How to Start a Successful Wholesale Clothing Business + Vendors List [US/UK/China]

Do you want to find out how to run a successful wholesale apparel business?
Read on.

In this post, we will talk about the profitability of the wholesale apparel business. Twelve reputable wholesale suppliers of apparel in China, the U.S., and the U.K will be listed for you.

Additionally, we will provide you with tips on how to find a reliable wholesale supplier and how to better sell apparel online.

So, let’s get started.

Why Wholesale Apparel?

According to Statista, the worldwide revenue of clothing and apparel is targeted to have a 23% growth, reaching $475 billion in 2022 from $362 billion in 2019. (See figure below).

The compound annual growth rate of the apparel market is expected to be the largest between 2017 to 2022 in China at 14.1%, meanwhile, 8.8% and 8.7% in the U.S. and Europe respectively.

Moreover, in 2023, the majority of the worldwide revenue is generated in China amounting to $183 billion.

In 2023, the largest niche in apparel is the “Women’s and Girls’” segment with a market volume of approximately $700 billion, followed by “Men’s and Boys’ apparel.
A study from Statista showed that almost 37% of the global revenue in 2018 is accounted for by women’s and girls’ apparel and the majority of the revenue was made in China.

On the other hand, most of the global revenue of men’s and boys’ apparel was made in the U.S.

Clearly, this shows that clothing and apparel market is a global phenomenon.

The rising trend in the apparel market is attributed to the proliferation of online shopping businesses and the expansion of major apparel brands. This supports that a wholesale apparel business is an ever-growing and promising niche to invest in.

Figure 1. Worldwide revenue of clothing and apparel by billions of USD according to Statista.

Reliable Wholesale Apparel Suppliers in China

Now, we will talk about some major wholesale apparel suppliers in China, the U.S., and the U.K. This list includes international trading companies and some local businesses with information on monthly subscription fees.

China

Statista reported that the market revenue in China of apparel amounts to $322 billion in 2019. It is noted that the second- highest global income of the apparel industry in 2019 came from China, following the U.S.

The Chinese apparel market is expected to grow by 5.5% every year. This proves that the China apparel market is flourishing. The two major wholesale apparel suppliers in China are Chinabrands and Made in China.

Name of Supplier Product Category Sign-up Fee

1. Alibaba

One of the major suppliers of clothing and apparel in China is Aalibabas. With their extensive directory of more than 500,000 products and thousands of verified suppliers, Alibaba is indeed a tour de force in the apparel industry.

2. Made in China

On the other hand, Made in China is another third-party B2B e-commerce company based in China. Established in 1998 and operated by Focus Technology Co., Ltd., Made in China has proven to be one of China’s leading wholesale suppliers of various products, including clothing and apparel.

Similarly, Made in China is a dropshipping platform provides services such as customized products, easy sourcing, verification and review of their suppliers, audit reports, etc.

Best Wholesale Apparel Vendors in the USA

Meanwhile, clothing and apparel in the U.S. generate the highest revenue globally in 2019 amounting to $348 billion. The expected growth of the U.S. apparel market is at 1.9% from 2019 to 2023, according to Statista.

The table below enumerated that some major wholesale apparel suppliers based in the U.S. include Buy2Bee, CC Wholesale, Doba, Mio Wholesale, and Wholesale Fashion Square.

1. Buy2Bee

Buy2Bee is a U.S. based B2B platform which dropship clothing, shoes, handbags, and accessories from luxury brands including Marc Jacobs, Robert Cavalli, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, etc. at discount prices.

Each of their products is authenticated and comes directly from the luxury brands. Their items contain the original SKU and UPC or EAN barcodes assuring zero counterfeits.

Buy2Bee requires a monthly subscription fee of $199 if you choose to dropship their luxury items. Meanwhile, a Shopify account with Buy2Bee charges $249 per month.

2. CC Wholesale

Based in Los Angeles, California, CC Wholesale continues to be the U.S. leading wholesale platform for women’s clothing. CC Wholesale offers more than 3,500 high-quality products.

They allow no dropshipping fee for every order charged, update of product data every 2 hours, priority orders processing, and customer service support.

3. Doba

Doba is a leading B2B e-commerce platform in the U.S. that offers more than 2,000,000 products at a discount price. To date, they allow dropshipping options with an initial 14-day free trial and packages from basic to enterprise with costs ranging from $29 and above.

One limitation of their platform is that you cannot view their catalog unless you register as their dropshipper. However, you can only view their new and most popular products.

Also, once you have accessed their product catalogs, you will be able to perform advanced search and filter.

4. Mio Wholesale

Mio Wholesale is another U.S. based dropshipping company which specializes in wholesale women’s clothing. Established in 2009, Mio Wholesale offers high-quality products such as girls’, dresses, tops, curvy plus sizes, leggings, bottoms, and outerwear at a wholesale price.

5. Wholesale Fashion Square

Wholesale Fashion Square is a U.S. retailer of women’s clothing from Los Angeles-based suppliers and manufacturers. They allow their buyers to purchase in groups of three for lower discount prices.

Additionally, they advertise their new products through their online newsletters and push notifications.

Top Rated Wholesale Apparel Websites in the UK

Another promising wholesale apparel market is in the United Kingdom. Statista (2019) reports that the total revenue of apparel in the U.K. amounts to $77 billion.
Moreover, the clothing and apparel business in the U.K. is expected to have an annual growth of 1.8% from 2019 to 2023 which is close to the compound annual growth rate or CAGR of the U.S. apparel market.

Below is a list of some major wholesale apparel suppliers in the U.K:

1. Missi Clothing

Missi Clothing is a major online wholesaler of women’s clothing in the U.K. Their products include dresses, party wear, evening wear, casual clothes, and others.
Their online platform is available for international transactions as their site is translated into five languages and they also allow international shipping.

2. Q Clothing

Q Clothing is a trading division of Premier Quilting Co. Ltd. They boast more than 50 years of experience as a wholesale apparel and trade company in the U.K.
Aside from their regular new apparel products, they also offer ex chainstore clothing which is originally made for high chain store and was canceled. These ex chain store products have the most competitive discounted prices.

3. Fashion’s First Wholesale

Fashion’s First Wholesale is a wholesale apparel store in the U.K. which sells a wide range of apparel products such as celebrity dresses, evening wear, jackets, coats, fashion accessories, shoes, bags, and jewelry.

They are accepting merchants or agents for resale and their partner merchants get to receive free product photos of purchased items. Their website, including product and price information and placing orders, is only accessed by their resellers.

4. Fire Label Merchandising

Customized T-shirts, polo shirts, hoodies and sweats, children’s clothing, headwear, and bags are some of the products of the U.K based wholesale apparel business known as Fire Label Merchandising.

Fire Label Merchandising sells customized apparel with screen printing, embroidery, and labeling.

5. Influence Fashion

Influence Fashion is a U.K. based manufacturer of women’s and men’s clothing. They hold SMETA or SEDEX Members Ethical Trade Audit certification ensuring that their online products have passed ethical and quality standards.

How to Find a Reliable Wholesale Apparel Suppliers

In this section, we will enumerate some pointers on how to find the right manufacturer.

1. Define your need for a clothing manufacturer.

After deciding what apparel niche you are selling, the next important step is to decide whether you need a clothing or apparel supplier or you simply need to partner with online B2B platforms and be a dropshipping agent.

These huge B2B e-Commerce platforms, such as Chinabrands, have already verified their manufacturers. Moreover, having your own clothing manufacturer requires you to buy items in bulk that might not sell.

However, directly transacting with the supplier will allow you to sell products at a higher price or cost.

2. Do an actual search for your manufacturer or suppliers.

You can also find your manufacturer or suppliers in various ways such as the local industry or trade shows, online marketplaces, or through review of reliable directory or listing.

Trade shows are a good venue in finding a reputable supplier because these promotional events often employ review and verification of their participants before allowing them to exhibit.

Attending trade shows can also allow you the opportunity to inspect or review their products and talk to the manufacturer face-to-face which can be an advantage for you.

On the other hand, directory or listings from e-commerce platforms can also be a reliable source.

These listings also have contact information of the suppliers so it is very easy to connect with your selected manufacturer.

3. Conduct thorough research about your selected supplier by reading their customer feedback and reviews.

Once you have selected your partner manufacturer, you may still need to read their customer feedback or reviews.

In reading customer feedback, be wary of fraudulent reviews and you may still need to undertake diligent scrutiny to find out the reliability of your supplier.
Reviews with product images are considered reliable as these are reviews from actual customers who have used the products

What are the Qualifications for an Apparel Wholesale Company

After selecting your apparel manufacturer, you are now ready to match your need for the qualifications of a wholesale apparel company.

These include:

· Do they specialize in the clothing or apparel niche you are selling?
A wholesale apparel company that specializes in your niche often have a wider range of products, material, and fabric. If you are selling sportswear, find a supplier that specializes in sportswear as you have the advantage of product variety and current trends.

· Are they local or international manufacturers?
Local and international wholesale platforms have their advantages and disadvantages. Of note, local or domestic companies are often more conscious of labor laws and stringent working conditions. They are also more advantageous in terms of shipping fees and duration.

On the contrary, international manufacturers can have a more competitive advantage in pricing. Some huge B2B e-commerce platforms like Chinabrands has an extensive network of shipping lines and overseas warehouses so shipping fees and time are similar to that of domestic companies.

· What is the minimum order quantity or MOQ?

Determine a wholesale company that can match their minimum order quantity according to your financial capacity. It will be difficult to initiate a contract with wholesale companies if you are not capable to meet their minimum number of orders.

· Do they provide product samples?

It is always better to try the product yourself before launching it in your store. Some wholesale companies offer free product samples or with a modest fee so this is worth looking at before buying in bulk.

· What are their shipping costs and time?

Customer dissatisfaction arises from shipping flaws. A qualified wholesale company should be able to provide accurate information about their shipping costs and time so make sure to review this beforehand.

· How do they provide customer service?

The best wholesale apparel companies often have impeccable customer service. Find a company with responsive customer service especially if you are a dropshipping agent. You should be able to contact customer support through various channels such as email, chat, or phone.

Tips to Sell Apparel Online

You might have heard it that the online clothing and apparel business is already saturated and might not be too profitable because of the huge competition.

However, do not get easily discouraged as recent statistics prove that clothing and apparel is still a growing online market.

Here are three helpful tips on how you can better sell your apparel products online:

1. Define your niche.

Online clothing and apparel is a huge market, from women’s to men’s, sportswear, formal, or outerwear.

Before initiating your online wholesale apparel business, you need to select your niche so you can define your marketing strategy well.

2. Make your online store visible in the market.

Invest in improving your store visibility on website search engines. If you choose to be a dropshipping agent for established B2B companies such as Chinabrands, store visibility is readily ensured.

3. Upgrade your service to a valuable and responsive experience.

Never settle in simply providing customer service instead work on improving your service to valuable and responsive customer experience. Be informative and accurate.

The major reason for customer dissatisfaction in online apparel store is incorrect sizing so accuracy and transparency in your product information must always be observed.

Conclusion

So to wrap up this article on wholesale apparel business, let me ask you:

What are your major takeaway ideas in selling wholesale apparel business that you learned from this article?

Do you have some favorite wholesale apparel suppliers that are not in our list?

Are you ready to kick start your wholesale apparel business?

Top ApparelCN

Top ApparelCN is a leading wholesale clothing and fashion products supplier, we have a professional wholesale team that can provide full support for your business base in China. We also provide a drop-shipping service, we can ship your products from China to worldwide.

Please feel free to contact us whenever you have any requests, wait for your feedback!

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