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Tips For New Fashion Designers: Getting Your Clothing Into Retail Outlets

The fashion industry is one of the most difficult businesses to break into. However, there are new designers each and every day that manage to get their fashions into well known retail outlets. Here are some tips on how to accomplish that goal.

Find The Gaps The Fashion Industry
One of the best ways to get retail outlets to take you seriously is to find the gaps in what consumers want and need and what is available and find ways to fill in one or more of those gaps. You can do this by:
・ Reading professional journals
・ Studying fashion magazines
・ Visiting outlet stores
・ Listening to consumers
・ Conducting surveys

Develop Your Fashion
The next step is too develop your very own fashions to meet some specific needs of consumers. Pay close attention to every detail from the material you choose to the look of the completed product. No matter how well you sell your product it has to meet the needs of the consumer as well as the quality standards they expect.

Start Getting Your Fashions In Small Scale Outlets
Most large retail outlets only want to handle those fashions that have all ready proven to be successful. So give your fashions their best chance of success by starting out with those small scale local boutiques, Internet sales and trade shows. The more people that become aware of the fashions you have to offer the better chance you have of increasing interest and demand. Being able to show that your fashions sell is going to increase your chances of those fashions being picked up by large retail outlets.

Prepare And Polish Your Presentation
Before setting up that appointment with a larger retail outlet, prepare and polish your presentation and perfect every single detail from the clothing you intend to wear, to the main points of your presentation that show why your fashions are unique.

You will also need to be prepared to answer questions concerning your business history, your sales to date, and the cost to make each item as well as manufacturing information.

Bring Samples To Show
Make sure that you not only bring adequate samples of your fashions to show, but that those samples are complete and in pristine condition. While your presentation will peek the outlet buyers interest in your fashion, it is the fashions themselves that are most likely to close the deal.

Be Prepared To Prove That Your Fashions Sell
Bring along with you a list of boutiques or businesses that selling your fashions as well as any special orders that you may have done for schools or organizations. This will not only show the buyer that you are serious about your fashions, but that they sell.

Be Realistic About Quantities You Can Produce And Delivery Dates
Don't make promises that you can't keep. If the retail outlet wants to order more product than you can deliver don't promise them that quantity if there is no way you can fill the order. It is better to get turned down that to earn a reputation for not being able to deliver on time.

Have Purchase Orders Ready To Complete
If you are serious about getting your fashions into that retail outlet than come prepared to do so by having your purchase order on hand and ready to complete. Make sure that the order includes any partial payment you will need in order to buy materials or complete production.

By following this tips and having perseverance and not giving up even if the first big outlet is not ready to buy you will increase your chances of being successful at getting your fashions into those big fashion outlets.