As a business owner, you’ll always feel like you have an endless stream of responsibilities headed your way. Whether you’re trying to find a replacement director or a new editor for your monthly newsletter, it can be a lot to handle at times. Buying clothing in bulk, no matter the reason, can feel similarly overwhelming at times.
To make that process a little bit easier, we’ve gone through the different steps in that process in this article. From working out your needs to constantly reassessing as you go forward, here’s how to handle your bulk buying with ease.
Work out what you actually need
Before committing to a bulk purchase of clothing, it’s important that you take a second to actually think about what you need those items for. Are you trying to get a new staff uniform that properly reflects your brand and business values? Or are you looking for some fun bits of merch to hand out at an event, items that don’t need to be super high-quality? Getting clear on your requirements is an important first step, and you should dedicate some time to thinking about it before you move on.
Identify several bulk suppliers
Once you have a clearer idea of what it is that you actually need, it’s time to start looking for a specialist bulk supplier. It’s important not to just go with the first option you come across. Instead, reach out to a few different options, asking about important factors such as lead times, discounts on bulk orders, and anything else that could matter to your business.
If you need other services such as printing or branding on the items, then it’s worth looking for a supplier that can provide both the bulk clothing and the printing services, such as Screen Textiles. This cuts out a lot of hassle from the process, and will likely work out cheaper as well.
Constantly reassess
Lastly, just because you believe you’ve identified the right solution at this moment in time doesn’t mean that the solution will be right forever. If you know that you’ll need to make repeat orders in the future for larger amounts of clothing, make sure that you keep on looking for new sources, with better items at cheaper rates.
If you do find a better supplier but you also value the relationship you have with your existing source, then let them know about the better deal you’ve come across and see if they’ll match it. They’ll likely want to hold onto a valued customer, and so long as the difference isn’t too big, they’ll probably be more than happy to agree to the new terms.
Buying clothing in bulk for your business clearly isn’t rocket science, but it does require at least a little care and attention. By focusing on these important factors, you can maximise the chances that you end up with a supplier that’s just right for you – it might take a little time, but it’ll be worth it in the end.
