Most clothing stores, online and off, source and obtain their inventory in bulk from wholesalers.  Buying wholesale items is an essential part of running a successful retail business if you want to make a profit.  If you are looking to set up a clothing store and aim to get the majority of your supplies from wholesalers, there are some important things you should take into consideration before you begin growing your business.

Figure Out A Niche For Your Clothing Store/Business

This is one of the first things you should do, as it is one of the most important for ensuring your business is successful.  By targeting a specific niche, you can help to distinguish yourself from other clothing businesses.  You could choose to be the kind of store that sells plus-size clothing, for example, or a broader niche such as baby clothing.

Make Sure You Have All Relevant Legal Certificates

Depending on where your business is going to be based, there may be some official and legal documentation and certification you need to obtain before you can start selling goods. Make sure you get these before you start selling as you may face penalties and fines for failing to do so.

Look For Selling Venues For Your Business

Obviously, you need somewhere to sell your products, and the type of venue you choose will depend on a number of factors, including an available budget, size of the itinerary, and type of products. Unsurprisingly, physical bricks and mortar stores are most expensive, but you may find success with something smaller like a shopping mall kiosk. One of the most commonly used and least pricey options is setting up your business online.  You could do this either by using an auction site or opening your own e-commerce store.

Find Suitable Storage For Merchandise

If you are not opening a physical store, you will need to figure out if you are going to use a room in your own house or rent a small warehouse or storage facility for keeping your merchandise until it sells. A roomy closet in your home that is free from pets, sunlight, and odors would be ideal.

 Compile A Wish-list Of Brands You Are Interested In Selling

Give some thought to your niche and the image brands have that you are interested in selling, as this will be a consideration any supplier makes before doing business with you. If you are interested, for instance, in selling primarily off-brand and discount clothing, a high street fashion label is less likely to be interested in aligning themselves with your store.  Work out the brands you are interested in selling and then look for ways to purchase these brands.

Open Wholesale Accounts With Companies Relevant To Your Niche

Sites like Stylewise, have a website and you can join as a member online.  Others have more complicated setups. If you are an official business and able to spend a minimal amount with a particular wholesaler, this is one of the best ways to get goods for your business.

Organize And Arrange Your Clothing Attractively And Logically

This applies more if you are opening any kind of physical store.  It makes sense to position things in a logical manner so that your customers can find what they want and what they might like as easily as possible.  For instance, you might put all the jeans in one area, the t-shirts in another, the shirts in a different area, and then underwear in its own section.  If you are selling more than one range or type of clothing, you might divide it up accordingly – menswear, ladies, babies, etc.  Within each section, it is also a good idea to arrange products by size, as this will help your customers more.

Advertise And Promote Your Business

An essential part of work for any new business is advertising and marketing.  You want people to learn about you, to be aware of your store and how they can benefit from it. Consider hosting a fashion show or a similar type of event or try the old-fashioned but still potent flyer and coupon drop.  As we live in a very modern-day and age it is important to not neglect the online side of things – open social media accounts for your business, start a blog and a website if you don't already have one, and most importantly, interact with your customers and potential customers when they interact with you.