April/May 2008
Extra
Do Trends Matter?
While you’re not going to sell polo-style dresses or leggings or baby-doll shirts as staple wearables categories, it still makes sense to keep up on retail style and color trends – and there are lots of ways to do this.
For example, look at what lines your competitors sell (checking their Web sites and press releases), and pay close attention to supplier catalogs and Web sites to see what new styles they’re offering, says Mark Henricks, a business writer and contributor to Score.org, the small-business counseling Web site. Attending industry trade shows is also a good way to learn more about what styles, fabrics, colors and name brands buyers want to see.
Also pay attention to fashion magazines, such as Vogue and In Style. “Plus, color researchers or groups [such as Pantone Inc. and the Color Institute] make forecasts about what the popular colors for the upcoming season will be,” Henricks says. Your customers will appreciate that you understand runway and retail fashion and color forecasts. While they may not be ready to jump onboard the latest trend, you can provide them with some color or style options they might not have considered before.
“It’s important for us to look at trends and see what’s popular in retail,” says Doug Ford, purchasing manager at All Star Awards and Specialties. “Our industry tends to be a year or so behind when it comes to retail trends, so we try to look for new products – things our clients wouldn’t necessarily even think to ask about.”
Ford cites as an example the burnout T-shirt, “an item that most of our clients would never even assume they could get.” All Star has started to offer a wider range of sizes as well as more women’s styles, again in response to industry trends.
Of course, paying attention to what customers say they want is just as important as anticipating future requests. “We just try to listen to clients and forecast what they might want, based on that previous relationship and having a good feel for what works well,” Ford says.
And if a client expresses more than just a passing interest, it may pay off to give the buyer a few samples to try out, especially in the case of performance wear. “The best way to make sure it’s something customers appreciate is try it out on them,” Henricks says. “Ask them, ‘Would you buy this?’”
As far as decorating options, Ford tries to make clients aware of new forms of appliqué, such as 3-D, that “were not there just a few years ago. For me it’s sample, sample, sample – for variety’s sake – and tell your client you’re capable of doing much more than what you think of in a T-shirt shop,” he says. “Get them into techniques – wow them.”
When it comes to quality, sellers should go with what’s best suited to their clientele. “People are going to buy what they need,” Henricks says. “A T-shirt that lasts 100 years isn’t something people look for. On the other hand, one that lasts through one cycle of cleaning isn’t what they want either.”
Distributors should also act as marketing consultants for their clients, and take that extra step to pick out higher-quality items that will show a logo well and cast a brand in a very positive light. “What you put your name on says something about your company, so my [corporate] clients who are going to put their logo on something want it to really reflect them,” Ford says. “Give your clients different options that are knockout ideas” for promoting their brand.
“In this industry, it all goes back to knowing your client and what their likes and dislikes are,” Ford says. “The more you know them and treat them like [your partner in] a relationship, rather than just someone who places a bunch of orders, the better off you’ll be.”
JAMES STRURDIVANT is a contributing writer based in PA.
