thread's not dead - doITlab

This skate deck
designed by
Oliver Barrett
was sold at
Urban Outfitters
Sell at Local Boutiques and Consignment Shops
You can swing by your local clothing boutiques and ask if you could sell your
line on consignment. The terms vary, but you only get paid if the shirts sell. The
shop gets to keep a percentage. This is a good way to get your feet wet selling
in stores. There’s no guarantee of making any money, but you can test the
waters and get your brand name out there a little bit. You’ll need to find shops
that sell to the type of consumer you are looking for. Do your tees fit in with
the boutique?
If you find that your tees are selling locally, then you can consider moving on to
more national stores.
THREAD’S NOT DEAD • Jeff Finley
Sell at National Chains and Department Stores
If you want to sell your stuff at Hot Topic, H&M, or other chain stores like that,
you’ll need to talk to their regional sales reps. You can find them at the major
apparel trade shows looking at hot new brands to buy up.
However, if you’ve got a large following online, these stores may find you
through word of mouth. Urban Outfitters contacted Go Media asking to
purchase a bunch of Obama skate decks that Oliver Barrett designed. We
agreed on a price, signed the deal, and saw the deck in their stores. It was
kind of a lucky shot there, but his design was timely and fit with what they
were looking for.
Working with Distributors
Dave from Paint the Stars says, “Distributors are a great way to get your
brand into places that you might not be able to reach independently.” They
can also help you with manufacturing and producing your tees. Getting a
distribution deal is like getting a record deal, which is one way to get more
exposure and sales.
Dave says he’s had good and bad experiences with distributors. “We’ve found
ourselves bound by some pretty unreasonable contracts that have only benefited
the distributor and left us with nothing but a bunch of empty promises.”
He warns, “It’s easy to get drawn in with promises of brand exposure, marketing
you never dreamed of, and crazy production. So make sure you go through
every minor detail of a contract before you sign it.”
Through their roller coaster experience, they have decided to start their
own distribution company called Breakout Distribution to help themselves
and other indie brands take it to the next level without a lot of the fine
print from major distros.
Further Reading:
• Threads tagged “retailers” on T-Shirt Forums
• The High Cost of Doing Business with Wal-Mart
• How Fashion Designers Break into Boutiques
Going Big-Time 78