How many items should you have in a clothing collection?
So, you want to make a clothing collection but how many items should you make? The golden question is how much is too little and how much is too much? We're here to help you answer this! There really isn't an exact number we can give you, as it really depends on your collection and your business situation. However, the main question we ask most of our clients is how much can you afford? The main priority is having enough stock so you need all the money you can afford.
It's better to have too much stock than to sell out as it takes time to make new clothing. If you have any excess stock you can always put them on sale. This is much better than customers not being able to order as you're still at the disposable stage, which means customers will not hesitate to purchase elsewhere.
Analysis of your target market is crucial to identify not only your potential customers habits and behaviours but also your business identity. For instance, if you're making a clothing collection for children you must consider the nature of the kids market. Children are constantly growing and so need bigger clothes more regularly, which means you need enough stock in a range of different sizes. You need to consider not only how many items to make in total but how many different sizes you will provide. Perhaps certain sizes require more stock depending on your target market.
What is likely to sell out?
Another question commonly asked is how do you know what will sell out? It may sound simple but one way to tell is to look at your garments or product designs and ask yourself which ones are you really excited about? These should then be the focal point of your collection and the other pieces you create should complement them.
One thing to note here is the difference between the number of pieces and styles. For example, you can have 3 styles in 3 different colours which gives you a total of 9 pieces. At a minimum we suggest having 3 different styles in each collection.
The best collections are those that are versatile. You should be able to pair different items together to create complete outfits, which encourages people to make multiple purchases. But bear in mind that the collection must still be cohesive and there needs to be a consistent image to increase your brand recognition. It can be very easy to get carried away with so many different designs and ideas but being selective is best at the start.
Creating a clothing collection for the very first time can seem daunting but we're here to help. If you need more advice on stock levels or anything else related to designing and manufacturing a collection contact us by clicking here.