How Can I Buy Wholesale Clothes for Kids and Babies?

While many people go into business because they have a passion for the product they sell, in the end, every business needs to make a profit. Sourcing your goods from other retailers is often a far too expensive way of gathering inventory. 

For this reason, finding wholesale suppliers that can provide quality goods at a reasonable price is crucial for any type of retailer. This is especially true for retailers who specialise in kids’ clothes and baby clothes. 

The market for children’s wear and baby clothes is huge. To ensure your business can make its way, you will need to be able to get a great deal on your inventory. Establishing relationships with wholesalers who sell baby clothes and kids’ clothes will help you to increase your profit margins and allow you to create a sustainable and viable business.

Wholesalers generally provide retailers with bulk orders of goods at a price that is lower than what a normal customer would pay. These bulk orders allow wholesalers to offload large amounts of products quickly for lower costs. Often, a large wholesaler may use a third party to act as a middleman between themselves and the retail buyer. Smaller wholesalers often prefer to work directly with their clients.

Since wholesalers only deal with people in the business, they often ask for a retailer to provide ‘proof of trade’ before they will sell them goods. This is done to ensure that a client is actually a legitimate business and not a private individual. 

The ‘proof of trade’ can be something as simple as a letterhead or business card with your business name on it, proof of a business bank account or invoices from a previous supplier. Many larger wholesale businesses ask that retail customers sign up for a trade card that must be produced when making purchases.

There are many different types of wholesalers for children’s clothes and baby clothes. Some are located in the UK, others in Europe, China, the USA or across the globe. The type of wholesaler you wish to work with depends greatly on the nature of your business and the type of customer you are selling products to.

If you are operating a small-scale children’s clothing store that is situated on the high street of a small town, you may wish to work with a UK-based wholesaler who can ensure you get quality goods on time and who does not require you to place large orders. The same scenario may be true of a speciality store, for example, a shop that sells premium baby clothes.

However, if you are opening an online e-commerce site that specialises in selling affordable clothes for babies, kids and toddlers, you may wish to establish a relationship with a large wholesaler who may be based overseas. In this case, you would be expecting to receive good discounts on bulk orders with fast shipping times.

Larger UK and international children’s clothing wholesaler outlets and baby clothing wholesale businesses often operate via websites. You can locate these businesses via a simple web search. It may also be useful to look at online forums for children’s clothing retailers or speak with other business owners to get their advice on what wholesalers are reputable and reliable. 

The process of buying designer children’s clothing wholesale or specialty clothing wholesale can be more complicated. Often, retailers must deal directly with designers or manufacturers. This can be time-consuming and can add to the cost of the product. However, consumers who are looking for children’s and babies’ clothing that is made from top quality material, is ethically made or is made from organic materials are usually willing to pay a higher price and wait longer for delivery. 

These days, perhaps the best way to establish contact with a large wholesaler of kids or baby clothes is to contact them via email. Many of the big international wholesalers of children’s clothing will have contact forms or membership forms on their websites where retailers can sign up to make orders. It may be easier to reach smaller boutique manufacturers and designers via telephone, however, most business owners have websites with contact details. 

Your initial contact with a wholesaler should be courteous and professional. Always maintain a polite tone and do not be too pushy when it comes to asking for better prices or faster delivery times. Negotiating is important but be sure to stay professional and cordial. 

When choosing a wholesaler, care should be taken to ensure they can reliably and consistently provide you with the goods you need. The security of your supply chain is vital for your business. Make sure that your wholesaler can deliver higher amounts of inventory for busy periods such as Christmas. 

Retailers need to consider the payment terms and return policies of the wholesaler they choose. Additionally, they should also think about where the goods are sourced from. Many customers are now concerned about the quality of their children’s clothing and if the materials are from organic, environmentally friendly sources. 

Starting out as a children’s clothing retailer can be a complicated process. Often, new entrepreneurs need advice on where to buy wholesale baby clothes in the UK or how to establish a relationship with a wholesaler. 

At Ankorstore, we know the struggles and challenges that new retailers face. We have put together the Ankorstart program to provide online and bricks-and-mortar retail business owners with advice, support and guidance. Ankorstart is totally free to join and completely non-binding. If you are about to launch a kids clothing store, then take the time to talk to the experts at Ankorstart. We’re here to help you create a sustainable and profitable business!