Dropshipping clothing
Most people who want to start an online store choose to sell clothing. It is a large market with many niches, suppliers and advantages. There are certainly opportunities to be found, although clothing is not always suitable for dropshipping.
Content:
Clothing is a billion-dollar market
The sales of online fashion, beauty and luxury products in Europe amounted to 213 billion euros in 2023. It is a billion-dollar market, that is expected to continue growing in the coming years. This makes clothing an interesting product segment for retailers, especially online.
Many owners of online stores who sell clothing do so through dropshipping. This means that the wholesaler or supplier ships the product themselves. As the owner of the online store, you do not need to buy inventory. This can save you a lot of money and space. Starting a dropshipping online store in clothing is less risky, but there are a lot of competitors.
Dropshipping suppliers that ship clothing
Platforms that allow you to quickly discover European wholesalers that dropship clothing are:
This b2b platform connects retailers with wholesalers with low purchasing thresholds and minimum purchases. Perfect for finding extra items or suppliers. With the dropshipping subscription you have no storage risks or fulfilment hassle: suppliers send items directly to your customers.
- dropshipping and wholesale in one platform
- true European brands
- local storage: fast delivery times
- options for exclusive partnerships
The Italian wholesaler B2B GRIFFATI offers several designer brands, including some exclusive fashion brands from Europe. With the dropshipping-plugin of Sync2Fashion you can easily add the products into your Shopify-store on, without the need for a warehouse or logistic management.
Printful works on a print-on-demand basis. They can print your designs on clothing, as well as bags, mugs and phone covers. In Europe, the company is situated in Latvia and Spain, which makes shipping within two to four days possible. It integrates with ecommerce software and marketplaces.
Large platform that offers over 100M+ products from European and United States suppliers, including fashion, beauty, and lifestyle products. You get fast delivery, branded packaging, private label options and unique print-on-demand solutions. Suitable for both dropshipping and wholesale.
- beginner-friendly
- suppliers from Europe and the United States
- branded packaging and private label options
- offers a strong Shopify integration
- strong product research tools
Design and sell under your own brand with print on demand clothing and custom branding. You get private label options such as custom neck labels, packaging and size labels. The platform handles its own production and ships worldwide. Average delivery time in Europe: 8 to 14 days.
- integrates with Shopify and other ecommerce platforms
- build your own clothing brand without holding inventory
- focus on streetwear and premium apparel
- no or low minimum order quantities
- printed fulfillment from Los Angeles, USA
Provides access to a database of over 8,000 wholesalers, nearly half of which offer dropshipping. If you give more deeply into the database you can find strong local European suppliers as well. With the starter plan, you can import up to 200 products per month.
- over 100K retailers work with this platform
- browse through more than 2,5 million products
- Insights tools for market and product research
- founded in 2005, located in Christchurch, New Zealand
Platform that combines multiple suppliers. Offers dropshipping with no subscription fees and optional white label shipping. Strong in fashion, jewelry, and beauty products. Fast delivery from US and UK warehouses. Shipments from China often take a bit longer.
- direct integration with Shopify and WooCommerce
- private labeling with no minimum order quantity
B2b platform where retailers and resellers can buy branded overstock and clearance items, often with large discounts on wholesale prices. It offers direct access to both new items, b-grade goods and secondhand goods, from popular brands through a simple digital order process.
- apparel, shoes, bags, and sportswear
- trading surplus inventory
- details of products in the product descriptions
- low or no minimum order quantity
One stop supply chain solution with product sourcing, order fulfillment, tracking, and after sales for dropshipping Chinese products. Strong in apparel, consumer electronics, health and beauty, and outdoor categories.
- integrations with TikTok, Shopify, Wix, and WooCommerce
- database with more than 670,000 items
- partnerships with local manufacturers
- daily shipping volume of 25,000 to 50,000 orders
Shipping clothing
As your dropshipping supplier ships the clothes, you need to make sure that your supplier is reliable. Even though you can not control shipments, you are still held responsible for the state of the product after shipping. As a test, you could order some products for yourself first. By doing so, you can immediately see the quality of the clothing and the shipping process.
Do all clothes arrive undamaged? Is the delivery time of the product within expectations? You could also look up reviews on this before you finally choose a supplier. Customers prefer receiving their orders within one of a couple of business days. However, international shipments sometimes take longer.
This is certainly the case with dropshipping suppliers from outside of Europe. It can sometimes take weeks or even months. Make sure that the expected delivery time is clearly stated in your online store. If you choose a European supplier, you can be sure that the delivery time will be shorter. However, the prices of these products are usually a bit higher than those of a Chinese supplier.
Choose a niche for your products
If you are starting an online store that sells through dropshipping, it is important to stand out from competitors. Due to lower margins it is not advisable to dropship branded clothing. Because of that, online shops that sell clothing are successful because they focus on a specific niche.
Selling only running clothes or swimwear are examples of specific niches. The more focused your product offer is, the more likely it is that your store will stand out. An online store with only women’s clothing or sportswear is still too general. Choose a niche, like socks with animal prints or sustainable yoga clothing. Research ways to make your shop unique and find out why customers would want to buy your clothes or accessories, specifically.
Create consistency in your product range
Never just copy the full product range from your wholesaler. Look for products that match well with each other. Besides choosing a specific clothing category, you can also look at things like material, style or brands.
Find a niche and take a good look at which trends or styles are currently popular in that area
Also look at the trends in your niche, and think about the occasions where people will wear the clothing. An online shop that sells both dress trousers and overalls can quickly look unorganized.
This way, your business looks more consistent. It also shows visitors that you have a lot of knowledge about the niche, because you offer exactly what these customers are looking for.
Keep an eye on current trends
The buying behavior of customers in this market depends on the seasons a lot. Make sure your online shop does not offer winter products during the summer. One advantage of dropshipping is that you do not have leftover stock at the end of a season. By adjusting your offer to each season, you can increase your sales.
Even if you focus on a specific niche, it is still important to keep an eye on how the market changes. Some clothing items with certain colors or patterns may be very popular one season, but not the next. That is why you should check what people are searching for on Google. Social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram also give you an idea of what the new clothing trends are.
Thanks to dropshipping, you can quickly change your product range and respond faster to trends
Make sure you have a strong marketing strategy
Consumers are often cautious about dropshipping. This is usually because of long delivery times or because the same clothing is also for sale on Chinese platforms where customers can order directly from the same supplier. If you work with a European supplier, you do not have these problems. But you need to show this clearly to your customers.
You need to be able to show that you have a great marketing strategy. A good way to build trust is by sharing customer reviews. Positive stories make you look reliable. Even negative reviews can help if you show that you respond to complaints and solve problems.
Already have a few customers? Use them in your marketing
Ask customers to post photos of your products on social media. This helps new visitors of your dropshipping store see what the products look like in real life. You can also follow other accounts for inspiration.
Find out which social media accounts or groups you can collaborate with!
Once you have chosen a niche, search for it on social media. Visit inspiration accounts on platforms like Instagram or Pinterest and start following them. See if you can work together with other business accounts, so your products get highlighted. There are also many Facebook groups that can match your niche. Find them and let people in those groups know about your clothing store. This is an easy way to attract new visitors.
Creating your own brand
Many dropshipping suppliers give you the option to sell their proucts under your own brand name. This helps you stand out from competitors. This will make your product offer more unique, though it can be difficult to create brand awareness if you do not have any customers yet.
You can also reach out to influencers with your clothing. When they wear your products, you will quickly reach more people. Influencers are often also interested in selling their own brand. Maybe you can launch a brand together through your suppliers, which will then be sold in your online store.
Sell clothing on marketplaces
Many online shop owners also sell their products on marketplaces like Amazon or eBay. This helps you reach more customers. Ask your dropshipping supplier if there are options to connect the products with a marketplace. This way, not only will your clothing reach more people, but your supplier will also have a better chance of making sales.
