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Even though the comments are turned off on most articles they’re still open on the Dobizo Answers page for any of your questions or concerns about starting a clothing line.

These questions were left by Mr. Wesley To You:

“When is the best time to sell to fashion buyers and clothing stores?

Is their a particular time period best?

When does the fall season technically start?”

When is the best time to sell to fashion buyers and clothing stores?

I would say the best time to sell to buyers would be before they have spent their budget and made appointments at trade shows with competing brands, but to my knowledge Mr. Wesley wants to take the direct route and go the cold call and walk-in route to boost his sales. In the case of cold calls and appointments you should present your product months before the season begins to allow them to fit your clothing brand into their seasonal budget and before inventory for that selling season is filled.

Most larger stores buy and book orders seasons ahead of time and larger clothing companies are working on next years collection a year before. That is why at a major trade shows like Magic in the Fall they are showing Spring of next year and in that Spring they are booking Fall/Winter for later that year.

Is their a particular time period best?

This sounds pretty much like the same question, but I don’t think there is a particular time as long as you are prepared and reach them in-time before they’re buying for the season you’re selling. Most importantly you should make sure that you’re company has stock and is prepared to ship on time and re-stock if the opportunity arises when approaching stores and buyers. Also when your company has ample cash flow to sustain the fashion line from one season to the next without a drop in quality or service to your clients. It is hard enough to get an initial order from a store when starting a new brand don’t mess it up by not shipping on time or promising what you can’t deliver and making a bad name for your fashion line within the industry circles. (Orders too big for your budget)

When does the fall season technically start?

From Wikipedia:

” In the northern hemisphere, the start of autumn is generally considered to be around September and in the southern hemisphere, its beginning is considered to be around March”

The above describes when the Fall Season technically starts, but in the case of a retail store it would begin usually depending on how they stock their store and the lines they carry. Many lines ship 6-8 times a year while others ship just for the main four seasons Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer and buyers will book orders accordingly for the year or map out appointments with their best sellers or brands they carry at trade shows and this can differ from one store to another.

The best way to find out is to make a list of the stores that you want to retail your brand in and get to know the stores cycle and how they sell and re-stock by speaking with the buyer or store owner. That way there will be no guessing game when deciding when, where, and how you will sell your seasonal collections to them.

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