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This is an email conversation between a reader of Dobizo and one of our writers Billy Kapler of Kapler and Associates you can reach him at billy@kand.com.

I’m going to Bendel on Mon, trying to do sell sheet, questions about minimums and delivery dates. My manufacturer will do 250-300 mini per style. Would I have to make Bendel buy that many, or do I produce the 300 and let Bendel buy what they want.

A store typically tests styles to see how the consumer reacts and then if sales are really good (20% of what they buy they sell the first week) they will reorder. (That means if they buy 100 pcs. and sell more than 20 the first week, they most likely will call to order more. Sometimes when they have something really good, they can sell 80 out of 100 in the first week and then they are all over it.)

Of course it depends on the style as to what they buy, if it is high styled they may buy only 10 pieces per color. You can tell what they buy by walking the floor and see type of garments you have and how many they have from designers or other brands. Of course their own brand of basics, they buy very deeply as the profit is very high and they promote them at a discount and generate a lot of sales at those discounts. They only have two stores so they can’t buy very much. My guess is they don’t buy very many pieces initially of anybody’s product. But you will find out what they buy when you meet with them.

They are owned by the Limited (Express, The Limited, Victoria’s Secret……….) and aside from being a fashion happening for New York women, they learn a lot about trends from these two stores (what New York women respond to and what Columbus Ohio women respond to) which helps them in developing merchandise for their other stores.

DO NOT produce inventory without a sure way to sell most of it (80%). Most manufacturing business MAKE TO ORDER meaning, they go out and sell and then total the orders and buy fabric to cover orders and issue cutting tickets to cover orders so they do not have inventory. Stores do not buy easily and the risk is far too big until you have momentum and hundreds of customers. Then some inventory can be considered.

Good luck, feel free to contact me with what you have learned.

Do not be discouraged. You are brave to take these steps and from this courage and passion…………….anything can come.

Just keep moving forward.

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