# How can I market my t-shirts to already established merchants?



## NancyB (Oct 8, 2007)

I'm starting up a small maternity t-shirt business, and was wondering how I can go about contacting already established merchants like Mimi maternity, or A Pea in the Pod to sell my shirts in their stores?

How does the process work?

TIA!


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## badalou (Mar 19, 2006)

It is like anything else.. presentation.. The first thing is to be sure to contact the right person. Often the companies have email access to their officers like the buyers.. You don't want to make the mistake of sending anything to wrong person. If they are local see if you can make an appointment. then have sample of your product and info on the product including how it is made to theit cost. Shipping times from orderdate, how you ship, terms if available. You want to do a one sheet (Photo shots of the product.) Never do these on paper. The sell a nice gloss paper at ost office stores. Think in terms of you being a buyer and what you want to hear. Hope this helps. I know more people will answers as well. Lou


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## Comin'OutSwingin (Oct 28, 2005)

I would avoid all the things in point number 1. 

They don't care about your plan, and won't have time to read it if they did.

I agree that it's about presentation, but you need to present the proper things, and a business plan isn't the thing.

They like line sheets and look books. Not plans. If you go to them with a plan, unless your stuff is out of this world, they are going to send you back home. 

If you search the forums, there are threads about what to present to retailers and how to go about it. 

I've been working with a sales rep for a couple of months. She's been a rep for a few years, and is very experienced in dealing with retailers. I'm going to try to get her to join the forums, and maybe write a good post about how to go about marketing your products to retail stores. I'm sure it will be helpful, since it is an ongoing topic.


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## esentuals (Sep 4, 2007)

Here is my opinion. One way to get into an establish market is to offer your brand with no upfront cost to them. 

More mom and pop stores are willing to take up the offer if there is no upfront cost for that line of clothing.(especially if they have never heard of you)

So lets say that the mom and pop store said yes. You bring in your small inventory of shirts and set them up where the store owner has designated.

You come back a week or two to check your inventory and if any of them have sold the mom and pop store keep a share of the sale and they provide you a share of that sale. It’s a good way to provide a no risk way for a storefront to provide a different product at no cost to them.

Just and idea nothing more.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

thefantasyman said:


> *if not* for companies to look at [...] the business plan *might be* unnecessary


_(emphasis added)_

You're still holding fiercely to this idea, but it's just plain wrong.

No-one here would dispute the value of a business plan for yourself and for investors (it's vital), but retailers are *not* investors.



thefantasyman said:


> however, it does show your professionalism


Quite the opposite - showing your business plan to a retail store screams amateur.



thefantasyman said:


> To be more clear, in your plan where you describe your products, this is where you can include these "line sheets" and "look books" that Greg suggested.


No, it isn't. Line sheets and lookbooks are items in and of themselves, and need to be done properly. They make up your marketing materials, but they're not just an insert in a business plan - they should stand on their own. If you want to be professional Greg's comments are not just a suggestion, they're a requirement.

As important as a business plan is to success, you're still more likely to succeed with no plan and polished marketing materials than vice versa. You're distancing yourself from some of the most important parts of the process, as if they were something Greg made up on the spot and you've never heard of them before.



thefantasyman said:


> I wasn't suggesting that you just write up a few pages about your business and hand it to merchants....what I am saying is that a plan should include EVERYTHING about your business whether its your marketing plan written out


Oh great, because if they don't have time or inclination to read a few pages they'll certainly be wowed by an entire folio 



thefantasyman said:


> PHOTOS of your line, prices....whatever!


"Whatever!" is precisely what you *don't* include in your marketing materials (or business plan for that matter). It needs to be well thought out and include only what is necessary and useful - not "whatever" you can think of.



thefantasyman said:


> What Greg failed to mention as he shot down my first suggestion is that if you got to a point where you wanted to grow your business and take it to another level and wanted an investor or a loan, you need a business plan of some kind with EVERYTHING about your business.


Greg is just trying to help because you are wrong, he's hardly shooting you down. He didn't mention the business plan because it's not relevant to the process of contacting retailers.

Yes, you need a good business plan to get an investor or a loan. Yes, you should have a business plan from the start. But what has that got to do with the topics at hand? (hint: _nothing_)


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## howrdstern (May 7, 2007)

Geez, i thought people from New York had a thicker skin than that.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

thefantasyman said:


> Once again, going out of your way to discredit something I say when its unnecessary and not about me.


We disagree on a point of business. Get over it.



thefantasyman said:


> Again, Lewis, if you have a problem with things I suggest or other things I write, please take it out on me in a personal email to me.


No. If this were in some way personal that would make sense, but it's not. You are giving public advice, I think it's bad advice, I say so in public - that's what a discussion is. No-one on this forum is above being disagreed with, just because they're overly sensitive about it.



thefantasyman said:


> I almost do not want to bother posting anymore because I am afraid of getting ripped apart on everything. I have some fantastic experience, some success and many failures.


So fire away, I'm sure you will be contributing your useful experience. But not every single person will agree with every single thing you say.


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## TripleT (Apr 29, 2007)

Do not show your business plan to retailers.


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## cheerupblue (Aug 19, 2007)

Line sheet, Color swatches, Samples, Photographs of people wearing your shirts, Price list, specs (measurements, fabric content, etc) for your products (this could be on the line sheet)...

If you are set on wholesale and retail, it might be worth it to put together a catalog that includes everything except the price sheet, then fold the price sheet in on a separate paper. That way, you can guard your prices pretty carefully while using the catalog for multiple purposes.


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## Mike63 (Jan 23, 2007)

NancyB said:


> I'm starting up a small maternity t-shirt business, and was wondering how I can go about contacting already established merchants like Mimi maternity, or A Pea in the Pod to sell my shirts in their stores?
> 
> How does the process work?
> 
> TIA!


Hello NacyB, I am going to keep this brief and to the point. I have attended interview invites with Federated Store, Footlocker and NBA Properties. The bottom line with these companies are SALES, SALES SALES. How many sales have you made and how much have you made from those sales. Think about it, the chance that they will place you in there stores are very slim if you are not a celebrity or have extremly deep pockets. If you prove that your product is marketable and will sell PROVE IT with numbers. This is there pholosophy and it is a good one. Put your self in that sells manager's position, if your stuff flops he or she my be putting thier jobs at risk. These companies did not get where they are by taking that kind of risk. Do the leg work and get sales to prove your concept. It might be a little less risk to a mom and pop store but numbers play a part in thier decisions also I'm sure.

Dang I thought it was going to be brief.


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## blackeyedtees (Oct 15, 2007)

How confusing! I read every reply and do not see thefantasyman's post, just quote's from other people. Were the quotes from another thread?

Anyway.....I just got done writing out my business plan for retailers! I'm going to knock 'em out with this pristine 52 page report!


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

blackeyedtees said:


> Were the quotes from another thread?


No, he chose to delete his posts.



blackeyedtees said:


> Anyway.....I just got done writing out my business plan for retailers! I'm going to knock 'em out with this pristine 52 page report!


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## dfalk (Apr 11, 2007)

blackeyedtees said:


> Anyway.....I just got done writing out my business plan for retailers! I'm going to knock 'em out with this pristine 52 page report!


How do you picture this meeting with the retailer going? Just like Solmu said earlier, " it screams amateur," and the retailer is going to treat you as such by showing you the door. Retailers don't care about your 1 year, 5 year and 10 year outlooks, your marketing plans, market research or where your capital is coming from. They just want a product that sells. Bring your samples, a catalog and price sheet, determination and some thick skin.

I have been in retail for many years as a buyer and an owner and I will tell you that I have 100 different things I need to do and reading someone else's business plan is not one of them. Save it for investors, banks and as a map for yourself. Good Luck.


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## blackeyedtees (Oct 15, 2007)

dfalk said:


> How do you picture this meeting with the retailer going? Just like Solmu said earlier, " it screams amateur," and the retailer is going to treat you as such by showing you the door.


I'm new here, but it sounds to me like you have lots of experience in retail clothing. I, myself, have little to none. But that does not mean my meeting will be a complete failure. I do have one advantage: I'm looking at this business with an unbiased opinion of _EVERYTHING!_

_How do I picture the meeting going, you ask?_ 
The meeting could go either way. It all depends on the buyer and what kind of person she is (for sake of argument buyer is a female -*grown men frighten me*).

I picture myself talking with the buyer about what is important to her and her company. I would ask her what style of shirts her company has been buying. I would try to find out her motivation. I would only talk about my product when she asks about it. If she end up liking me, she will look at my product with a positive attitude. Heck, she may even try to help me out! I would bring _thefantasyman_ (known hereforth as "the helper") along to carry my samples and 52 page biz plan. I may reference the book with a wag of my finger just to reiterate my company's stellar organizational skills. I would use the "thickness" of my plan to let them know that I can get product rolling off the trucks fast! Or, at least, keep a small room warm for a couple of hours.



dfalk said:


> Retailers don't care about your 1 year, 5 year and 10 year outlooks, your marketing plans, market research or where your capital is coming from. They just want a product that sells. Bring your samples, a catalog and price sheet, determination and some thick skin.


I totally agree! Sales are about people, not product. How much trash do you see in retail stores everyday? It's ridiculous! Ex.. Tommy Hilfiger back in the late 90's with the rainbow shirts? Complete trash product, but world-class marketing and people skills! Just like "Big Tom" and Tommy Callahan selling brake parts. Bringing a business plan to a sales meeting would be forcing the buyer to get one hell of a good look at a T-Bone steak... 

In otherwords, Derek: I was joking! Please lighten up, you're on the Internet.



dfalk said:


> I have been in retail for many years as a buyer and an owner and I will tell you that I have 100 different things I need to do and reading someone else's business plan is not one of them. Save it for investors, banks and as a map for yourself. Good Luck.


Many people are, indeed, very busy these days. Stupid, global warming!!!


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## dfalk (Apr 11, 2007)

blackeyedtees said:


> In otherwords, Derek: I was joking! Please lighten up, you're on the Internet.


 
I don't think I sounded harsh? Good luck.


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