9 Essential Questions You Must Ask Your Wholesale Clothing Supplier
Finding a reliable wholesale clothing supplier is a tedious but necessary task for starting and growing your business. Establishing a relationship with a new vendor and building trust takes time, and many times an extensive trial and error process. There are many clothing wholesalers and liquidators that offer different types of merchandise and work in different ways, and finding the right one can be the difference between frustration and success.
When looking for a new wholesale vendor or supplier, many don’t know where to start. Asking fundamental questions and narrowing down your search will help you find the right clothing wholesaler for your business.
With that being said, before spending time researching wholesale clothing suppliers, make sure you already have a plan for your business. Knowing what type of wholesale clothing you want to sell, if you are looking to make your own designs, or resell clothing from designer brands, as well as how you plan to resell it will make your research more efficient.
To assist you in your clothing supplier search, below are nine essential questions to help you find the right match for your business. These inquiries will not only assist you in determining whether a clothing wholesaler can supply your business, but they may also prompt you to consider the little practicalities that are commonly overlooked when stocking your online store or boutique.
1: Are You A Manufacturer, A Wholesaler, Or An Agent?
When starting your search for a wholesale designer clothing supplier, make sure you are looking for the right supplier and familiarize yourself with the wholesale merchandise and services they provide.
Find out right away if they are a clothing wholesaler, a clothing manufacturer, or simply an agent that connects customers with the distributors.
These 3 are completely different businesses, and offer different services:
• Manufacturers create clothing from scratch and usually give clients the option of producing customized items.
• Wholesalers sell already-produced clothing, including overstock and closeouts from popular designer brands.
• Wholesale agents are similar to directories, and only assist clients with their initial search, offering limited assistance and charging a fee for their consulting services.
Determining which of these 3 types of suppliers you are looking for must be the first step in your search.
2: What Products Do You Produce Or Sell?
Wholesalers and manufacturers normally offer a wide range of products: handbags, clothing, shoes, and more. However, some are dedicated to offering more specific items, causing them to have a limited supply of other products. Therefore, by learning what kinds of items they make or specialize in most frequently, you may determine whether a factory’s or wholesaler’s supply aligns with your demands. For example: If you cater primarily to plus-size women, choosing a manufacturer or a supplier with a small selection of women’s clothing doesn’t make sense.
3: Are You Accepting New Orders?
Depending on the quantities of merchandise you plan to order, as well as the size of the manufacturer or wholesaler, there may be limits to the quantities of wholesale clothing you can acquire. Make sure to check if the wholesaler or clothes manufacturer you contacted can complete your initial order and supply your business continuously. To establish lasting connections with clothing suppliers, you will need to plan for the time it takes to process and ship your order, so you always have a steady supply for your business.
4: Is There A Minimum Order Quantity?
As manufacturers and wholesalers usually work with large quantities of merchandise, it is common for them to require a minimum order quantity. Find a clothing supplier whose minimum order quantity matches your requirements so that you don’t end up having to make a larger investment than expected or with additional inventory taking up space.
5: Do You Offer Discounts For "X" Quantity?
Because many factories and distributors work with quantities of thousands of products regularly, they also provide volume discounts, lowering the price per unit as your order quantity increases. Don’t simply ask for the price of wholesale clothing in general, as this may not be practical, but asking for a specific quantity, or a range might give you a better indication and help anticipate the investment you may need to make.
6: What Are Your Payment Methods Or Payment Terms?
Your clothing distributor or manufacturer may require payment in full or may accept payment terms. Department store liquidators, as well as overstock and closeout clothing wholesalers, for example, are known to work with full payment upfront by wire transfer, as they normally work with extremely large quantities of merchandise. Find out your options before agreeing to or proceeding with an order as every company has a distinct style of conducting business.
7: How Long Will It Take To Process My Order?
Each company has a best-case scenario, a realistic timeframe, and a worst-case scenario. To correctly plan the year of your business, make sure you have a realistic estimate of the turnaround time your supplier would require to produce your designs and process your orders. The timeline will depend on several factors including the quantity you order, as well as the shipping method and the transit time from the supplier to you.
8: What's Your Shipping Procedure?
It’s simple to overlook this important point, but shipping costs must be taken into account when determining your sourcing strategy. Shipping costs can vary drastically depending on the weight and size of the shipment as well as the distance being shipped to, and can cause a product’s cost to increase to the point it may not be worth it. If you are considering an international supplier, also take into account the documentation and fees related to importing the wholesale clothing to the country of destination.
The majority of wholesalers hire freight or shipping firms like DHL or FEDEX to handle their shipping, but if you are local some may also provide you with pickup or direct delivery options. Find out how your clothing supplier works and how involved you’ll need to be in organizing the shipment of your merchandise.
9: What Would You Do If I Received Defective Items in My Order?
Most apparel wholesalers will have some standard policies in place to deal with faulty goods. Most companies typically have an established process to inspect your items, before shipping, but do not assume, make sure what is the process required in case you find imperfections with your order.
How DNC Wholesale Works
DNC Wholesale is a wholesale designer clothing supplier, and have expanded to offer designer handbags, shoes, bedding and more. We wholesale new original clothing from designer brands, such as overstock and closeouts, serve thousands of customers around the world, and we’re always accepting new orders.
Because we understand that many customers are just starting out, we have several wholesale clothing offers that have really smaller minimum order quantities. We think it is wise for new customers, and customers who are just starting their business, to start with small quantities so they are able to try our products and services without having to make a large investment, as well as see for themselves which products they prefer to work with.
We also offer additional discounts on most of the wholesale offers available on our website when customers order large quantities. In addition, in order to assist our customers, we can help with the shipping process, and obtain shipping quotes.
See all of our offers on our site: DNCWholesale.com or contact us directly for more information on the wholesale designer clothing we supply.
