The journey of a clothing item from the very beginning design phase to finally ending up in a customer’s hands can be a long one. It has to be designed, created, stored, distributed, sold, packaged, and shipped—sometimes with slight variations to this order.
The bottom line is, there are many steps going on behind the scenes, and one of the most important ones are wholesale distributors. Understanding how wholesale distributors function is key to setting up a successful clothing business, and USA-based ones are one of the most important markets to understand for wholesale women’s clothing.
What Do Wholesale Apparel Distributors Do?
Wholesale apparel distributors purchase clothing products in bulk quantities directly from manufacturers that make them. They then sell these clothing products to customers who are usually retailers, or sometimes other distributors. Occasionally individual customers may make purchases from wholesale distributors as well (for higher prices), but this situation is rare.
In general, wholesale distributors function as a middleman between manufacturers and clothing retailers.
What Are The Benefits of Working With a Wholesale Apparel Distributor?
If you’re wondering if you need to use a wholesale distributor at all when some manufacturers offer direct purchasing from retailers, there are a few important factors to consider. Wholesale distributors offer many unique advantages that most manufacturers simply can’t. Working with a distributor often makes retailers’ businesses more profitable and easier to operate.
The first main advantage wholesale apparel distributors offer is a curated selection of trendy clothing items. Manufacturers don’t necessarily pay as much attention to fashion trends and likely won’t have as good of a selection for women’s wholesale clothing as a high-quality distributor would. Distributors are also able to source from several different manufacturers, so they can offer a more broad “one-stop-shop” experience for retailers.
Another major benefit of working with distributors is storage and logistics. Working with a distributor in the same country (or even continent) as a retailer’s intended final destination for an item can greatly decrease shipping costs and speed up shipping timelines. This makes it far easier to time seasonal products and may even offer a more competitive price than what retailers could find directly from overseas manufacturers.
Since wholesale apparel distributors often have large storage facilities and make bulk purchases, they generally also offer a far lower minimum order quantity than manufacturers do. This is especially convenient for smaller retailers who can’t meet minimum order requirements or need to pay a higher price per item for smaller orders.
A final benefit of working with a wholesale distributor is a superior customer service and product selection experience. Manufacturers don’t generally specialize in marketing their products, so they may be scarce on product details or difficult to get ahold of for small retailers. Wholesale distributors on the other hand are experts at helping retailers select exactly what they’re looking for and providing all the necessary details they need.
Who Are The Major Wholesale Apparel Distributors in the USA?
For retailers operating businesses in the USA, selecting a USA-based women’s wholesale clothing distributor can be beneficial. There are several prominent companies to go with such as FashionGo, LAShowroom, Tasha Apparel, CC Wholesale Clothing, Sugarlips Wholesale, Judson & Company, and several others.
Sometimes, international companies like Dear Lover will also have women’s wholesale clothing distribution warehouses located in the USA which likewise makes it easy for North American retailers to conduct business with them.
Overall, the choice of whether or not to use a distributor often comes down to the size of a retailer’s operation, and how much time they have available to browse and coordinate with several manufacturers to find products they’re happy with.
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