Buying plus-size clothing wholesale involves four major business decisions that you need to make to help set your firm on the path to success. We will explain what those decisions are, what you need to weigh when making them, and how to optimize the process on a continual basis. Whether you are buying plus-size clothing wholesale as part of a broader product strategy or you are seeking inventory for a specialist store, this article will cover all the bases when it comes to meeting the demands of this dynamic and growing category of merchandise.

Identify Your Target Market

Whether you are catering to athleisure, formal, businesswear, or something in between, you need to identify your target market. This includes preferences, age range, and how much they lean into trends. This last part is key because it will determine how often you need to refresh your inventory. If you’re chasing a trend, you need to stay on top of things, and this might involve lower volume and more agile processing when it comes to placing orders. On the other hand, if you’re trying to supply the staples market, then you need to focus on keeping relevant, quality stock on hand “just in time” for a customer’s purchase. 

Find Reliable Suppliers

Once you have identified your target market, you need to start the process of vetting suppliers to help you secure the kinds of products you need. You will want to see what kinds of clients these vendors work with on a normal basis and how you fit into that scheme. While there is no hard and fast rule, you want to make sure that, in general, your vendor’s inventory and general business format align with your own aspirations. There shouldn’t be a disconnect between the two.

Balance Trends and Staples

Even if you’re a fashion-forward concept, you still need to supply relevant staple items to your clients. While you will inevitably get better at selecting inventory over time, in the beginning, you might want to really hone in on what makes your store unique in comparison to your competition. Perhaps it is the cut or fabric or even colors and patterns that your store offers, while others focus on more run-of-the-mill or tried-and-true looks. Throughout this process, you need to ask yourself, “What will compel someone to shop at my store not just once but continuously?” And the easiest answer to that question is to maintain market relevance as well as offering inventory reliability.

Negotiate Favorable Terms

Once you’ve decided on your target market, you need to determine how much volume you expect from that market. In the beginning, without hard numbers, we suggest that you start low. Even with low-volume orders, you can negotiate favorable terms with your suppliers to help you get going as a business. We suggest finding vendors that specifically cater to smaller boutique vendors to enable you to leverage that relationship to its maximum potential.