Your goal as a small business owner is to provide customers with the best product while maintaining a high profit margin. That’s where buying wholesale comes into play.
Many potential clothing business owners go straight for wholesale adult apparel. Profitable kids clothing, meanwhile, is a category that often goes untapped.
Wholesalers like Bella + Canvas create a vast range of high-quality kids apparel, in addition to their regular adult sizes. As a result, they make it easy to add kids clothing to your inventory and boost your brand’s growth and profits.
Why You Should Sell Kids Clothing
There are several benefits of selling wholesale kids clothing.
- Constant revenue stream: Kids constantly outgrow their clothes (15-20 times per year), Hence, parents are always shopping for new pieces year-round.
- Your target market knows what it wants: People shopping for children’s clothing know what they want. They have specific pieces that they need, and your clothing products can be the answer.
- Reach customers 24/7: According to eMarketer, 58.3% of mothers and 56.3% of fathers search for deals online before making a purchase. Selling your boutique products online is vital to reaching new customers.
Finding a reliable wholesale kids clothing supplier is essential for a successful business operation.
Here are the key steps to choosing the best wholesale kids clothing supplier for your business.
1. Ask Questions
Before searching for a wholesale supplier, outline upfront questions that you want answered.
Every business has different goals and needs. Generally speaking, you’ll want to know the following from a prospective wholesaler:
- What are the terms of payment?
- Are there minimum order requirements?
- What is your return policy?
- Are there discounts for ordering specific quantities?
- Is there a restocking fee?
Keep these questions in mind as you research wholesalers. Focus on the vendors that align best with your desired answers.
2. Choose the Type of Wholesaler
There are different types of wholesale suppliers.
- Local suppliers: You can order from a wholesaler in your country, state, or local community. Local suppliers fulfill orders faster. Also, if there’s ever a problem, you don’t have the added stress surrounding different time zones and language barriers.
- Foreign suppliers: Using a foreign supplier has several pros and cons. They are appealing because they’re usually cheaper. They can also be hassle-free, if you have a point of contact in the country of business.
- Retail wholesalers: These are the most common and easiest suppliers to work with for purchasing wholesale kids clothing. They sell at a slight markup compared to manufacturers, but still have reasonable prices. They also offer a wide variety of products that you can’t find elsewhere.
- Manufacturers: Sometimes, you can go directly to the manufacturer to buy your wholesale kids apparel. This eliminates the go-between supplier, which can cut costs. Some manufacturers, however, do not sell directly to small businesses.
Identifying the type of wholesaler that works best for you will help narrow wholesaler options.
3. Know Your Budget
Know how much money you can spend buying a wholesale supply of kids apparel. That means comparing prices between wholesalers, and identifying the one that provides the best quality and price.
Find out the payment schedule of each potential wholesale supplier. Do they require 100% of the payment upfront? Do they have a monthly payment schedule? To avoid any misunderstandings between you and the new vendor, clarify the payment schedule that works best for your brand.
4. Research Wholesaler Reputations
Research is essential. If you’ve found a few wholesalers that seem responsive, have great prices, and appear to offer quality products, be sure to do some third-party research.
Read reviews from other businesses that have worked with them. Look for green and red flags in these reviews.
For example, does the wholesaler deliver orders on time? Are their kids fleece products soft and comfy, as promised? Find answers to these types of questions by reading honest third-party reviews.
In addition, you can do a background check on a company. Ensure that they are legitimate, licensed, and in good standing.
5. Evaluate Product Quality
Parents constantly buy new clothes for their kids, and they want the best bang for their bucks. So, be sure your wholesale kids clothing supplier uses premium materials that don’t fall apart after a few washes.
Providing high-quality garments do pay off in the long run. Additionally, they will help increase your brand loyalty.
Also, know the style of kids clothing you want for your brand. If your aesthetic is cool and trendy, go with a wholesaler offering modern cuts like baseball tees and raglan fleece pullovers. On the other hand, wholesalers with basic tees made from poly cotton are a great choice if your brand has a more classic vibe.
6. Know Their Turnaround Times
You want your kids clothing inventory to always be in stock. No matter how cute, oftentimes today’s busy parents can’t wait until one of your products restocked. Instead, they will shop with another brand that has what they need available in the store.
Therefore, you want a responsive wholesale kids clothing supplier with fast, reasonable turnaround times for fulfilling orders. Go with a wholesaler who ships quickly, which will make your business run smoother.
If your kids clothing boutique offers seasonal apparel, find out if the wholesaler can timely fulfill and ship your order. The last thing you’d want is to plan for the season, then your inventory doesn’t arrive on time.
Make it Easy to Find a Wholesale Kids Clothing Supplier
Keep these critical steps in mind, and your search for the best kids clothing wholesaler will be much easier.
Kids clothing suppliers are abundant. However, by asking the right questions and avoiding red flags, you can establish a long-lasting relationship with a high-quality, reliable wholesaler.
Remember, the best wholesale fleece, cotton, and polyblend apparel for kids is out there. You just have to know what you’re looking for – and where to find it!
