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Getting your first store order is what every clothing brand dreams of after getting your first run of garments made of course, but most don’t think about the long run affect it will have on your clothing brands growth if stores never reorder.

That’s part of the reason why I talked about not just selling to any store in the Career Suicide: Top 5 ways to sabotage your own clothing business?article, because fact is your clothing brand might not sell and selling to a store that is not targeting your market most likely will decrease the chances of your brands sell-through. If a buyer doesn’t make the store owner?a good return on their investment in your clothing line then most likely you will not hear from them come next season….so don’t expect a reorder.

Obviously the design and quality have to do with store reorders, but once you have tht under control think about how you can increase your sell through and create store reorders. Here I present five tips that should help your brand sell through faster and increase the chances of getting a store reorder:

• Stay?involved with selling your brand even after the initial store order

Once you have the store order and have delivered the goods most would think to stop there and let the store handle the rest. Yes you can once your clothing has some kind of brand awareness and?shoppers are actually going to the store asking or searching for your clothing line, but if not you must do whatever you can to get your brand in front of the eyes of your consumer. If your brand is fairly new most likely your clothing will be in the back of the store or folded up on the side shelves, but you won’t settle for that right? No, because you want your brand in the display window in the front of the store. Now unless you have some dollars to spend than your best bet would be to get in good with the store buyer, because most likely with smaller stores they handle the layout of the display also.

Check up on your merchandise daily and see which pieces are selling and suggest?maybe an exchange for something you think will be a better fit for the store. By doing this you are letting them know that you want to be involved and that you’re not just getting a store order and then not?caring if it sold at retail or not.

• Show them that you appreciate their business

This goes back to what Jay was talking about in the article Showing Customer Appreciation?that rule also applies when working with a retailer. Give them incentives. If you can give them better terms as far as shipping than do it. Maybe free shipping if they order more than $400 (just an example) or give them a certain percentage off their first order to show them that you value their business. Help them promote their store and your clothing line by making double sided flyers together one promoting your clothing line and the other their store. Most likely they are trying to come up and be successful also, but the idea?wouldn’t work with a store like let’s say:?Up Against The Wall or Macy’s. Give them orders on credit (Only if they have prior history of good payment) or give them extended payment terms (If you can afford it) like net 15 or net 30, which is when they would pay you 15 days after receiving their purchase orders.

If they feel that you are behind them then they will make sure and give your brand that extra push. Most store owners will just place brands in a store and let them sell off their name/buzz alone, but new independent?clothing companies need more, because of lack of consumer/brand awareness and getting the retailer behind your brand is key.

• Competitive price points (Wholesale)

Your wholesale price determines what they will be able to price your garments at retail. If they feel that they are being jerked or don’t have enough room for a decent markup then most likely they will not reorder from your company unless it just sells through at the higher price. Most like to keep garments in their store a certain price range that allows them to profit?a certain amount?from each item sold?, but if your wholesale prices aren’t reasonable they will most likely find a similar brand at a lower price or just choose not to reorder your clothing at all. Because either they will price too high and they won’t sell or be forced to price too low and they want make any profit.

Implement these tips today and increase your chances of repeat store orders from one season to the next.

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