask for further information about what wholesalers they decide to use. This technique is more potent than you would first think.

The History

Newer wholesalers are not necessarily something to be wary of, but you do have to increase your levels of scrutiny. There are no qualifications needed to setup a wholesale business. This is why the history of a company can mean a lot during your search for a wholesaler.

To begin with, you should look at how long a business has been selling clothes wholesale UK. If they have been providing garments for over twenty years, there is no reason why you cannot consider them reliable. They have already proven themselves by staying in business for such a long period.

Beware of the Prices and the Sales

You do have to be careful when you start choosing between retailers based on their prices and their special offers. Anyone can sell clothes wholesale for an extremely low price. In fact, it is the number one method these businesses use to bring in new customers.

This can often hide inferior quality and a lack of reliability. By all means, look at the prices and take them into consideration, but never prioritise them before general quality and reputation. Use them as a final determining factor when you have found two equally good retailers.

Does the Wholesaler Match the Needs of Your Business?

Ultimately, when you buy wholesale t-shirts and dresses and various other accessories the wholesaler needs to meet the needs of your business. Decide on what you need to buy before looking for a retailer.

Never let wholesalers dictate what sort of clothes you stock in your store. Look for a wholesaler that can conform to your business strategy, otherwise you could find yourself running into trouble later on.

Overall, choosing a retailer is about finding the one that best sticks to the needs of your business. If they cannot meet the needs of your business, it does not matter how good their prices are or their reputation. Never compromise when it comes to your chosen business strategy.

Wholesale Sales – What’s All This About?

Wholesalers having sales sounds like something that does not exist. Clothing sales are normally things you would expect to see in the B2C environment. The truth is wholesalers have just as much of a need, if not more of a need, to sell their clothing at the lowest prices possible as your average high street store.

In this article, we are going to discuss why wholesalers launch clothing sales and how you can go about finding the best sales.

The Sales

A wholesaler will launch special offers on businesses buying clothes wholesale for exactly the same reasons as any clothing retailer.

1. They want to get rid of existing stock. This might be because they want to get rid of products that were not selling well or they may simply want to get rid of last season’s clothing.

2. They want to gain an advantage over their competitors. The fashion wholesale business is extremely competitive.

They work in exactly the same way as any other form of sale. You get a discount and a limited time to use it. These sales may be promoted heavily or not. It depends entirely on the wholesaler and whether the goal is to bring in different clientele or not.

An Ideal Business Strategy for You

One of the main advantages of buying wholesale clothes in this way is it reveals a great business strategy for you. It is quite possible to buy clothes exclusively through wholesale sales. With so many wholesalers in the UK and abroad, it is not uncommon to see businesses buying clothes only when there is a sale.

Of course, this is not viable for every business. If you are only selling a limited range of garments, a sale may not be a viable option. The important thing is you do not compromise your strategy for the sake of a wholesale sale. Your customers must still come first. A sale is pointless if the number of transactions go down.

Finding a Sale

Finding a sale is a matter of going out and finding them. Connect with local wholesalers and get an idea for when they tend to launch sales. The fact is every wholesaler has a unique policy on sales.

For a start, some of them will opt for the festive approach. They will see that businesses are preparing for Christmas or the start of a new fashion season and offer a discount to encourage more buying.

Some wholesalers will prefer to offer sales after busy periods in order to empty their stockrooms. Moreover, some businesses will simply offer sales whenever they feel like offering sales.

Here are some strategies for finding a wholesaler that is currently or is planning a sale in the near future:

1. Sign up to any newsletters a wholesaler has. Subscribers will normally be the first to know about them.

2. Ask them when their next sale is. Some wholesalers will reveal when they will next have a sale simply when someone asks.

3. Check when their last sale was. You can normally spot sales trends by looking at the past.

Revealed – What is Wholesale Buying in the Clothing World?

Wholesale clothing is what makes the world go round in the fashion industry. Clothing manufacturers sell their clothing to retailers at a lower price than we would get. This is why retailers have the ability to sell their clothing for relatively low prices. They purchase the clothing at a big discount, and this is usually in bulk.

We take a closer look at wholesale buying and why it is so important for the rest of us if we want fashion retailers to stay in business.

Wholesale Suppliers in General

Your average clothing wholesalers UK are the people who supply the clothes to retailers. As we know, most companies are not Nike and Adidas. They do not have their own manufacturing operations. On the contrary, the majority of retailers have to purchase their clothing from third-party suppliers in order to keep their stockrooms full.

They will buy from the best designers, depending on what audience they are trying to appeal to. General wholesale suppliers are the bread and butter of the industry and a business must deal with them before they can even think of talking to customers.

Why so Cheap?

It is easy for shoppers to look at the price of wholesale t-shirts and dresses and say they are being ripped off by the huge price increases tacked on by the retailers. The fact is, though, this is necessary for retailers and wholesalers to stay in business.

Wholesale prices are pretty much the manufacturing cost of the garment plus the profit margins of the wholesalers themselves. They offer a way for retailers to keep prices lower for customers, whilst also allowing everyone to make their fair share of profit.

If wholesalers did not sell their stock at these pricing levels, it would be customers who could end up paying higher prices. Retailers would have no choice but to increase their prices if wholesalers did the same.

Bulk Buying and Getting the Best Deals

The general rule of thumb is the more you buy the cheaper it is. Wholesalers rely on being able to move their stock as quickly as possible. They use a strategy that relies on a quick turnover. It is why they reward retailers who decide to buy from them in bulk. It is also why independent stores will never be able to compete on price with the big chain stores.

Bigger chain stores have more room to make profit, so they can still make a healthy amount by lowering their prices even further.

There are hundreds of wholesalers all over the world. Another reason why wholesalers have so many deals is that they want to attract stores of all sizes. Since this is an industry based on price rather than marketing style, they have to compete fiercely to attract companies.

Overall, wholesale buying of clothes is the first step in the process of setting up a clothing retail business. Without the advantages of buying wholesale, it would be impossible for customers to get great deals on clothes and for your favourite clothing brands to stay in business.

How to Go About Buying New Clothes Wholesale

Are you thinking about setting up a fashion boutique?

If so, your first concern is figuring out how you are going to go about picking up your stock, as well as what you are going to pick up. Some people may decide they want to make the clothes themselves, but for most people it is a case of picking the right designers and searching for the right clothing wholesalers.

Here is your guide to how you should go about buying new clothes on a wholesale basis.

The Right Clothes

Buying clothes wholesale UK begins with finding out who stocks the right style of garment. Some wholesalers may specialise in a certain style of clothing. You need to find the right wholesaler for you. It is not uncommon to see the bigger clothing brands dealing with multiple wholesalers at the same time.

With hundreds of different wholesalers in the UK, you could find yourself spending hours on research. Ask for catalogues from a number of reputable wholesalers to see what they have on offer.

Look for the Prices

The prices you get from a wholesaler will determine whether you are getting a good deal or not. The cheaper you can get the clothes the more you are going to get in terms of profit. Furthermore, what you have to remember is a bigger profit margin means you have more flexibility over prices.

Understand that wholesalers change their prices all the time. You should also look out for sales from wholesalers. They have as many sales as retailers because they want to attract the most businesses possible. Wholesale clothing retail is just as competitive as competition on the average high street.

Consolidate

If possible, try to get a wholesaler who sells as much of your preferred stock as possible. Purchasing clothes in bulk will always lead to a better deal. It is always better to work with one or two wholesalers than to be buying from a handful of them. This will only increase your prices.

Give them a Call

When you have a list of wholesalers who you would like to work with, give them a call and see what deals you can get. Wholesalers work with each business on an individual basis. In general, you can expect to get the best deals if you are buying in bulk. Wholesalers want to move their stock as soon as they possibly can.

Walk Away

Never be afraid to walk away from a deal if it is not the right one to you. Do not make the mistake of assuming your choices are limited when it comes to cheap wholesale clothing. With hundreds of wholesalers all over the UK and abroad, there is no reason why you cannot potentially get a better deal elsewhere.

Overall, buying wholesale for a business is the same as buying for a customer. Make sure you have your shopping list ready by ordering wholesale catalogues. Have a business strategy in place before stocking your store. When you are ready to buy, get in touch with a favourite wholesaler and see what deal you can work out.

Business Buying – How Do You Know If You’re Getting Clothes at The Best Prices?

Clothing retailers big or small need to make sure they are getting their stock at the right price. If there is not enough room for their profit margins, they are wasting their time. This is why they need to conduct research into wholesale clothing UK before they decide to buy.

In this article, we are going to look into how you should determine if you are getting clothes for your business at the right prices.

The Goal

No matter where you buy from, the goal is to always get the right clothes at the lowest prices. Wholesalers tend to buy clothing in bulk and sell it on at lower prices than retail. Understand that retail prices actually come from clothes that have been marked up by the retailers that deal with customers. Without this mark up, nobody would ever make any money and the company would go out of business.

Always be willing to shop around to accomplish your goal. Feel free to attempt to negotiate. Wholesalers regularly have special deals on discount clothing with different retailers. For example, major clothing chains often get clothes at cheaper prices than a standard Internet-based business because they buy so much of it. They have special arrangements with their wholesalers.

Covering Your Expenses

There are many expenses involved with running a store of any kind. You have to make sure your sales are going to be enough to cover your expenses. In the case of a land-based store, this would involve looking at the cost of employees, rental costs, and the other bills associated with keeping the doors open.

Internet-based companies also have expenses. They have to consider the costs of storing their stock, as well as the costs of hosting a big website.

Always make sure you are able to cover your expenses by selling clothing.

Additional Profit Margins

After you have covered your overheads, this is the time to start making a profit. How much profit you want to make depends on your company. Some businesses prefer to take a risk by reducing their prices in an effort to sell more volume. This depends entirely on your strategy. Whether you can execute your chosen strategy depends on the price you can get wholesale clothing for.

In this case, the right price is the price that enables you to launch your strategy.

The Best Option

To put it simply, the easiest way to know if you are getting the best price on clothing is to compare one wholesaler with another. Shop around before making your final decision. There are hundreds of wholesalers all around the world ready to deal with you.

A common mistake made by newer businesses is to stick with wholesalers close to them geographically. This is not always necessary and can mean accepting a higher price for your stock. Compare the costs of looking abroad for clothing and see if you can get a better deal. Think about it. There is a reason why the likes of Nike look to places like Indonesia and China for their clothing.

Tips on Buying Wholesale Clothing

As a retailer, wholesale clothing suppliers are an excellent place from which to source items at affordable prices. The no-nonsense approach that wholesalers have to buying and selling is excellent in helping businesses purchase the items they need to sell on at a tidy profit to customers. If you are new to retail and have never had any previous dealings with wholesale shopping, the experience an exciting and rewarding one; however, no two wholesalers are the same and you have to be clued up about what you need and where you get it.

To help you successfully negotiate the world of wholesale fashion, here are some useful tips courtesy of UK Fashion Wholesale.

1. Know What You Want

Different wholesalers will specialise in different areas of fashion so it is important to have a clear idea of what you need before you begin seeking out a distributor. In retail, it is a good to promote expertise in a particular niche, for example children’s clothing or plus-size clothing. Having a set business model and a strong understanding of what you require will help you track down the right wholesaler.

2. Quality Matters

Your customer base depends on the quality of your goods. In such a competitive industry, providing customers with anything less than the best will simply not do. For this reason, you should always deal with a wholesaler that you trust and be provided with assurances that stock is genuine and free of damage. Wholesalers such as ukfashionwholesale.com that specialise in purchasing items directly from the manufacturer are a safe bet as items haven’t transferred through any middleman before arriving. This reduces the chance of damaged goods.

3. Only Deal with Serious, Reputable Distributors

Echoing the point above, it is crucial to the success of your business that you only ever deal with reputable wholesalers. There are many scam artists in this field out to take your money in exchange for inferior or knock-off products. You do not want to invest money in a pallet load of wholesale t-shirts only to find these are a brand copy. Use the internet to research, check out terms and conditions, and speak to wholesalers directly over the phone.

4. Visit a Wholesaler Personally

This is not often possible given the role of the internet in wholesale clothing; but if you can, visit a wholesaler personally and see what they have to offer first hand.

5. Get the Details

Customers buying from you expect to get what they pay for. To ensure they receive products as described, it is essential that the wholesaler provide you with all of the details regarding a product. This is particularly important if you place wholesale orders after a customer has made their purchase.