The wholesale dress market in New York can be very lucrative for clothing stores, high end boutiques, and exporters. The reason why New York offers such good buying opportunities for dress resellers is because as a major international commerce center there is a confluence of retailers, importers, showrooms, customers, and tourists, all converging in one city. This type of a situation creates both demand and opportunity for those looking to set up in the dress business. NYC has a large number of up and coming designers and established brands such as Tahari, Jones New York, and Calvin Klein. They have showrooms in NYC where they showcase their latest designs. These showrooms are surrounded by an existing network of wholesalers that cater towards shop owners located throughout the United States, and to foreign buyers from countries such as Nigeria, Trinidad, and Zimbabwe.
You can locate dress wholesalers by visiting the New York Fashion district which is located approximately between 29thst to 38thst, from 6th to 9th avenue. You need to be aware that some showrooms are actually brokers reselling clothing which they receive from the designers, so while the styles they carry might be a season behind, their prices will be much lower than those charged by the actual designer’s showroom. If your boutique caters to customers who must have the latest style, and can afford the full retail price, then you should set up accounts directly with the brands themselves.
Another option is to visit closeout warehouses. A closeout warehouse differentiates itself from a fashion distributor in the sense that instead of carrying a specific clothing line, it will carry a constantly changing inventory of clothes, shoes, handbags, and other merchandise. For example, among the many items I offer, my closeout business specializes in department store overstock dresses. These are brand name dresses by brands such as Lauren By Ralph Lauren, Nine West, and Rampage. The clothing was once carried by a leading American department store and has now been cleared out. While the clothing is from a prior season, it is being sold for substantially less than the regular wholesale price. Since the clothing is primarily overstock, it is sold as a variety of different brands, styles, colors, and sizes.
An important note, I always recommend that you deal with a vendor that allows you to visit the warehouse or showroom. This way you can establish a relationship with your supplier and be sure that he or she understands the type of merchandise that you need for your customers. If you are not able to visit because of the distance then make sure you have a clear line of communication with your supplier.
