Business venture: if I wanted to open a clothes shop, where do I find warehouses that will supply me?

[Mum2Ela]

I really want to go it alone and do something with my life that I have done.

I would like to open a clothes shop in an area where I live where I rekn there is a market for it.

I was thinking brands such as Miss Sixty, Diesel, Duck and Cover, Boxfresh etc. - kind of young (ish) labels.

Does anyone know how to go about finding suppliers for the above labels? I buy clothes from a similar shop and they often say the manager 'has gone to London to visit the Warehouse' so will, eg., pick up some more sizes then, etc.

Or has anyone got any words of encouragement (or anyone want to try to put me off?)

TIA.

x

[codswallop]

you want to look ta the bbc2 website for that prohgramme "risking it all" about someon who opened just thats sort of shop

[codswallop]

www.channel4.com/life/microsites/R/risking_it_all/risktakers_harvey.html

iw was channel 4

[Fio2]

ooo i was thinking of opening a kidswear shop, posh labels. Will read this with interest

[Mum2Ela]

Thanks for the link coddy. I read through it with interest. The couple did really well.

How do you s'pose they get the brands on board? Is it a matter of contacting the brands warehouse or something?

The amount of money they put up made me feel better too - its a 'managable' amount IYSWIM. I wouldn't have had a clue about the figures.

[codswallop]

why not wrtie to them?

[codswallop]

from wachin g hte programmen, the brands choose you really

they went to some trade shows where they argued!

[babysteffee]

There's a magazine called the Trader that comes out monthly with details of wholesalers, usually with a web address too, so you don't have to travel all that way just to find they have the wrong stuff!!

There's a really good website too, where you pay 15 pound (no pound sign on here!?!) and can access a bunch of wholesalers, but imo, most are just the same as the Trader.

I joined up, so will hunt it out and try and find some branded clothing wholesalers and childrens clothing.

[Mum2Ela]

Thanks guys. Think I need to sit down and do a bit of surfing on the net.

babysteffee that magazine sounds good. It would be great if you could hunt it out for me. How did you subscribe to the magazine?

TIA.

x

[babysteffee]

www.anuenterprises.co.uk/
www.brandwholesale.com/
www.designerwear.co.uk/default.htm
www.imagewholesale.com/

These are a few from the UK wholesalers guide. www.ukwg.com

The Trader you buy from whsmith or somewhere.

[gloworm]

there are a huge number of clothes wholesalers in Cheetam Hill in Manchester. i know someone who travels from ireland every 2 or 3 months because it is one of the best places in UK to get clothes stock.
She also goes to Glasgow quite a lot (alough manchester is definatly better)

i also recommend the trader, its a good source or websites if nothing else.

[Sonnet]

Think this is a fab idea.
If you have specific brands in mind I'd contact them direct.
I know some like Catamini have a exclusion zone around distributors