If you are a store owner, how can I get you to buy my goods

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Forum -> Working Women

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amother

Peach

Wed, Jan 30 2019, 5:15 pm

I am in the process of manufacturing a specific article of clothing. I don’t really want to get into specifics, but it’s something that I had custom made. There are similar items on the market; my focus is to produce a very high quality product.

If you are a retailer, what has helped you choose the products that you sell? Is it from trade shows? Emails? Code calls? Or pop ins to your store? I am trying to figure out the best way to promote my product to stores, without breaking the bank because I am on a very limited budget.

Any targeted advice would be sooo appreciated!

nchr

Wed, Jan 30 2019, 5:16 pm

My friend has a retail store. Most came from personal experience with an item or its brand, as well as from trade shows where she could experience the item first hand.

amother

Peach

Wed, Jan 30 2019, 5:33 pm

nchr wrote:

My friend has a retail store. Most came from personal experience with an item or its brand, as well as from trade shows where she could experience the item first hand.

Thanks. At this point I want to stay small and exclusive so I don’t really have the capital to purchase a booth in a trade show. I also don’t think I can afford to send samples out to a bunch of stores. I’m not sure an email would work either as it’s just a picture- you cannot see and touch the product. Would your friend be open to having someone drop in the store or set up an appointment to show her a product?

simba

Wed, Jan 30 2019, 5:38 pm

My Sil makes pearl baby bracelets. She went to stores and showed the owners her products. Make sure to go at a quite time and ask them if it’s a good time and if not when can you come back.’

Amarante

Wed, Jan 30 2019, 5:58 pm

You seem to be contemplating a product that would be sold by a few boutique type of stores.

As others have posted, the best way to do this is to set up an appointment with store owners who cater to a client base that would be interested in the item. Be prepared to explain exactly why your product would be a great fit for the owner. You would also have to be prepared to offer them some kind of guarantee in terms of sales - even the largest clothing manufacturers offer guarantees to the department stores if merchandise doesn't sell through.

amother

Peach

Wed, Jan 30 2019, 6:23 pm

simba wrote:

My Sil makes pearl baby bracelets. She went to stores and showed the owners her products. Make sure to go at a quite time and ask them if it’s a good time and if not when can you come back.’

I guess I have to be a traveling sales lady to get my feet wet. Yikes. I very much believe in my product but it’s not my nature to put myself out like that.

As an aside, does anyone know if there are trade shows that specifically gear to the frum community? I don’t think my product would interest people outside of the community and I’m thinking it would be a lot cheaper than a more commercial trade show.

Amarante

Wed, Jan 30 2019, 6:28 pm

amother wrote:

There are agents who do this and promote several lines.

I don't know if there are any specific to the from community but I wouldn't be surprised if you could't find someone who had more of a sales personality.

Of course the downside is that you would have to pay hem a commission which would eat substantially into their profits.

I don't like sales but I had a friend who approached it as not so much trying to sell a person something but going in with the mindset that you had something that was going to be helpful to them - e.g. in this case a unique product that customers in the store would like and which would be profitable to them when they made a sale and might even attract customers to the store who would buy other items.

amother

Teal

Wed, Jan 30 2019, 6:39 pm

My parents have a store in BP. From what I've seen, the best way to convince them was to walk into the store with your actual product. Make your pitch in under 2 minutes and offer some kind of incentive. It can be to take back unsold merchandise for the first X number of seasons, or to advertise your product showing that it's available at this store. Be prepared that some store owners in BP will tell you that they want to carry it exclusively and if you sell to other stores they won't carry it. My parents did that and the poor manufacturers were screwed over sometimes. If it didn't sell well in their store, the other stores wouldn't give it a try the next season.

Best of luck.

amother

Peach

Wed, Jan 30 2019, 7:15 pm

Thanks for all the great advice!

rdmom

Wed, Jan 30 2019, 7:19 pm

There is usually a trade show for the heimishe stores in the park house hotel. Not sure when or who exhibits there but I know it happens.

trixx

Wed, Jan 30 2019, 7:45 pm

You should also have a great online presence on social media. Send your stuff to bloggers and Instagrammers to review. Join the fb group "tznius modest internet clothing finds" which has thousands of members.

vet techy

Wed, Feb 06 2019, 7:56 am

My friend is in the process of opening a small boutique.
Would you be able to PM me?

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