Intro
If you are in the fashion e-commerce sector, it is vital that you find the right garment supplier. They will help to bring your concepts into reality and will walk alongside you during your journey in the apparel industry.
New challenges are constantly arising, such as faster order cycles, high expectations on product quality, reasonable prices, sustainability, and faster lead-times. You need a garment supplier that can fulfill all of these needs and more for you. However, the process of finding a top manufacturer is easier said than done.
What Classifies a Top Manufacturer?
While the leading manufacturers are not all going to be carbon copies of one another, there will be some commonalities across the board that separates them from the crowd. It is important that you don’t settle for second best and consider manufacturers that may be focusing on certain areas. Here are ten key areas to look at when choosing a garment supplier for your business.
1. Product Specialization
There are countless manufacturers out there today that are a jack of all trades, but a master of none. While their production quality will be sufficient, nothing will stand out. Good factories will stay focused on their strengths, doubling down in these areas rather than chasing lost causes.
You should look for a manufacturer that has a narrow focus on your product niche. All of the hours that they have put into their craft will be shown when you see and feel the products or talk with the team. They will pay attention to every fine detail, leaving no stone unturned in their quest to fulfill the client’s needs.
2. Minimum Order Quantities
An important part of the selection process that can get overlooked is the minimum order quantity of a given manufacturer. While the given supplier may tick all of the other boxes, if their minimum order quantities are not in line with your needs, you are often wasting your time.
Smaller e-commerce brands may be looking for suppliers that cater to lower minimum order quantities, while bigger brands may want to ensure that a manufacturer can meet their minimum quantity demands without any issues.
3. Quality Standard
While many e-commerce brands are happy to sell subpar quality clothing to their customers, the companies that really stand out are those that make sure that consistently high quality is always there.
To gauge the true quality standard of a supplier, you will need to conduct your own research. This includes seeing what other companies who use this supplier says about the quality of garments. If possible, you can visit the factory to take a closer look, with samples also being essential. Oftentimes, it can be better to pay a bit more for a higher quality end product rather than trying to save relatively small sums of money but give up a lot of quality.
Many suppliers will go above and beyond the call of duty to make sure that their clients are always happy. It is important to have a relationship with a supplier that doesn’t mind producing multiple samples. A leading clothing brand does not want to take any chances with even the smallest of changes, everything needs to be tested and retested before bulk production begins.
4. Price, Fees, and Shipping Costs
You need to strike the right balance between a good price per unit and top-quality garments. Naturally, if the price sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Make sure that you are aware of the prices your competitors are paying their manufacturers. This can give you a good ballpark idea of what you need to get the same or superior quality.
While it can be easy to get lost in the creative side of manufacturing the garments, you also need to make sure that the figures make sense. You need to be crystal clear in advance of any and all fees that are associated with working with that particular supplier.
Make sure that you are fully clear on shipping costs, production costs, and any other additional fees that may apply. If the figures don’t make sense, the supplier will not be a viable option. However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to negotiate and try to work out an arrangement that will be beneficial in the long-term for both parties.
5. Lead-Time
It is important that you are dealing with a manufacturer that minimizes lead-time as much as possible. This means that they remove any potential bottlenecks that can cause significant delays in the long run.
You want to make sure that the lead-time is in line with your product line release schedule and that the supplier places an emphasis on meeting their obligations and being on time with their production and shipping. Other factors like fast delivery, fast stock turnover, and rapid replenishment of goods are considerations.
6. Client Base
A good indicator of the quality of a clothing manufacturer is seeing what other brands they have worked with. This social proof shows you that others have trusted this supplier and come back for repeat business. The total number of clients is also a consideration, as you want to make sure that their capacity is big enough to adequately cater to all customers.
If a manufacturer is working with the same clients over a long time period, then this is a good indication that they are dealing with an end product that meets or exceeds expectations. It indicates that there are efficient processes in place at the given supplier and they value long term business rather than focusing on making a quick buck. A lack of re-orders should set off warning bells.
7. Location
There is a shift in recent times towards locally made products. This is why clothing manufacturers in the likes of the United States and Europe are growing in popularity. There is often no language barrier, stricter labour laws, and betting conditions for the workers. Oftentimes, the quality will also be higher. However, you will have to balance all of these pros with the additional cost of using these domestic manufacturers.
The main advantage of overseas manufacturers in the likes of Asia is the lower costs. While there are manufacturers that can deliver a high-quality end product, there are also those factories that cannot. As it can be difficult to visit the factories in person, a lot more research is often necessary.
With overseas manufacturers, there will often be a lot more flexibility in terms of styles and fabrics, which is something to keep in mind. They will often go above and beyond in order to do business with you. There is also a lot of product know-how and innovation found with these suppliers. This is in addition to short supply chains for trimmings and fabrics, which allows for a very competitive offering in terms of innovative products and price.
8. Communication Levels
If you are dealing with a manufacturer on a regular basis, you want to make sure that there is good communication in place. This means being on the same page in terms of exactly what you want, when you want it, and how much you will pay.
Sometimes, if you are dealing with a manufacturer for whom English is not their first language, certain things might get lost in translation. This is why you want to look for suppliers that have team members who have a good level of English and can understand all requests and provide you with regular updates.
9. Sustainability
When it comes to the sustainability aspect of a garment supplier, there are two main ways to determine their approach to the subject. This is by checking their compliance and asking for valid certificates. You want to have a look to see what specific certificates the supplier holds.
In terms of social standards, WRAP and BSCI certifications are good indicators. The likes of GOTS, OEKTEX and Global Recycling standards are all certificates to look out for from a sustainable product perspective.
Other aspects you may want to look at is if the supplier engages with the local communities. Taking a look to see if they offer special benefits to employees, such as child care, medical care, free meals, etc. are other good indicators as to the values of the company. Finally, you can look for any signs that they invest in sustainable projects, such as green energy or zero waste.
10. Value-added services
It is important that you have a supplier that understands your exact needs. This means that they will sometimes go above and beyond what you expect them to do. It may be in the form of getting unwavering support as soon as you start working together.
Some of the potential value-adding services that suppliers might offer include strong design and product development support, high-level quality control, help with packaging and labeling, lab testing, a well-organized shipping department, and they are always willing to learn and make improvements in the case of quality claims following a delivery.
Summary
As you can see, there are many different complex variables to consider when you are looking for the ideal garment supplier. While the search process can feel intimidating and requires a lot of work, thankfully Topformer is here to help. Topformer is an exclusive network that connects Fashion Brands with the Top 3% of Manufacturers worldwide. No longer do you have to sift through thousands and thousands of different manufacturers. This is done for you by Topformer.
Thanks to Topformer’s digital approach, you will be able to find the perfect match for your needs, considering your expectations in terms of price, lead-time, minimum order quantities, and quality. Instead of having to hire or rely on a sourcing team. Topformer will take care of all this, allowing you to focus on your strengths.
