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Reasons why some retailers do not prefer to shop from online clothing suppliers

Topic: Internet MarketingPublished March 27, 2012

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Internet has changed the pattern of buying and selling in the clothing industry. Now clothing retailers can place bulk orders with suppliers globally regardless of the country they’re operating from. All they need to do is look for Wholesale suppliers dealing in clothing on internet, visit their websites, read their terms and conditions, select sizes and colours of clothing and place their orders online. These suppliers then deliver the products at their doorstep within the promised number of days. Despite this ease, many retailers prefer buying from offline stores because of the following reasons.rnBuying from offline clothing stores is still preferablernDespite the fact that it is a digital age where every clothing supplier wants to make the most out of internet, there are still a good number of retailers, who do not prefer to shop from online clothing stores. A group of industry specialists conducted interviews with such retailers and asked the reasons of not trusting online sources. Some cited that it is due to a ‘feel good’ factor while others said that they want to keep their business limited because international Wholesale Clothing industry had unfavourable business environment. rnSome retailers also highlighted that challenges or risks involved in online purchase hampers their decision of buying from online clothing stores. The four basic reasons, which almost every clothing retailer quoted for not using online wholesale stores, are given below.rnReason # 1 – Future deliveries can spoil image!rnSince retailers’ business heavily depends on the business of their suppliers, many times they are unable to meet their commitments with their customers due to a problem at their supplier’s end. This is because if they source clothing from the suppliers located at far off places, there is no guarantee that the products would reach their doorsteps within the promised number of days. In international purchase, delivery pallets are passed through a series of steps before they are delivered to retailers. If delivery is delayed due to any reason, it becomes hard for retailers to meet their commitments with their customers. Reason # 2 – Online Supplier hunting is hard! rnOnline world is not as safe we like to imagine. Hunting genuine and legitimate clothing suppliers on internet is quite challenging. There are many genuine wholesale clothing suppliers on internet but they are hard to find. Online transactions have its perils since the suppliers that you stumble upon web are not always very trustable. If you are lucky to get in touch with genuine dealers, then there could still be many issues such as the quality of the clothes is not up to the mark. This is a major reason that keeps retailers away from making online purchases.rnReason # 3 – Colours and sizes are inaccurate!rnNormally online clothing suppliers place bright coloured pictures of clothing which are not exactly the true depiction of what they have in their stock. When retailers get the delivery, they find out colours are slightly different from what they ordered. If retailers deal in a variety of shades within the same colour range, it can be even more problematic for them. rnMoreover, sizes of clothing are sometimes different from what they ordered. And since retailers cannot touch or see clothing before placing their orders, they do not always receive the right sizes. Though sample checking in advance can fix this problem, yet there always remains a chance that colours and sizes would not match the specifications.rnReason # 4 – Return process is quite hectic!rnIt has been noticed that online clothing suppliers have strict return or refund policies as compared to offline clothing suppliers. This is due to the complex and hectic procedure of returning the goods especially if the fulfilling suppliers are in far off countries. Many times, when retailers return goods, they have to bear the cost of reshipping, which becomes a 100% loss for them, especially if they are going to return the order in its entirety. On the other hand, returning goods and asking for refunds is always cost effective and easier while purchasing from offline clothing stores.

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About the Author

William King is the director of Wholesale Clothing, Wholesale suppliers directory and Clothing Wholesalers. He has 18 years of experience in the marketing and trading industries and has been helping retailers, entrepreneurs and startups with their product sourcing, promotion, marketing and supply chain requirements.

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