# selling in stores



## sconrad84 (May 13, 2008)

Hey, new to this site.....
I have my own clothing co. and i want to branch out into selling at stores. I actually have a pretty good idea of what to do i just would appreciate if i could get some advice on how much to se.ll th shirts or what styles would be the best or just anything haha

thanks!


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## highstyleinc (Apr 4, 2007)

Maybe you could post a picture and tell a bit about your brand, target market, etc....


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## la32brn (Jul 14, 2006)

Yeah, if you tell us a bit about your line and post a pic if would be easier to give you some direction.


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## Binary01 (Jun 2, 2007)

dont do consignment


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## New Threat (Dec 1, 2007)

What are some of the bigger disadvantages from doing consignment? Currently I sell shirts through a store that just buys my shirts from me right away and resells it (Which is great for me obviously). But it can't always work out that well with every store, so I was just wondering what some of the pros and cons are of consignment, and maybe other possibilities. Thanks


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## jingCo (Jun 22, 2007)

It's always hard getting money no matter what their intentions are. Sell them 1 unit and let them reorder if you have to.

I got the advice from an ex owner of a streetwear store, no matter how big they are, you will have trouble. He said, and that's from an insider.


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## sconrad84 (May 13, 2008)

whats consignment?


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## cookiesa (Feb 27, 2008)

Consignment basically means you own the stock, they only pay you for what they sell. That should give you an idea of why this can get very messy very quick.

The only real advantages (from your point of view) for having a consignment "deal" (which needs to be in writing so there are no misunderstandings) that I see are;

You can charge higher price for your items (They don't have to pay for them and you carry the "stock cost" so they can't expect the same margin)
It can be a way to break in to a new market (or that of competitors)
It can also help sway a store to stock your products.

Generally I would avoid it but there are situations where it can be used to build your business, especially if it is "unknown". Used carefully and with contracts in place it can be a great tool to grow your business but does have risks. (Eg no payment, garments gettting shop soiled/stolen and stores not wanting to pay)

If you were to use it I would suggest everything is signed for (eg when they recieve stock they SIGN for it as checked, put a timeframe on it (eg after 3 months they will know if it is going to work in their store or not) cover what happens with returns (How long can they have it before you expect it handed back, who is responsible for stolen/missing/soiled goods, they should be) How much space will they allocate to your lines (your giving them something and want to make sure it is going to be given a fair chance to sell) at the end of the trial period how long do they have to pay for the stock? When and who will conduct audits? (eg once a week/fortnight you call pass, check off what has sold and invoice it and top up stock) again they need to sign for it.

Hope that helps


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## cookiesa (Feb 27, 2008)

Are you looking at stocking stores or opening your own? (I took your post to mean opening your own shop?)


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## sconrad84 (May 13, 2008)

no i mean getting them to sell in other stores not minee


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## gilberto (May 15, 2007)

Only consign if you can agree in writing on where and for how long your gear will be displayed. If they haven't purchased it upfront it will likely be shoed away in a corner while the valued merch will be up front. Good luck


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## JandSbodysurfing (Apr 7, 2008)

any guidelines for pricing when selling apparel to a store for them to mark-up and sell again? 
This pricing has to be different then the prices that I charge at shows and on-line correct?


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## Binary01 (Jun 2, 2007)

i had a local store that wanted to do consignment with me..... i visited their store and seen what they carried...ecko/phatfarm/etc...all the big names..... but for some reason they didnt want to buy my product at wholesale..... also keep in mind that they liked my gear (or say) and they were trying to "support a local guy"....well, if you wanna support then buy my gear......

i plan on opening my own store in a year...... once i get a shop/etc.... i have some other products lines in the mix also


DONT DO CONSIGNMENT....... you can lose your product if anything happens.....

b


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## la32brn (Jul 14, 2006)

^^^ Had a similar situation with a store. They wanted me to do consignment but I felt it wasn't the best situation. Just continue to contact other stores and see what happens. Do what you feel is best for your brand.


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## badalou (Mar 19, 2006)

Don't waste your time selling consignment. To me that is the last place to get sales. If the store does not have an investment into the merchandise then they are not going to put there heart into selling it. The idea for a retailer is RTI Return on investment. Asking us about pricing is not going to get you a great answer or it will get you several and that could confuse you more. pricing is based on investment into the material and manufacturing and markup. My 3 cents would be to take that and double it. This is for wholesale pricing. Remember you are selling volume. Lou


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## la32brn (Jul 14, 2006)

Lou couldn't have said it any better  .


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

You can find lots of posts that discuss selling in stores here:

retailers related topics at T-Shirt Forums

And here: Offline Retail and Tradeshows - T-Shirt Forums


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## lcollado (Dec 5, 2007)

what is the markup formula for wholesale and retail. my thought was wholesale you markup a 100% and for retail you would mark it up 150%. is this correct? I'm not sure


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

lcollado said:


> what is the markup formula for wholesale and retail. my thought was wholesale you markup a 100% and for retail you would mark it up 150%. is this correct? I'm not sure


If you look through the threads I linked to above under the retailers link, you'll find lots of good tips on how to price for wholesale and retail.


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