Wholesale News & Articles

With the rise of eCommerce, there was much speculation that the segment of online clothing sales was doomed. Customers would never buy anything they could not try on. As it turns out, over the last couple of years reports have come out showing that online clothing has exceeded $20 billion in sales, overtaking even the computer hardware and software categories. This means that consumers have reached a new level of comfort in buying merchandise on the web. Women's & Men's Fashion Accessories has been a key category in these developments, and there are many qualified wholesalers offering great products at unbeatable prices in this niche.

Stylish jewelry for teens and tweens, button-up sweaters for women, cool neckties for men and a wide range of headwear for both genders, among countless other items, can be found at www.WholesaleCentral.com. Indeed, this largest and most trusted network of wholesale buyers and sellers is where you will find the hottest and hippest fashion accessories products.

"The tribal kind of jewelry is definitely doing well," said Craig Weil, President, Accessories Palace, Royal Palm Beach, FL. "We are increasing our selection for these items as their popularity grows. We have all the best styles and prices for these products."

Tops for Teen Jewelry
Weil's company carries a variety of jewelry, but specializes in teen items that run at $6 per dozen units (wholesale) at www.accessoriespalace.com. Specific examples include an 18-inch teen leather necklace, a 26-inch soda chain, a 16-inch choker style chain, a 16-inch beaded neck set with a Peace sign pendant and an 18-inch Peace sign necklace with hearts.

"Our products are handcrafted," Weil explained. "Of course, that allows us to provide a quality of item that attracts and converts customers. We have retailers all over the U.S. and the Caribbean that are consistently picking up the products."

More specifically, AccessoriesPalace.com serves teen stores, gift shops, mall kiosks and other quality retailers. Weil said that his wholesaler's brand of customer service is old-fashioned in the best ways possible.

"We are very hands-on," he said. "Eighty percent of our orders that come in get shipped out the same day. You will not pay more than you should. Check our competitors first and you will realize that we rule on price and selection."

Cool Pirates' Digs
Offering an interesting selection can be integral to successful online merchandising. John and Ardie Flynn, "Head Pirates," of Flappin' Flags, in Eugene, Oregon, have this area cornered with their awesome line of pirate-themed items. These colorful and creatively designed products have been booming in recent years thanks to the success of the three part, Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise.

"We were doing great before, but Disney has really helped us in the last three years," Ardie Flynn said. "Pirates are kind of like a newly discovered niche. They have always been around. There have always been pirate-themed products, but recently there has been a signigicant renewal. Now, there are more restaurants and bars with takeoffs on pirate themes, and there are amusement parks with pirate-themed rides."

The Flynns' line includes: pirate-themed knee high socks ($4.25 wholesale per pair); booty boxing shorts ($6.50 per unit with a minimum order of a dozen); skull-and-bones neck ties ($4 per unit with a minimum order of six); beanies ($6.50 per unit); and a paisley print skull-and-bones scarf ($18 per dozen). The 12-year-old company offers these great items and more at www.flappinflags.com.

"We service nautical and pirate-themed stores," Flynn said. "There are about 2,000 to 3,000 pirate cove stores around the nation. In every beach community, there are pirate's cove themed stores that are thriving. They are mostly coastal, but in other locales, retailers put a spin on the pirates theme because consumers think it is pretty cool."

Retailers serving local markets with pirate themed sports teams at the high school, college and professional levels should take note. For instance, the Flappin' Flags line is a big hit with fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) and East Carolina University Pirates (College), just to name a few.

Mall kiosks operators nationwide have a significant opportunity to capitalize on the growing pirates-theme trend that Ardie Flynn mentioned. She added that the customer service at www.flappinflags.com is, well, unflappable.

"We ship the same day," she explained. "We develop lasting relationships with all of our customers. We manufacture, as well as import and distribute."

Girls Love Glowbys
While teens and tweens items have almost always been hot year-round as kids try to keep up with trends, the current web 2.0 world really lights a fire under certain items. One example is Luminence.com's, "Glowbys," which let end-users (usually adolescent girls) put lighted extensions in their hair. Such decorative styles of hair accessories are becoming all the rage on adolescent community websites for girls, like Flip.com.

Luminence's items come in eight different colors, sparkle in the dark and come with batteries included. The Glowbys start at $2.50 wholesale at www.luminence.com, while the price per unit drops as the order volume rises.

"They are our biggest sellers, largely because of their unique nature," said Chris Bonang, President, Luminence, La Jolla, CA. "There is a wide range of age for end-users, but the younger consumers are tween and teen school girls and club-going young women in their early 20s are the big groups." Bonang's company also offers hair crystals and crystal necklaces, which come in the same price range. These products do not need a battery like the Glowbys.

"Our customers include hair salons, mall kiosks, party supplies, concerts or events marketers and schools for cheerleading and fundraising," he said. "We get our orders out as soon as possible. The latest it gets shipped is the next day. We answer our emails as quickly as possible, we love taking customer phone calls and giving out whatever information anyone might need."

Hot Hat Styles
With winter on the horizon, men and women of all backgrounds are going to be looking for headwear that fits their style. Luckily, Q Headwear has all of your basic needs on this front.

"We specialize in women's and men's accessories," said Larry Liu, Manager, Q Headwear, Ontario, California, "but we offer particularly great products in headwear. For the wintertime we have knitted beanies, and for the warmer months we have a variety of options. Our dress hats and straw hats are very popular for the holidays. They are colorful and festive."

Q Headwear also offers a variety of camouflage hats, wool felt hats, ear warmers, ski masks, strip knit visors, ear cover knit hats, polysuede formals and trooper hats. Liu said that these specific hat choices can be picked up at www.qheadwear.com in the wholesale range of $1 to $10.

"People like our hats because they are fashionable," Liu explained. "Both young and older women are the end-users for our products. We also have nautical looks and skull-and-bones designs that are popular with the hip hop culture. Our army hat with rhinestones is another one that people seem to be drawn to."

Other hats include woven straw hats with a great leisure look, formal hats like fedoras and cotton twills, women's fashion hats and other hats like cowboy, western, safari and "gambler style." These particular styles wholesale from $3 to $12 per unit and come in small through extra large sizes.

"Overall, our customers include hair salons, mall kiosks, party suppliers, concerts or events marketers and schools for cheerleading and fundraising," Liu said. "We have a hands-on approach to customer service. We answer our emails quickly, and we are happy to take phone calls. Minimum orders are only one dozen units. We are always updating our fashion lines."

Three-Season Accessory
One thing about the accessories niche is that products like gloves and thermal socks are mostly seasonal when it comes to sales. That is what makes LA Wholesale Fashionista's sexy, button-up V-styled sweaters so attractive in terms of sales. They will be relevant to female shoppers during fall, winter and spring. The only season they sit out is summer. The button-up V is a classic look that never goes out of style. And the sweaters can be bought and sold for low wholesale and retail prices. They only cost $5.50 to $7.50 per unit, or $16.50 for a package at www.lawholesalefashionista.com.

"Our typical customers include retailers such as small mom-and-pops, eBay stores, etc.," said Gina Kim, Manager, LA Wholesale Fashionista, Los Angeles, CA. "The sweaters, tops and dresses are our most popular; we also offer great sets, which include stylish shorts and tops. When it comes to tops, people tend to go for the simple-looking items."

For more information, contact:

Accessories Palace
Palms West Industrial Park
585 105th Ave N Unit 11
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
Tel.: 561-793-5565
Website: www.accessoriespalace.com

Flappin' Flags
P.O. Box 2307
Eugene, OR 97402
Tel.: 800-713-3144
Fax: 541-344-6004
Website: www.flappinflags.com

Luminence
5580 La Jolla Blvd #37
La Jolla, CA 92037
Tel.: 866-677-7792
Fax: 858-427-0849
Website: www.luminence.com

Q Headwear
1260 E Locust Street, Suite #303
Ontario, CA 91761-4547
Tel.: 909-930-0888
Fax: 909-930-0878
Website: www.qheadwear.com

LA Wholesale Fashionista
1624 S. Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Tel.: 213-749-6020
Fax: 213-749-6023
Toll Free: 888-392-2624
Website: www.lawholesalefashionista.com

Article ID: 763