Purchasing wholesale dresses is as much an art as it is a science, and one that is backed by data at that. Whether you’re new to inventory purchasing or you have some experience with wholesale dresses, we’re going to outline some common mistakes that we see people make that often jeopardize their entire strategy plan. From following the wrong kinds of trends to buying a thicker fabric in a warm season, here are five common pitfalls you need to avoid when purchasing wholesale dresses:
Chasing a Trend
You might be encouraged to chase a trend. Whether from social media or word of mouth, there is going to come a time when your inventory decisions are being influenced by something other than hard data. Resist these temptations. But, if you must, dip your toes into the pool gingerly at first before diving all the way into the deep end. Don’t misunderstand: Some trends are genuinely worth pursuing and will help your margins. On the whole, however, you need a coherent inventory plan, informed by past data and your store’s overall direction.
Wrong Fabric Type
Don’t order thick fabrics in summer seasons or lightweight fabrics in colder seasons. While this might seem to be common sense, people are often tricked into ordering something inappropriate while chasing a trend. What works for another store might not work for your customer base so you need to keep all of your choices with them in mind first.
Out of Season
Unlike the wrong fabric type, purchasing wholesale dresses out of season means that their very construction is not appropriate for the current market environment. This happens because purchasing agents mistake certain styles for others, or perhaps they are treating all cotton dresses equally. Whatever the case, you need to make sure that your product aligns with the appropriate season to avoid having inventory that doesn’t sell.
Being Experimental
When purchasing wholesale dresses, you don’t want to stray too far from traditional cuts and styles. That’s because customers have certain expectations that you don’t really have the time to alter in the brief moments they spend looking over products. Sure, there are stores that successfully do this, but you will notice that they often spend some serious marketing dollars to push a qipao style dress onto the market as opposed to a sheath or column dress.
Ignoring Customer Data
Whether you are an old store or just starting out, there is a wealth of data out there for you to use to help you in selecting wholesale dresses to purchase. This includes your target market, what they buy, and what those products tend to look like in terms of cut, cloth, and manufacture. This data is the starting point for every decision you make, and you need to design the contours of your overall inventory strategy using this data. Above all, you need to be pragmatic and keep your inventory purchasing decisions within the scope of your marketing framework, target market, and what reliably sells. Margin is often about consistent delivery more than it is about the ability to translate the latest fad into a marketable product.
