Why should you consider selling plus size merchandise? Many sellers
dismiss this category for various reasons maybe assuming that it’s a niche
market with little demand. Just how niche is the plus size clothing industry?
Try over 20 Billion and growing! Not exactly niche. So what is the story with
plus size and what do you as a seller need to know about this top performing category?
Demand is strong and
growing- There are a lot of variables effecting demand, one simple
explanation is the United States could stand to lose a few pounds. The United
States leads the world in obesity rates chalk this up to factors like
lifestyle, diet and genetics. Americans are simply not as physically active as
they were decades ago and this sedentary lifestyle is a large contributing
factor to this increase. The rest of the
world is following suit and the world is getting bigger. According to NPR, “Overweight
people in developing world outnumber those in rich countries.“
Lack of selection in
most stores– Many traditional retailers have sadly ignored or simply payed
lip service to this segment of customers, stocking the bare minimum of plus
size options at any given store location. Little or no stock means frustrated
customers who invariably turn to either a specialty retailer or online to find
what they are looking for. That’s where you as an independent retailer comes
in. You can easily customize either your boutique or online store to easily
fill this demand for plus size items. Being an independent retailer frees you
from these age-old industry practices and biases.
That uncomfortable
feeling– This is a fairly basic issue that seems to escape most retailers.
Your goal should be to create a warm and inviting environment in which all of
your customers feel welcome. So why would any retailer segregate plus size
clothing in their stores? Plus size consumers are tired of being treated
differently and have elected to take their dollars elsewhere, to either
boutique retailers that understand their needs or to online retailers that
don’t treat them differently.
The plus size
consumer is willing to spend!– the plus size consumer also suffers from
another long held industry bias, plus size people do not buy clothing. Of
course they don’t if you’re not stocking their size! Plus size merchandise
actually commands a higher premium than many other categories. It’s a simple
issue of supply and demand there are too few size options in most traditional
retailers driving up price and demand thru alternate channels like boutiques
and online meaning you can reap the rewards.
The past few years has seen a rapid increase of labels that
cater specifically to the plus size market and many of the well-established
labels have started to take note expanding their offerings past that size 16
where their lines used to stop. It’s now your turn to get in on the growth of
this top selling category.
At foxliquidaiton.com, we stock Branded Plus Size
merchandise which usually sells faster and with a higher profit margin than
traditional sizes.