How to Get Clothing Distributed to Major Department Stores
by Lisa McQuerrey, studioD
One of the best ways to promote your clothing line is to secure mainstream distribution through major department stores. These stores typically have chains across the nation; they employ sophisticated marketing techniques to sell their products, and those of the clothing designers they carry. There is a variety of ways to get noticed by buying agents in major department stores. For best results, design a complete clothing line, produce samples, and identify a garment manufacturing company prior to attempting to get your clothing line distributed to major department stores.
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Take your product online. Build a website and social media sites with full-color photos and enticing descriptions of your clothing line. Include details about retail or wholesale opportunities, and provide contact information. Department buyers regularly search the Internet for chat related to new designers, and may contact you directly from a web search.
Create a catalog of your clothing line and include a removable, updatable one-page sheet that details wholesale and retail pricing. Send the catalog to the purchasing or buying department of major department stores.
Make personal appointments with purchasing agents in major department stores and provide them with samples of your clothing line.
Retain a public relations or marketing company with experience in promoting products to the retail industry. A good firm can make introductions to major department stores, and can distribute press releases to department store and retail trade publications detailing the launch of your clothing line.
Host a fashion show to benefit a favorite charity, and invite representatives from major department stores to attend. Hold a reception after the event and make time to meet one-on-one with department store buyers.
Attend fashion industry trade shows, and consider purchasing a booth to display your line. This is where many retail department store clothing buyers make their purchasing decisions for the year.
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