Plus Size Clothing Wholesale Vendors That Fit Modern Retail Needs

Offering plus size clothing is a little more involved, it is not just a matter of adding bigger sizes to the existing product offering. Buyers and customers are concerned about fit, comfort, style and consistency across size ranges. For stores and internet vendors the challenge is the initial step of selecting plus size clothing wholesale vendors with the right product offerings, size ranges and buying flexibility.

Plus Size Starts With the Right Size Range

The ‘plus size’ label is not defined by a single range of sizes.

Depending on the vendor, 1X to 3X might be offered by one vendor, another one might carry 4X or 5X. Since some websites or vendors may be using size numbers, others might be using some measurement, or some letter sizes. Even in the same store, other categories might carry their own size range.

That is much better than they give you.

The store which sells to the customer who shops regularly above the 2X range needs to inspect the full Spectrum prior to choosing a supplier. The store could promote that they have inclusive sizing in reality they may have limited options in the larger sized ranges.

Check Measurements Before Product Photos

Product photos indicate style. Measurements provide a lot of information about fit.

Notice bust, waist, hip, shoulder width, sleeve length, rise, inseam and garment length. They allow you to compare items from different sellers more consistently.

Although two garments are labeled 3XL their shapes may be quite different. One may be cut with more space in the hips another may have a longer body or wider sleeves.

For online stores this information will help them to generate better size guides. Customers buy according to what measurements they see especially when they do not have an opportunity to try the garment before they buy.

Larger Does Not Always Mean Better Fit

Designing a plus-size garment is not just about grading a normal size up it takes more than a scale up.

Body proportions alter on larger sizes. A bigger customer may require more room through the bust, waist, hips, arms or rise instead of the same proportions multiplied through every measurement.

That makes the difference when a retailer assesses a new supplier. Pay attention to the shape of the dress not only to the size size.

A relaxed top will probably suit a number of sizes. A tailored dress or pair of jeans requires a far greater awareness of proportion. Pay particular attention to products with a structured waist, fitted sleeve or fitted hip.

Choose Styles That Work With Your Customer Base

Not all plus size stores require the same range of items.

For example, a boutique specializing in casual wear may focus on tops, dresses, denim and airy layers. An online streetwear retailer may allocate more stock to oversized T-shirts, hoodies, cargo trousers and jackets. Other retailers may specialize in work or occasion wear.

And the identity should be followed by product selection.

Why not provide some good combinations rather than just more and more “shopping stock” of plus size pieces. A few good tops of the right shape and tone with the right bottoms could give you far more useable stock than a set of abstract catalogues.

Fabric Changes the Fit

Fabric becomes more significant the more body shapes the garments is covering.

Stretch may allow improved comfort for leggings, fitted tops and some dresses. Fabric with good stretch and recovery may be able to return to closer to its original shape after being worn many times. Drapy material may give a contrasting profile compared to more body-hugging fabric, heavier fabric may also give more definition.

Transparency is another aspect that should be considered, particularly with lighter shades and more delicate fabrics.

For retailers, there‘s no “best” fabric as such. The “best” fabric to use is whatever fabric is easier for the garment and the customer. For example, a soft and stretch fabric might be fine for a close fitting top but less advantageous for a jacket.

Build the First Order Around Testing

Significant inventory commitments pose significant risk when the product has no historical sales data.

A more modest first order provides valuable insight. You can discover which styles sell, which sizes sell most rapidly, and which items produce the most returns or complaints.

Some of the existing wholesale suppliers allow low minimums or flexible range of quantity purchase, so this testing process becomes conveniently feasible for small scale retailers.

Once there‘s a few successful lines, start raising the order around those winners rather than all new styles on an equal footing.

Wholesale Price Does Not Show the Full Cost

It has to be accepted that a low unit price appears attractive in a quotation but the ultimate business result depends upon far more.

Shipping is a further expense. Unsold stock is tying up cash flow. Markdowns have a negative impact on profits. And returns mean handling costs. Maybe the product that can sell at just above wholesale price, reaches quick can better than a lower priced product that remains in storage.

The limitation has also included into the calculation of theMR.

Whether a vendor wants large volumes per style, you may need to invest more money in advance, before the customers‘ response is tested. The more flexible the supplier is, the more possibilities you have to operate different styles and sizes.

Your Size Mix Should Follow Sales

Charging the same amount for every size might sound simple, and it certainly is“theoretical masses are perfect consumers. But in reality, real customers do not buy this way;

Your own sales data will become valuable after a few orders. As a user you may find that 2X and 3X sell very quickly while another size is very slow. One particular dress may sell far more in the larger sizes than a T-shirt. Some other product may sell heavily in the middle of the range.

Use those patterns when you reorder.

This helps you keep less over stock, which makes more of the sizing your customer will want available. It also provides a better framework for your buying decisions than broad market assumptions.

A Large Catalog Does Not Guarantee Reliable Supply

Some vendors have hundreds of plus-size styles, but when a customer wants to repurchase a best seller, it can be difficult.

The availability is just as important as the range.

Verify if a seller frequently updates stock info and if provenance styles always come back when they “sell out”. Easy availability of common colors/sizes helps to plan the stocks much better.

The same rule can be applied for seasonal goods. The retailer may want to experiment with a style before launching it in volume. If it is sell well, the supplier should be able to offer an efficient replenishment system.

Watch Customer Feedback After the Sale

Sales figures tell what customers bought Feedback tells you why they kept or returned it.

Notice the remarks about sleeve tightness, length, waist fitting, fabric touch, stretch, and comfort. Sometimes the reasons of complains could uncovers the drawbacks of the product that the pictures and elements supplied can not show.

Ensure that those observations are kept with your purchasing records.

When the subsequent buying cycle has begun supplier products can be even more objectively evaluated against real customer experiences.

Ready-to-Ship and Custom Options Serve Different Goals

In case of ready-to-ship wholesale, they make sense only when the turnaround is rapid. A retailer can just pick already existing product, buy the existing sizes and put them into the shop instead of producing a new garment altogether.

However, custom production. In this way, a brand can trace the pattern, the fabric, the size, the colors, the label, and so on. This is more convenient if the company knows exactly the market demand.

Some may even blur the line between the two paths over time. For example, a retailer can buy ready-made wholesale trade items initially and later develop their own ranges of popular styles.

Think About Reordering Before You Buy

You gain a lot more if you can come back for another order without having to rebuild your product offering.

Before you place the order, ask the important questions. Which sizes are often out of stock? How frequent is reordering? Will your best sellers come in new colors? Will the size chart be the same for the next batch?

Those answers matter, because a good seller presents you with a whole different problem than a slow seller. That‘s not a good problem to find, that great product has become impossible to restock.

Match the Vendor to Your Retail Strategy

No one wholesale model is the best fit for all plus-size business.

Different types of different sized retailers will want different things from their suppliers. A new online store, for instance, may want a wide range of styles with low stock levels; a boutique may want a distinct style with a loyal seasonal range; and a large retailer may look for high, stable stock levels, consistent sizing, and makes purchasing decisions based on previous sales…

JiuvelWear, operated by Dongguan Jiuzuo Clothing Co., Ltd., it is specialized on OEM production and private-label production. Its services include fabric sourcing, design and sample making, bulk production etc.

The best buying decision is going to originate with your customer, not from a supplier catalog. Identify which sizes you need, test your best selling range and keep track of sales and returns, and shape your future orders around what sells. This process places your plus-size selection on a sound footing in your retail enterprise.