As Christmas season starts to roll, many retailers in the clothing industry are struggling with stocking inventory because of the credit crunch. Many of them cannot afford to stock existing and buy new inventories when sales are extremely slow. The tightening of the credit market makes a lot of small businesses, including those in the fashion accessories and apparel industry, struggle to survive. But Christmas is coming. There are still a lot of consumers ready to spend some bucks on buying Christmas presents. But this also means finding bargains on good quality merchandise, could it be in the regular stores or on the internet.

One would think that if you say I’m buying wholesale apparel or wholesale clothing at a wholesale distributor, it automatically means buying it at around 50% less than the retail price. Not necessarily. Most wholesalers are buying their inventories from direct importers. Therefore, prices are not really all that cheap for the retailers. Unless the clothing wholesale distributor buys in bulk of the same style, color and sizes which will mean spending tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousand dollars in acquiring these inventory, the wholesaler does not pay a deeply discounted price. When that happens, the wholesaler passes the burden to the retailer by a mark-up that most retailers can no longer afford. It’s a chain reaction. If the retailers bought it at a higher price, to recoup the cost and make some profit, the retailer would then be increasing price by the piece which will be hard for the consumer to buy. The consumer will then search out some other outlet that can offer more attractive prices than those of their favorite apparel store. In turn, not only did the inventory not move, the retailer, does not have the money to buy cheaper items to turn the business around.

This is where I come in with valuable tips in hand that no clothing and apparel retailer can afford to pass up. First of all, don’t look for an ordinary wholesale apparel distributor otherwise you don’t get the best deal. Instead search out wholesale apparel liquidators whose main business is buying closeout clothing inventory directly from manufacturing companies, direct importers or those whose business are folding. By purchasing inventories this way, retailers can get an extremely low prices, lower than traditional wholesale, and pass the savings on to customers at a deeply discounted price, anywhere from 60% - 80% of the retail price.

Second, if you find one of those closeout wholesale distributors, look out for their clearance sales. This happens very often, as a matter of fact, almost every month. They offer the clearance items from 90% - 95% of the retail price. How nice is that?

My third tip is to look for those companies that offers “free” shipping for a reasonably minimum order of only $200 and above in the continental United States. For overseas buyers, find out if they give special shipping to countries like Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. This gives you more savings than you expected.

Last but not least, look for those who do not require a minimum order amount. Normally, clothing wholesalers have a minimum purchase of at least $500 or $1000 per order. But there are those who allow you to purchase by the package – normally 6 pieces of the same item of different sizes small to large with the same color. This costs anywhere from $25 - $75 a package depending on what you’re buying.

With tips I gave above, no matter if you specialize in retailing women’s wholesale apparel like jeans, dress, skirt, tops, active wear, plus size, accessories or even jewelry, you are covered. Not only clothing and accessory retailers can benefit from these tips but also those stay at home moms, or anybody who wants to make income on the side. Like I said, purchasing with no minimum required is a big thing. Or buying a required small minimum order but the shipping is free, who wants to pass that? Anyone can be a retailer if you know where and how to find suppliers. And for those that are far from places like Los Angeles or New York where you can find most of closeout liquidators, there is always the internet. Just type closeout wholesale apparel in the search field and big G will give you long list of potential savings opportunities to consider. When you get your list, just make the choice as to which savings opportunity fits your needs. And there you have it. Christmas inventory buying for a lot less is taken care of!

This article is a copyright of Claire Schaper (netmediallc@gmail.com), online media specialist for Wholesale Fashion Square. For Wholesale Fashion Square’s purchasing information, contact info@wholesalefashionsquare.com or call 877-811-4911 or visit their website at http://www.wholesalefashionsquare.com for all your wholesale apparel needs!