When it comes to starting an online business, you can not go wrong with selecting fashion as your niche. These products are among the most sought-after in the market and with dropshipping you too can establish online stores without the need for costly warehouses, inventory management, or complicated delivery logistics.
Like any other niche, the clothing sector has its unique intricacies that aspiring entrepreneurs like you should know. So, in this article, you will be learning about the essential aspects of starting a dropshipping clothing business. This guide will also highlight some top platforms to help you build your online store.
What Is The Clothing Dropshipping Business: How It Works
Fundamentally, dropshipping is a business approach that enables you to promote products to clients without keeping track of or managing inventory. Here is a more detailed description of how it functions:
In a dropshipping business, you don’t have to put down substantial funds towards ordering, warehousing, or inventory management. Unlike traditional retail models that often demand a significant upfront investment for bulk clothing purchases, dropshipping enables you to establish your store with a relatively modest startup capital.
Once a customer makes a purchase on your website, just send the order to your supplier. After that, everything from packaging and delivery of the clothing item to your customer’s door is handled by your supplier.
The journey of course begins with finding what’s often referred to as a “winning” product. This means selecting the specific types of clothing you want to offer in your online store and there are tons of options to pick from. You could sell either:
- High-end Clothes
- Print-on-demand Clothes
- Regular Everyday Clothes
Is It Profitable To Dropship Clothing?
The fashion and apparel business can offer lucrative opportunities if you come at it with the right approach. The industry is anticipated to reach an incredible $1.94 trillion in value by 2027.
One of the most critical aspects of running a profitable dropshipping clothing business is securing a reliable supplier. Finding a trustworthy supplier may be difficult, and according to 84% of eCommerce sellers, this was the biggest obstacle to starting their dropshipping business.
While the dropshipping clothing market may seem saturated, statistics reveal that only a small percentage of e-commerce stores generate substantial revenue. This highlights the importance of efficient operations and differentiation. To succeed in this competitive landscape, it’s vital to provide exceptional customer service and be diligent in your approach.
By addressing these factors strategically, you can increase your chances of building a profitable dropshipping clothing business.
How To Get Started In The Clothing Dropshipping Business
- Do Your Market Research: The first step to building yourself a successful dropshipping venture is to identify a niche market for you to enter the vast world of fashion. With countless clothing possibilities ranging from traditional everyday wear to winter jackets and sporting gear, honing in on the right niche is crucial.
You’ll need to carry out in-depth market research and test potential items in a variety of market niches to achieve this. You can utilize primary and secondary market research, which are the two essential types of market research.
- Primary Market Research: This involves gathering information from your target audience and conducting your research from scratch. You are essentially collecting data that is tailored to your specific needs. Primary research will allow you to gain insights directly from potential customers and understand their preferences and behaviours.
You can utilise tools like Google Trends to track the popularity of specific clothing items, styles, or fashion trends over time. By analyzing search volume and patterns, you can identify which clothing niches or products are currently in high demand.
For instance, you may discover that cotton wear surges in popularity during hot weather, making it a potential niche to explore in that season.
Competitor analysis is also a part of primary market research. Tools like Similar Web and Quick Search allow you to dive deep into your competitors’ online presence. You can assess their website traffic, and user engagement, and even gain insights into their marketing strategies. This information can help you find ways to ensure your clothing offerings stand out.
- Secondary Market Research: This involves collecting and analyzing data that has already been gathered and published by other sources. It’s like building on the existing knowledge base about your industry and market.
In the context of dropshipping clothing, secondary research helps you gain insights from established reports, studies, and industry publications. Sites like Statista and MarketResearch.com can provide you with comprehensive industry statistics such as data on sales trends.
These reports often provide in-depth analysis of market segments, consumer behavior, and emerging trends. By studying this data, you can identify opportunities to align your dropshipping business with the prevailing market dynamics.
- Next Is To Look For A Reliable Dropshipping Supplier: Having figured out your niche, it’s time you get yourself a good supplier. It’s essential to verify that your potential partner can consistently provide high-quality products on time. Here are some things you can do:
- Attend Meetups: Keep an eye out for industry meetups and events related to your clothing niche. These gatherings can be treasure troves of information and connections.
Look for meetups on platforms like meetup.com or Facebook Groups, which may feature local designers and small-scale manufacturers. Additionally, attend trade shows and events where you can see clothing production firsthand, ensuring you meet potential manufacturers in person.
- Do Some Old Fashioned Research: Sometimes, personal connections and local networking can be more valuable than online research. Network within your community, ask for recommendations and inquire about experiences with specific manufacturers, especially about countries like China.
Local institutions like community colleges and chambers of business might offer insightful connections and advice.
- Now, to narrow down your options: Now that you have a few possible suppliers, you must carefully choose the best ones. One major factor is price & product quality. While you want to keep production costs reasonable, compromising on quality can harm your brand’s reputation.
Request price quotes from your shortlisted manufacturers and compare them. Ensure that the manufacturer can meet your price point without compromising on the quality of the clothing. Don’t be afraid to ask for samples to assess the quality firsthand.
Look into the background and expertise of the manufacturer. Look for a history of producing high-quality products on schedule. Find out whether they have expertise dealing with businesses similar to yours and if they have any well-known clients or partnerships.
Reading reviews and client testimonials can help you discover more about a business’s standing and level of customer satisfaction.
- Build Up Your Online Store: The next stage in starting a dropshipping business is to create your online store when you’ve found a trustworthy clothes manufacturer. This is where your target audience will browse your inventory and make purchases.
- Choose Your E-commerce Platform: For this, there are 2 common options: online platforms and custom e-commerce platforms.
A large client base is accessible through online platforms like Amazon or eBay, but they provide fewer branding and personalization possibilities available. These platforms make it relatively easy to start selling without the need for extensive website development.
Shopify and other tailored e-commerce systems offer a wide array of branding and design possibilities that can truly set your store apart. These specialized e-commerce platforms empower you to craft a unique online shopping environment tailored to the preferences of your specific target audience.
- Custom Branding and Design: Elements such as your logo, color scheme, typography, and the overall visual appeal of your store should align seamlessly with your chosen niche and resonate deeply with your audience. High-quality product images and clear descriptions are also great at enticing customers.
- Optimise Your Store for Search Engines and Social Media: Use on-page and off-page SEO tactics to increase the visibility of your shop on search engines like Google. This includes optimizing product titles, descriptions, meta tags, and earning backlinks from reputable websites.
Create a strong online presence on the social media channels that your audience uses. To create a brand community, regularly post interesting material, highlight your products, and engage with your followers.
Clothing Suppliers I’d Recommend
Globallyfulfill
Globallyfulfill is a platform that takes your apparel dropshipping business to the next level by putting it in the hands of industry-leading professionals who are dedicated to your brand’s success.
Pros Of Using Globallyfulfill
Stringent Quality Check: Before large-scale sourcing, GloballyFulfill’s team conducts rigorous quality checks on product samples. This meticulous process ensures that the samples meet your quality expectations, reducing the risk of potential issues down the line. By safeguarding product quality, GloballyFulfill helps protect your brand’s reputation and ensures your customers’ satisfaction.
Advanced Order Processing System: Globallyfulfill employs an advanced, proprietary order processing system equipped with automated features and AI-driven algorithms. This system minimizes human error, optimizes order accuracy, and enhances overall efficiency. With precise order handling, you can trust that customer orders are processed promptly and accurately.
Custom Branding Solutions: Globallyfulfill offers custom packaging solutions that align with your brand’s style and ethos. Whether it’s unique product labels, personalized boxes, or custom inserts, they assist your brand in making a memorable impression on customers.
BrandsGateway
If you aspire to run a luxury fashion brand store without the complexities of inventory management, BrandsGateway is a supplier that demands your attention.
Operating from multiple offices in Europe and maintaining warehouses in strategic locations, including the US, Germany, Sweden, and Italy, BrandsGateway is well-equipped to provide an exceptional dropshipping experience.
Some of the prestigious brands in their catalog include Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Swarovski, Michael Kors, and Versace. However, it’s important to note that this luxury focus places BrandsGateway in the high-ticket dropshipping category.
Pros Of Using BrandsGateway
Swift Delivery: BrandsGateway takes pride in delivering products to your customers’ doorsteps promptly. Within the EU, you can expect deliveries in as little as one to three business days, while outside the EU, shipping takes approximately five to seven days.
High-Quality Imagery: Subscription to BrandsGateway comes with a valuable perk—access to professional product photos and descriptions. You can utilize these assets to enhance your store’s visual appeal and product descriptions.
Seamless Integration: BrandsGateway offers automated solutions for popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Wix, and WooCommerce. These integrations simplify order placement and streamline your business operations.
Customer-Friendly Return Policy: BrandsGateway supports a customer-centric approach with a 14-day return policy. This policy allows your customers to return products within two weeks of receiving them, although it’s important to note that return shipping costs are not covered.
My Online Fashion Store
My Online Fashion Store stands out as a US-based supplier specializing in catering to dropshipping stores.
Its distinct advantage is its commitment to supporting dropshipping businesses. Unlike some suppliers that also engage in wholesale or have their retail outlets, My Online Fashion Store is entirely dedicated to facilitating dropshipping. This singular focus results in a seamless and tailored experience for dropshippers, making it more convenient.
Other Pros Include:
Seamless Integration: To further simplify the dropshipping process, My Online Fashion Store offers a dedicated Shopify app. This app is designed to streamline the integration of their products into your Shopify store. The presence of this app can significantly expedite the setup and management of your dropshipping operations with My Online Fashion Store.
Extensive Product Catalog: As a member, you gain access to a diverse and extensive product catalog. You have plenty of options to choose from when you have over 5,000 fashion items, including apparel, at your disposal for your online business. With so many options, you may satisfy the many interests and preferences of your target market.
Hassle-Free Returns: Returns can be a significant concern for fashion retailers. Fortunately, the platform seeks to alleviate this burden by offering free returns. This customer-centric approach can be a valuable selling point for your online store, reassuring customers that they can shop with confidence.
Conclusion
The fact you read this article till the end means you are ready to begin your journey to becoming a dropshipper. Hopefully, this article has provided enough information to get started in the clothing dropshipping business. Ensure you go through this article as much as you need until you hit your dropshipping goals.
