Question

Topic: Strategy

How To Start Selling Hosiery To Big Retailers?

Posted by Anonymous on 7/5/2010 at 6:54 AM ET 250 Points
How to start selling high quality fashion hosiery made in EU to big retailers in the UK?

How to help them to break into UK market?

I have few factories from EU interested to start selling their products in the UK. Their products are more expensive than made in China or India but they can compete with orders' flexibility, quick delivery and quality. They all are fair employers and treating their employees at high standards acceptable in the EU and UK.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 7/5/2010 at 8:44 AM Accepted
    You are going to need to demonstrate to the retail buyers that you're prepared to promote the new product aggressively, so there is strong consumer demand for the product.

    There are a number of ways to do that -- branding, high-end private label, company-owned stores, etc. -- but one way or the other you're going to have to invest in creating a brand and a consumer franchise for your hosiery BEFORE you'll get any serious support from a major retailer.

    If there's no consumer demand for the product, why would they want to add it to their offering? Are they having a serious problem with the current suppliers' flexibility, quick delivery or quality?

    What you might want to do is interview a few buyers for major chains in the UK and see what THEY say it would take to get their attention for the hosiery line. If they'll spend the time with you, the information will be extremely enlightening, I'm sure.

    Don't try to sell them anything during those interviews. Just ask questions and listen carefully to the answers. Take good notes, because you'll want to refer to them later when you have several interviews under your belt. You will have your answer before you've finished interview #5, I'm almost certain.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 7/5/2010 at 8:18 PM Accepted
    Your customers won't immediately care about how they were produced. They'll care about: how they look, how they last, and their value (cost vs. benefits). How do they compare to their competition? Are they much better in any one category?
  • Posted on 7/6/2010 at 4:52 AM Author
    Dear members

    Thank you for your answers. To answer the questions from the last member's response:
    How they look? One factory is selling women and children tights, socks, stockings etc. I had checked some women stores in the UK and think that their design is different. So far I've just seen Eastern European celebrities wearing similar products in the magazine, no one on the street. They have as well their basic lines but they have the team of designers who are making collections and special orders. They are already doing business with all Scandinavian countries and for some companies they are selling tailored collections exclusively just for them. Their produce is very well bought in Scandinavian countries.

    How they last?
    The quality is very good, especially in comparison with some cheap clothes stores or some big supermarkets. But they can produce cheap products as well but then quality will not be as good.

    Value?
    I went to one very popular shop, nothing impressive and the prices bite. The maximum factory price is £2 per pair if that; they sell £6-£8 per pair.
    I've never been involved in clothes business before so I am not sure what good value in this area is. I definitely think that they can compete with their design but they will never be able to compete with prices of produce from far countries.

    I had few meetings with agents and retailers; they all want them to do similar things what moderator advised; like big advertising campaigns and participating in exhibitions. But the company wants to sell their production through the net of agents like they do in Scandinavian countries.




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