When it comes to finding wholesalers for clothing, most people who own online clothing boutiques aren’t sure where to look. It all comes down to “Should I go with wholesale clothing from the US?” Or, “Should I buy clothes from Europe in bulk?
If you want to choose between wholesale clothing suppliers in the United States and those in Europe, you should compare everything. The answers to these questions depend on a number of things. More specifically, there are pros and cons that can be very important in deciding what to do.
Europe and the United States are both places with a wide range of business opportunities, product quality, and shipping choices. These things have a direct effect on how well an eCommerce fashion business does. Before deciding whether to buy American or European wholesale clothing, store owners should look at the pros and cons of both.
Before making a choice, we’ve put together the most important information about wholesale clothing from Europe and the USA.
How is the market for online shopping in Europe and the US?
The state of eCommerce in Europe
In Europe, the market for eCommerce has grown a lot in the past few years. Many people in Europe think that eCommerce is one of the industries that is growing the fastest. This is because European companies use new technologies and keep putting money into their online presence. On top of that, people are becoming more interested in online services and, for that matter, online shopping.
Statistics say that by the end of 2023, Europe’s eCommerce market will be worth up to 393.8 billion U.S. dollars, and by the end of 2024, it will be worth up to 510.5 billion U.S. dollars.
The state of eCommerce in the US
When we talk about eCommerce in the US, we can’t leave out the fact that by the end of 2023, online sales in this North American country will bring in 309 billion dollars, and by the end of 2025, they will bring in 476.5 billion dollars.
Even though at first glance, looking at the numbers, it seems like the European eCommerce market is in a better position, you have to remember that Europe has 747.7 million people and the U.S. has 331.5 million people.
What about the market for clothes?
A look at the clothing markets in Europe and the United States
Overall, the apparel market is growing in a good way around the world. The global apparel market is expected to bring in US$1,460,057 million by the end of 2023, according to data. But what happens if we look at the clothing markets in Europe and the United States in more depth? Let’s look at how different the numbers are.
On the European continent, the market for clothing is expected to grow by 7.4%. More specifically, the market for clothing in Europe will bring in $410,059 million by the end of 2023. On the other hand, sales in the U.S. clothing market are expected to reach $255,865 million by the end of 2023. In essence, the American apparel market is expected to grow by 10.2% each year.
The place where fashion began
This is an interesting fact that might not change your mind about whether to buy wholesale clothing from Europe or the US, but it’s still worth mentioning.
To make the point that Europe, and more specifically Paris, is where fashion began. Paris has been known as the fashion capital of the world since the 1600s. During this time, haute couture designs were a sign of success and the most sought-after fashion items.
Milan, Rome, and London are also thought of as fashion capitals now. Europe is the center of fashion because many well-known high-end brands and designers are based there.
Your target audience
This part is a factor that can help you make a decision. If you’re still not sure whether to buy American or European wholesale clothes, think about who you’re trying to sell to. For example, Europeans love to buy high-quality clothing from European brands, while Americans would do anything to buy a piece of clothing that says “Made in the USA.” But what about clothes that are expensive?
American buyers love their own clothing brands and are more likely to buy “Made in the USA” brands than regular European brands. But that’s not true when it comes to high-end brands.
Most of the big names in fashion that people think of when they think of glam, luxury, and high-end style are European. People from all over the world want luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Versace, and Americans are no different. Do you think they’d buy a piece by Tommy Hilfiger instead of one by Armani? Think again.
Whether your target market is in Europe or the United States, if you stock your store with high-end clothes, it will definitely do well and your sales will go through the roof. In short, you can do this by finding a supplier that makes it easy to buy clothes in bulk and ships to your location. A win-win situation for your online clothing store would be to choose a European wholesale clothing supplier with a wide range of clothes from well-known fashion brands.
What about the quality of the goods?
When you buy wholesale designer clothes for your online clothing store, quality is the most important thing. When looking for wholesale clothing suppliers for your online boutique, you should remember that the products they sell should be of the highest quality. This is true no matter where your online boutique is located.
When it comes to clothes, there is a lot of talk about the differences between European and American quality and taste. As we’ve already said, Europeans want to buy less but better clothes, while Americans love the “Made in the USA” label. But if you sell high-quality clothes, American shoppers won’t be able to ignore your collection.
As long as the clothing you buy in bulk is of high quality, it doesn’t matter where you get it. Still, if you like high-end clothes, it would be better to buy from a European wholesaler.
Costs of making things affect shipping costs.
When it comes to the apparel industry, a lot of clothing brands are looking for ways to cut down on production costs. Since labor is expensive in the European Union, many of these brands send their designs and materials to factories in Asia, where they can be made for less money. Since some of the factories are in Asia, it’s easier and cheaper to ship to Europe because it’s closer. When shipping to the US, on the other hand, all clothing stock lots first go to Europe and then are sent to the US, which can affect how much it costs to ship.
But if we look at well-known luxury brands as an example, outsourcing to the Middle East or Asia doesn’t mean that their original factories are shut down. These brands stay true to their home countries, which is a huge plus if you choose a luxury clothing wholesaler in Europe. To be clear, luxury clothing wholesalers in Europe can offer the best shipping deals anywhere in the world.
where your online store is
Whether you buy wholesale clothes from Europe or the United States may depend on where your online store is. But if your store is in the US, you shouldn’t automatically pair up with a US-based dropshipping supplier. Or vice versa.
Technology and fast shipping and delivery options in the 21st century have made it possible to buy wholesale clothing from anywhere in the world. As an example, if your clothing store is registered in the United States, you can definitely work with a wholesaler in Europe. The most important thing is to make sure that this supplier has a wide range of high-quality products and can be trusted.
dropship-empire is a company that sells wholesale clothing packages that are delivered on time and in good condition. No matter where your online store is, if you decide to buy dropship-empire wholesale offering, you will be making a smart choice.
Advantages of buying clothing in bulk from dropship-empire
Lastly, after gathering all the information, we can say that the best way to go is to buy wholesale luxury clothing from a wholesaler who offers top-notch service.
No matter where you live or where your online business is based and registered, you should choose a supplier that ships all over the world. Even if you are based in the United States, that doesn’t mean you won’t grow internationally in the future. Instead, you should always be thinking of ways to reach thousands of buyers. This would be easier to do if you started selling high-end clothing, which is the most popular niche.
Dropship Empire can send you high-quality wholesale clothing quickly, no matter where you are. It is the biggest online business-to-business (B2B) wholesaler of brand-name clothes, and each order costs 15 euros to ship anywhere in the world in 5 days.
dropship-empire has two different wholesale options to meet the needs of all of its customers.
Pick & Mix
Pick and Mix is a wholesale service that lets the owners of online boutiques choose the items they think will be best for their customers and will sell the most.
Stocklots
Stocklots are pre-defined groups of wholesale clothing that dropship-empire sells as such. Most of the time, these packages have a mix of fashion items and products from different brands. When you buy stocklots, you can save more money than when you use the Pick & Mix option.