Discuss the process of getting your t-shirt line into brick and mortar stores and selling offline. Topics include industry tradeshows, events, line sheets, sales reps and other retailing tips and advice.
Lets say a retail store wants to buy your t-shirts, and you come to a purchase aggreement. What is the average turn around time from that aggreement to the point that the items must be at the store locations.
The reason I ask, as a smal business, I would be tempted to purchase my t-shirts/plastisol prints etc. on an as needed basis so I wouldn't pay out more on products that may not sell.
Re: From Purchase to Retail Store: Turn Around Time
unless they are a booked for a later date type delivery, like next season type deal. Everyone these days wants the goods yesterday, so the quicker you ship the better. Also offering 24hr shipping helps making sales.
but, if you are a middle man, like ordering transfers then printing them to sell. Your best bet would be to workout some speedy turn-around terms with your supplier. Because it really depends on how quick they can deliver to you etc...
Re: From Purchase to Retail Store: Turn Around Time
Depends on the agreement you have with the retailer, but it's not unusual to give a ship date upfront when you are providing wholesale information. It's not unreasonable to ask for a couple of weeks (which gives you time for production), but make sure the retailer agrees to it in advance.
Re: From Purchase to Retail Store: Turn Around Time
whatever you do, make sure the terms, shipping, and time frame is clearly spelled out and signed upon and you both have a copy of it!
for turn around- how many shirts are you talking about? that will play a huge roll in turn around time.
We generally give 2 weeks for 150 or less to make sure we've got our supplies, everything prints out well and we don't need to redo boo-boo shirts. That way, if you finish sooner and ship sooner- you look super fly!
Re: From Purchase to Retail Store: Turn Around Time
Quote:
Originally Posted by feilong
Here is the When and Where in the Fashion Industry, this pretty much the standard in retail.
What-Where-When
-------------------------
Fall 1
Starts to show Jan-Feb /Ships Aug-Sept /Reorders Sept-Oct
Fall 2
Starts to show March-Apr /Ships Oct-Nov /Reorders November
Spring 1
Starts to show Aug-Sept/ Ships Jan-Feb /Reorders Feb-March
Spring 2
Starts to show Oct-Nov /Ships March-April /Reorders May
Holiday
Starts to show June or Aug/ Ships end of Oct/ Reorders November
thanks Randy, that is a good general booking/delivery table.
I would just like to add that today, the above booking/delivery proceess is far less used than 10 years ago. The web and the abillity for manufacturers world wide to make and deliver top selling products quick has change that.
The largest percentage of sellers that continue to use (if i may call it dated pre-season booking/delivery process) are importers of goods for example. In other words, these importers/distributors will send out their Agent-rep army to go out and book orders from retail buyers, then come back with overall totals and used these totals to import the goods. A few months allows them to arrange this.
The problem here for retailers and something that can really screw-up their inventory in-out flow is if the importer decides that there were not enough bookings for a product/item and DOES nOT come thru on the booked delivery date. Cancels or deletes the item etc. The extreme screw-up is that they may not inform retailers who booked the goods...or do so too late into the season. Usually the new-kids on the block importing run a greater risk for retail buyers.
On a more with the times buying process, even the fashion district in LA is capable of having the latest fashion the same week it breaks. Delivered to your retail store in days.
Now with indie type unique markets, yeah, a few weeks/months delivery is the norm i find.
Re: From Purchase to Retail Store: Turn Around Time
Quote:
Originally Posted by T-BOT
On a more with the times buying process, even the fashion district in LA is capable of having the latest fashion the same week it breaks. Delivered to your retail store in days.
Now with indie type unique markets, hting , a few weeks/months delivery is the norm i find.
In the mass retail market this is still the way buying is done. Take for instance Magic was in August, what was being shown is was the Spring collection for next year. Everything that was being shown isn't even manufactured yet (except for the garage brands or indie brands). All the order that are placed lets say with Rocawear, Ecko, or Sean John, larger companies, etc. won't ship until Jan or February. The reason is this, companies due trade shows to see what they are going to manufacture. Lets say LRG has a new hoodie they want to release. They make a few to show everyone and they place orders based on this. If they need to manufacture at least 500 units of these in order to make it worth manufacturing they won't make it until they have at least 500 ordered. If they don't place the minimum order that style will just be dropped from their line. This is the way it is done in the fashion industry.
As far as the latest fashion goes, the latest fahions are reported 8 months before they are released. Color companies report first about a year and a half early, follwed by the fabric companies reporting on the hottest fabrics, then are follwed by the fashion trends. Theres is a ton forecasting that goes into this market as far as production goes, all companies follow this timeline as well with placing their orders based on what these companies report.
Now for smaller stores or boutiques they have different schedules for ordering expectations, but with the bigger design manufactures they still have to follw this timeline. It's a lot to more to explain but this is the basic timelines that the fashion world revolves around. Remember this is for the Mass market not for everyone but if you are looking at selling apparel consider these numbers
This is the Money trail report provided by Global Purchasing Companies
Total Sales Yearly of apparel
------------------------------------
62% Mass
17% Discount Stores
12% Dept Stores
9% Boutiques
1% Interenet
So if your are interested in selling apparel or starting an apparel line, take these numbers into consideration.
Re: From Purchase to Retail Store: Turn Around Time
Quote:
Originally Posted by feilong
All the order that are placed lets say with Rocawear, Ecko, or Sean John, larger companies, etc. won't ship until Jan or February. The reason is this, companies due trade shows to see what they are going to manufacture. ...
Thanks again Randy.
so what is being said here is that when retailers buy the Big Brand names it is the same booking/delivery process/time-frame and potential cancellations due to item-drop/delete from catalog (no-delivery) as my importer example...and only applies to Independent Brand Name re-seller stores that buy such goods...right?
So, does this mean that smaller Brand-name retailers get pushed to the bottom of the line, receive partial not complete fills for the goods they have booked months in advance often due to Chain (big orders) having priority ? ...therefore the small guy gets the leftovers, broken sizes etc.. ?
OR
do Big chains fall under a different sales/booking/delivery (exclusive goods) than the smallretailer ?
how does it work ? ...talking about Echo type brands/goods booking/delivery, relating to large chain and small guy re-sellers/retailers.
Re: From Purchase to Retail Store: Turn Around Time
Large retailers are allocated certain amount of money in their budget for each season. A certain amount of that money is geared towards what is called proven sellers. These are brands that have proven well as far as turn around times in sales. Most budgets are about 70% allocated for proven sellers. that leaves around 30% of the buying budget that goes into what is labeled as high risk or low circulation sellers. Thats the money for the smaller brands. Now the more you can show you are marketing your brand and driving customers to retail chains to buy the goods the more likely they will invest in the brand. If there is no media presence that lets th consumers know to go buy this brand at Macy's they are very unlikely to invest in the brand.
The same buying and shipping applies to the smaller brands, remember they are purchasing 6-7 months ahead for the season, so if you ship them shorts in the winter for spring they won't have the space to stock all these goods, they are still trying to move this current seasons merchandise to make room for the next season, so they can change their inventories and point of purchase displays etc.
Re: From Purchase to Retail Store: Turn Around Time
thanks Randy.
ok, how would it work with High Turnover retail stores ?
like indie retail stores that are locaed in a hight trafic local and sell most of the goods within a month time frame. I can't see them re-ordering the same styles again since their clients already have them and come in to buy something new (in general).
What does this type of retailer do ? ...do sellers have mid-season specials/sales on left over items etc...how does this type of retailer maintain a good in-out inventory flow ?
Re: From Purchase to Retail Store: Turn Around Time
Quote:
Originally Posted by T-BOT
thanks Randy.
ok, how would it work with High Turnover retail stores ?
like indie retail stores that are locaed in a hight trafic local and sell most of the goods within a month time frame. I can't see them re-ordering the same styles again since their clients already have them and come in to buy something new (in general).
What does this type of retailer do ? ...do sellers have mid-season specials/sales on left over items etc...how does this type of retailer maintain a good in-out inventory flow ?
Most retail want to turn around sales in 6-8 weeks in the apparel industry. Some stores only buy limited amounts of styles, if the style sells well then they will want to re-order in that time frame and order other styles that are availble which they didn't purchase. Retailers understand how the garments are massed produced so they know that they only have a certain amount of time to re-order before that style is no longer availble. Remember they are ordering months before the season so there is no way they can anticipate how much they will sell which is why re-orders are set in a certain way. Turn around time for re-order are way quicker than normal orders usually only a few weeks.
From Purchase to Retail Store: Turn Around Time 
Re: From Purchase to Retail Store: Turn Around Time 
Re: From Purchase to Retail Store: Turn Around Time 
