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I get questioned a lot on how to get into stores, what makes stores say yes, how can I make buyers pick up my product, what can I do to get in more stores and so on, just in different formats, but they all want to know basically the same answer. Well I’m here to tell you there is no sure fire way to make a store say yes everytime unless you have every celebrity on television wearing your threads. What I can tell you are reasons that stores say the dreaded NO! Even then that doesn’t mean your going to receive orders from every store, but it should definetly help you grasp the concept of delivering a creative, high quality, sellable garment.

First off you must make sure that the season you are trying to sell is ready to be bought. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen new lines trying to sell spring/summer products when it’s approaching fall/winter that’s okay if its from your website, but selling to a store is unnacceptable being that it has less time to sell through because the products from spring/summer are being clearanced to make room for fall/winter garments, which is what the consumer will be looking for.

Just walking into a store with your products in hand and trying to sell your stuff will most likely get you a NO, because most will think it’s just rude and unprofessional. First try calling the store and finding out who the buyer is ask for an email address send them a line sheet and a bio of your line. Later in the week call back and see if they received the email, ask them what are their thoughts about the line and if you could set up an appointment to further show your line and why they should carry (insert your brand here) in their store.

Presenting your products to the wrong store is definitely bad for business. This is one of those cases where any store isn’t better than no stores. Retailing in a store that doesn’t really serve clothing brands target demographic, this is not good for your business or building your brand name. Pretty much is would be a waste of time on both ends.

Not being prepared will definitely turn a buyer off. When you show up to an appointment make sure and have your prices set, delivery time, product availability, contact information, professional dress/attitude (can be completely different all depends on your market)

Some things that many designers often look over are staying with the color trends. Different colors are good for different seasons in different markets. I’m pretty sure we all remember a few years back when pink was a selection in EVERY line in menswear. Stay with the color trends in fashion their are forecasting books and websites for that remember you have to stay ahead, because most lines design a year ahead of the season. I will be placing Part 2 later on tomorrow this post is pretty long!

Fashion Industry Ceo

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