If you are setting up or trying to improve sales for your clothing business, you will undoubtedly be interested in capitalising on the many benefits that come from sourcing stock from clothing wholesalers.  As there is a great number out there, a simple Google (or your preferred search engine) search will bring back many results to choose from.  However, simply choosing one because it ranks the highest in the search engines is not the pathway to a successful business.  In fact, there are a number of mistakes you can make without the right kind of knowledge when you are looking for a wholesaler to purchase goods from.

To help you avoid the trouble other business owners have had before you, in this post we will look at three of the most common and, in many cases,  most fatal mistakes people make when choosing wholesalers to buy from.  Hopefully, by learning how much unsuccessful businesses got where they are today, if they are even still in operation, you will be able to avoid them and have better success.

Wholesalers That Aren't Really Wholesalers/Sell Retail

 This is by far the biggest and most serious mistake you will want to avoid – shopping at wholesalers who sell also retail.  The reason these kinds of wholesale stores are chosen is that they often show the top of the rankings in a Google, Bing etc. search, you don't have to buy sets and can buy individual items and they offer items at cheaper prices than many of their competitors.

It can be a huge mistake to buy through a wholesaler who is selling to individuals, as it means your customers may decide to purchase directly from the wholesaler at a smaller price.  Often you will find that these kinds of wholesalers are not really wholesalers at all and use the term to encourage the bargain hunters to come to them.  Also, it is often the case that the cheap items are not as cheap as you could find them at a real wholesaler.  They may be cheaper than the average retail store but are nowhere near as cheap as wholesalers.

One way to avoid this mistake is by looking for clothing wholesalers who have a minimum purchase requirement, only sell to people with licences and sell the majority of their goods in packs.

Trusting Wholesalers That Don't Have Full Contact Details

Although many businesses and organisations have moved a lot of their work online these days, just having a website is not really good enough when you are looking for a reliable wholesaler that will help your business to grow.  Many people make the mistake of just putting through orders with so-called wholesalers, who are nothing but fakes, without checking them out properly first.

To avoid making this mistake, it is a good idea to only do business with either a company based in the UK, so you can get in touch with them easily, or who has various ways of getting in contact with them.  It is also wise to send them an email or give them a call before purchasing anything and asking them a few questions, to help reassure you that they are a legit wholesaler.

Not Having A Licence

The vast majority of wholesalers require that you have some kind of licence, certificate or other forms of documentation that proves they are a legitimate business before you can purchase items from their site and get them at those low wholesale prices.  This is a problem for many new store owners, whether physical or online and you may find yourself in the position whereby you are waiting to get your business up and running before sorting out a licence or are waiting for the licence to be approved.  As a way of helping out new businesses, many wholesalers will let you purchase from them if you have evidence of invoices from previous transactions with other wholesalers or you purchase the minimum.  Having said that, this is only good for a short amount of time and it is in your best interest to sort the relevant paperwork as early in your business's life as possible.