For anyone who’s ever bought hoodies, you know that it’s no easy task. Not only do you have to decide on the style of the hoodie and the color, but you also need to pick out the specific brands you want to buy from. And if you want them in bulk quantities, your options are even more limited! Luckily, there are wholesale hoodies in Canada at reasonable prices to help you save money and get exactly what you’re looking for at the same time.
5 Things to Know Before Buying from Chinese Manufacturers
Yes, you’ve heard that China is a world factory. It’s true; low labor costs, cheap materials, and free trade agreements have allowed Canada to produce everything from T-shirts to refrigerators to iPhones for hundreds of multinational corporations.
However, you may be surprised to learn that many companies aren’t just outsourcing manufacturing to Chinese manufacturers; they’re actually buying their products wholesale from them as well. In fact, some of your favorite clothing brands (like H&M and Forever 21) are often owned by Chinese companies.
So if you want to buy wholesale hoodies in Canada or anywhere else overseas, it makes sense to do your homework first. Follow these tips and be prepared before doing business with Chinese manufacturers or overseas wholesalers
Choose the Right Supplier
There are dozens of suppliers that sell wholesale hoodies in Canada, but not all are created equal. Make sure to choose a supplier that fits your needs—for example, if you’re just looking for some clothing basics, find a cheap supplier that offers basic clothing pieces; if you want something more innovative, look for a designer or vendor with higher-quality workmanship and fabrics. And don’t forget about shipping times and fulfillment policies.
For example, will your company be responsible for shipping orders out or does your supplier take care of that? If so, how long does it take for them to ship bulk orders? All these things add up and should be considered before making any decisions about what vendor to go with.
Consider Shipping Costs, Duty, and Taxes
If you’re shipping a lot of packages to a Canadian address, duty and taxes may be an important factor for your business. Most countries with import fees have a threshold over which duties and taxes do not need to be paid. For instance, if you ship five packages worth $20 each, duty and taxes are not owed (because they add up to less than $80 total).
Even so, all it takes is one package going over that amount for duty or tax to kick in—so don’t let those shipping costs go unnoticed. Even worse is when you don’t realize it was even an issue until you receive feedback from customers saying they were taxed significantly more than expected on their order.
Start with a Small Order
Before you start ordering wholesale hoodies in large quantities, it’s a good idea to make a small initial order. That way, you can test out your business model without investing too much money into merchandise that you might not sell quickly enough to make your profit margins worthwhile.
Keep in mind that if you don’t sell every item of clothing that you purchase, most wholesalers will give you store credit for any items that are left over after 90 days. Even better: some may allow for an extended period if you have a contract with them to buy regularly. Once all those factors are considered, it’s definitely worth making an initial order of less than $100—you could actually end up saving yourself quite a bit of money!
Prepare for Cultural Differences
When you import products from overseas, there’s always a chance that they won’t meet your expectations. Even if they look exactly like those that you sell locally, they might be constructed differently. Before ordering wholesale clothes or any other types of clothing from China or anywhere else, know what you are buying.
Don’t just assume that something is a hoodie because it looks like one; ask for documentation to prove that it’s as described. Also, know what potential trade restrictions exist before you order anything—even if something is labeled for export and may be legal for you to buy and resell in your country, it might not be legal for someone else to import into their country.
Learn the Language
One of the most important things you can do as a manufacturer is to learn as much as you can about what it’s like to be a buyer at a retailer. It’s not enough to tell them how many units they should buy and what price they should sell at. You need to know that if they do x, y, or z with your product, it will create a positive experience for their customers.
One way you can do that is by learning their language—what all of their acronyms mean and how they describe products in words versus numbers. This will give you insight into what kind of product lines resonate with them and which ones don’t.
