We get a ton of questions about who qualifies for an account with us, where we ship to, etc. This post will cover some of our top frequently asked questions and will break down all the things you need to know about purchasing wholesale t-shirts. You can also check out the video below!
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One of the most common questions we get is, how do I purchase BELLA+CANVAS? The main method we recommend is to purchase BELLA+CANVAS through one of our wholesale partners. A wholesaler is basically a distributor of our BELLA+CANVAS product along with other apparel brands plus bags, accessories etc. The great thing about ordering through a wholesaler, is that they have warehouses all over the country that are deeply stocked in inventory, this can reduce shipping times and costs. Also, most of these wholesalers offer freight incentives! Not to mention, these companies have great sales support and can help you with recommendations and other information. Click the link to check out the list of who carries BELLA+CANVAS garments.
You can also purchase certain products through bellacanvas.com. In particular, this gives you exclusive access to all our Fast Fashion styles where we’re launching something new every month, so having an account with us will keep you up-to-date. It’s also great for those you who are in the L.A. area, we offer free pickups right at our headquarters. We also have no minimum requirements when shipping within the U.S.
The third way is to order through a decorator. Meaning either an on-demand print service, like Printful or Custom Ink, or a full package screen printer or embroidery shop. These are all great options, especially for anyone who isn’t a printer and wants a one-stop shop. Just make sure to ask for BELLA+CANVAS to view our products that they offer.
Where’s the Best Place to Purchase BELLA+CANVAS?
We commonly get asked, what’s the best place to buy BELLA+CANVAS? For qualified resellers, is it better to buy from a wholesaler or through bellacanvas.com? As we touched on earlier, if you qualify, we highly recommend going through one of our wholesale partners. They’re generally your best bet because of freight incentives and have a national reach through multiple warehouses across the country. If you are looking to access our Fast Fashion collection, you’ll want to set up a direct account as well.
But what if you aren’t a qualified reseller? For those of you who are on the smaller size, looking for about 200 units or less, full service printers are going to be your best bet. We recommend working with a printer who offers full package support – who can order BELLA+CANVAS products, assist with design needs and even offer shipping and fulfillment.
Do I Qualify to Buy Wholesale?
Let’s talk a bit about how to setup an account with BELLA+CANVAS. It’s easy to forget that we are a wholesale brand. But because of that, there are certain qualifications you need to meet in order to set up an account with us.
DECORATOR: This includes contract and full-service screen printers or embroiderers and means you typically print large volume orders. When approving applicants, we look for indication that you own and operate your equipment.
DISTRIBUTOR: This includes promotional product distributors. If you have an ASI or PPAI number, you’ll likely qualify under this category.
After you apply for an account on bellacanvas.com, you’ll need to provide a valid resale certificate for all states in which you conduct business. Don’t have a resale license? Every state is different, so make sure you research what qualifications your state requires.
So what if you don’t fit into those three categories and you don’t qualify for an account, for example you are a fitness gym or etsy shop, how else can you get BELLA+CANVAS product? You can get it through any qualified apparel wholesalers such as Alphabroder and S&S. Contract and full-service screen printers, such as Shirt Agency or Deluxe Screen Printing. And finally, Promotional Product Distributors.
Be sure to contact customer service at [email protected] if you have any inquiries about whether you qualify or how to create a direct account.
We do want to make it clear that we are a big supporter of small businesses, even if we can’t sell directly to you guys. As we mentioned earlier, it’s actually more beneficial for you to go through a full service printer so you can get that full package support – meaning they will be able to help you from the ground up. If you’re looking for decorators in your area, email [email protected], and we can send over some recommendations.
BELLA+CANVAS ships to anywhere in the U.S., except PO boxes. We ship internationally only to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico.
Please keep in mind all international orders must be ordered in full cases. Typically, a case includes 72 pieces of one style/color and size, but units can range between 12 – 96 per case depending on style and sizes ordered.
Looking to find out how much stock we have or if a style is sold out? We have a Product Locator on our website under the Resource tab. Once you’re there, you can filter by style, color and wholesaler to help you find the stock closest to you.
Cut-off time for ground shipments is 4pm PST and for same day/express shipping, it’s 2pm PST. Typically, orders can be processed within the same day that the order is placed, but it really depends on how large the order is. For example, our cut off time is 4pm PST, but if you place a 5,000 unit order by 3pm PST, the order might not be able to be picked and processed until the next day. That’s why we usually allow for 1 – 2 business days for orders to fully process. FedEx is our carrier of choice, but feel free to provide your preferred carrier account number at check out.
Happy shopping!
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Article Name
The Ultimate Guide to Purchasing Wholesale T-shirts
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This post will cover some of our top frequently asked questions and will break down all the things you need to know about purchasing wholesale t-shirts.
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BELLA+CANVAS
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BELLA+CANVAS
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Setting the right cost and price for your product is critical to the success of your business. In this article, we will look at the distinction between cost and price. We will delve deeply into the methods and techniques used to calculate the right cost and price for your specific product, as well as share exclusive tips on how to get the right cost from your manufacturer and set the right price for your target market in order to become a profitable business. Excited? We are!
COSTING
In a business, cost is the amount of money that is spent on the production or creation of a garment. From a seller’s point of view, cost is the amount of money spent to produce a product. If sellers sold their goods at the same price as they cost to produce, then they would break even. This means that they would not lose money on their sales, but their company would not make a profit either. Cost does not include a mark-up for profit.
As a result, the price refers to the cost of a product from the buyer's perspective. This is the amount charged by the seller for a product, and it includes both the cost of making the product and the mark-up cost added by the seller to generate a profit. The garment can be priced by adding the manufacturing cost plus an estimated mark-up or profit percentage.
In fashion manufacturing, costing means the process of estimating and then determining the total cost of producing a garment or item. It generally includes raw material cost, construction of the garment, trims, packaging, shipping and operating expenses and manpower, among others.
The cost of the garment is calculated by adding the costs of various raw materials, the company's operating costs, and the expected profit. It is also necessary to understand the buyer's pricing expectations.
A basic costing tableThe garment industry employs a variety of methods and techniques to determine the cost of a product. However, there are a few things that are commonly considered. These factors include the type of fabric and trims used, garment testing, logistics costs, organization profit, and value-added services such as printing, embroidery, washing, appliques, and so on. There are also other details that go into calculating the cost of a garment like unit of measurement, quantity of the order, and type of dyeing and finishes used. All of these components go into the Bill of Materials - a part of any Tech Pack, a so-called “production recipe” for a finished garment or an accessory.
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Let’s start by defining the key factors that determine the cost of a garment:
These parameters play a vital role when the production merchandiser does the costing of garment, as these factors are very dynamic and keep fluctuating frequently.
Fabric is generally the most significant factor in the costing of a garment. Fabric accounts for 60 to 70% of the total cost of basic-styled garments.
The parameters that affect the fabric cost:
Other parameters that affect the fabric cost, they are also called the value added services:
Apart from main fabric garment construction include other materials like trims, buttons, thread, zippers, elastics, etc. Their quality and quantity affect the cost of the garment. The size, shape, and material used in trims like zippers, buttons, and labels also sums up the cost of making a garment.
The cost of labels depends on size and material you are choosing, in mass production the amount of labels ordered plays a significant role too.
The cost of poly bags and cartons used for shipping is highly dependent on thickness, dimension and raw material used. The cost of packaging is equally important as it gives a significant difference when we consider the whole order quantity. Hand tags or price tags are used as packing material, the cost of hand tags are dependent upon material used, printing on it, and MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity).
The cost of making is based on the total cost per hour multiplied by the number of hours it takes to make the style and divided by the number of units produced if the making is done by a contractor. The contractor adds profit on to this amount.
Whether you're sourcing in your own country or abroad, the transport logistics of your goods from the factory to your warehouse imply additional costs. These are usually known as freight and shipping.
This is basically what you earn when you sell your garment. This amount includes your own pay, helps your business stay afloat and invest into developing new styles.
Come up with the amount that helps you pay the bills like rent, employees salaries, utilities and include it in the cost of your final product.
To learn more about Garment Costing Methods and Techniques and how to add the expenses to your Costing Table with examples follow this link.
🖇 FREE EBOOK
Ultimate guide to Tech pack in Fashion
Follow our guide on how to create a factory-ready tech pack for your fashion business.
Techpacker helps you create a neat, organized, cost sheet that keeps track of all the expenses and that you can also save for your records.
Techpacker simplifies the process of costing with its customs section. You can either use our costing template or create a custom table if you follow a particular type of format.
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If you use our costing template, all the items that are in the ‘Bill Of Materials’ section automatically get transferred to the costing sheet. This is a time saver and reduces the probability of missing an item. Check out the example of the Costing Sheet below:
An example of a Dress costing sheet along with the other tech pack data.All that you need to do is to introduce the variables for the quantity, price per piece, and the UOM (unit of measurement). The total cost will be calculated automatically with formulas already integrated in the table.
With Techpacker, you can see the costing sheet and other Tech Pack data together in one place instead of having to go back and forth between two separate documents. You can always make edits and keep your entire team up to date with real-time information.
To share costing sheets with vendors and brands you can generate multiple PDF versions right from the platform. This makes it super easy to compare and analyze and make the necessary adjustments before sending to production.
Creating Costing Sheets with Techpacker will save you time, money and not to mention the headache of having to organize so many sheets and lines of products. It's all in one place, with files, history and details ready to share and access as needed!
Watch the video below to see how easy it is:
💡
Check our step-by-step tutorial on how to create a Costing Sheet in Techpacker here
By now you already know how easy it is to create a Costing Table in Techpacker. But did you know that Techpacker allows you to create a Costing Sheet for different types of products? Whether it’s a dress, pair of pants, handbag, sportswear, kids clothing and even home goods!
As we discussed previously one of the main elements of the garment’s cost is the material. What material you select for your product will define its quality, it’s manufacturing cost and the final price for your customer. Therefore, knowing how to maintain a good relationship with the supplier of your choice plays a crucial role in product manufacturing.
Like most brands and designers, you’ve often wondered whether the price quoted by your supplier is "reasonable” and if you could get a lower price from someone else. You've also probably considered other important factors against price, such as quality and existing supplier relationships. With all of this in mind, (and your Tech Pack ready, of course) check out these tips on how to negotiate the best price from your factories from our friends at In-Touch Manufacturing.
One of the key elements of the Tech Pack is a Bill of Materials (BOM). A well-defined Bill of Materials will help you not only calculate an accurate cost of your garment but also effectively communicate with your supplier and possibly negotiate the cost of the materials that works for you. Check out our Ultimate Guide to the Bill of Materials in Fashion to learn how to create an effective BOM in order to produce a finished and sellable garment.
So you’ve come up with a new design collection and you need to get an estimate of how much it is going to cost to produce it. Tech pack in hand, and with a list of potential suppliers, now you need to request pricing quotations to see which factory can work with your budget and timings, while still meeting your quality needs. Follow this price quotation strategy to get accurate quotes from suppliers.
First thing first, make sure all of your product details are clearly laid out in a tech pack. Include your design's flat sketches, bill of materials, colorway specs, POMs (Points of Measure) for your product in all sizes, plus the list of embellishments and branding artwork if it applies.
Here's an in-depth post by our CEO on what goes into a quality tech pack.
Try to gather at least three, but ideally, you should have ten or more, if possible. The more choices you have, the better as it’s not usually wise to accept the first price you obtain. This will allow you to compare and shortlist the best suppliers and you’ll gain a better understanding of the overall market cost for certain items. What’s more, you will also have backup options if there is an issue with your first choice.
Now it's time to reach out to your shortlisted manufacturers. Send over your complete tech pack and request suppliers to provide the following information: the MOQ (minimum order quantity), payment terms, price breakdown, quality checks, shipping, timings, list with country destinations.
Be sure to follow up! Some manufacturers might be handling a lot of orders and requests and perhaps yours got lost in the crowd. Calling is a good idea to ensure they’ve received your quote request.
After you have gathered a few quotation files, take the time to study each one and compare them to see what works best for you.
It’s always a good idea to request samples from more than one supplier. It’s a good way to test the manufacturer before you ask for the full order and spend your production budget. It also gives you an initial idea on how they work and communicate, and this is key.
After you've conducted a careful search to find the right manufacturer, the time to produce your collection has come.These are the next steps to ensure everything goes smoothly when you execute your garment production order:
Your manufacturing agreement will help protect your business in the event of a production issue, this is why it’s crucial. For example, in case you need to make a claim if there are defects in the final products, which is a common occurrence, this document will help prevent misunderstandings.
But before you start drafting your agreement make sure you have your tech packs ready. Your tech pack serves as a contract with suppliers that clearly lays out what you expect from them to produce for you. So be as detailed as possible: list things like thread count, a supplier list (for other trims and materials your manufacturer doesn't provide), colors, measurements and tolerances, fabric type, etc.
The agreed-upon payment terms should be well confirmed before placing the order. This is essential to build solid relationships with suppliers, so establish favorable contract terms before signing the payment document.
Production should begin from the date you transfer the upfront payment manufacturers require. In most cases, this is 30% of the (FOB) value.
The remaining 70% should only be issued once the order passes the respective quality tests.
You've paid the initial deposit and now the supplier should execute the production according to the plan. You should allow enough time in your planning and production schedule to navigate and correct errors.
If you work closely with your clothing manufacturer, you should have the opportunity to negotiate turnaround times and factor in any issue they might encounter when producing your clothing.
After you've agreed on a shipping deadline, you must check in with them periodically to get updates on things like: the reception of the raw materials or if the production has officially started, for example.
This can help you anticipate any delays and plan accordingly. You might want to obtain a production schedule or timeline from the factory which could look like this, for example:
Apparel production schedulePRICING
Pricing is the process whereby a business sets the price at which it will sell its products. In setting prices, the business will take into account the price at which it could acquire the goods, the manufacturing cost, the marketplace, competition, market condition, brand, and quality of a product. Price and cost are different things. Price is what the buyer pays for the product or service. Cost is the seller's investment in the product subsequently sold.
How does the seller set the price? The price-setting methods come down to three general approaches:
1. Cost-based pricing is one of the pricing methods of determining the selling price of a product where the price of a product is determined by adding a profit element (percentage) in addition to the cost of making the product. It uses manufacturing costs of the product as its basis for coming to the final selling price of the product. This approach ignores (in theory but not always in practice) what any other seller sets as the price for the same or a similar product, and bases the selling price on its relation to cost.
2. Competitive pricing is the process of selecting strategic price points to best take advantage of a product based market relative to competition. This pricing method is used more often by businesses selling similar products.
3. Demand-based pricing is based on the customer's demand and the perceived value of the product. In this method the seller sets the price after comparing the customer’s responsiveness to purchase at different prices. In this method, a seller may increase the selling price of something in limited supply when the demand is high or put a product on sale when it’s low in order to clear inventory.
In short, Wholesale price is a rate charged by producer or distributor to retailer. Retail price is the price that consumers pay to retailers.
Wholesale is a process of selling the products in large amounts, at a lower price. The process of selling to end buyers in a small amount with a profit is called Retail. Wholesale Price includes the materials costs, manufacturing and labor invested, other overheads like rent, electricity, etc., and a minimal profit margin. To visualize take a look at the example of a Wholesale Price Formula.
Wholesale Price = Materials Cost + (Labour Invested x How Much You Value Time) + Other Overheads (Rent, Fixed Costs, Electricity, etc) + Profit Margin
The retail price, on the other hand, is the final price that a good is sold to customers for, those being the end users or consumers. When setting the price, the retailer will add a profit margin but at the same consider to show an attractive price to compete with other retailers. Sometimes the retail price can be recommended by the manufacturer. To visualize let’s take a look at an example of a Retail Price Formula.
Retail Price = Wholesale Price / (1 - Markup Percentage)
How you calculate wholesale price from retail price is completely dependent on you, your market, your positioning, your business, your future plans and much more.
Learn more about this topic here -
Pricing in Today’s Digital Landscape
With the digital era in full bloom retailing has dramatically changed the environment and has required a reevaluation retailers’ pricing strategies and capabilities.
This article by McKinsey focuses on key value categories (KVCs) and key value items (KVIs) and the relevance and evolution of these in pricing strategy in today’s digital retail environment and why it’s important to know:
Pricing strategies help you differentiate your brand and gain competitive advantages in the marketplace. With the help of following price ranges you can find the ideal strategy for your business:
Luxury pricing is applied to products of extremely high value (compared to the actual cost of production). Brand customers tend to be loyal and purchase these products to elevate their social status.
Budget pricing refers to low-end, affordable products. Customers will buy based on price, therefore, customer loyalty is low. Serving this segment can yield significant sales volume at the expense of lower per-unit profitability.
Value-based pricing for the middle part of the market – this part of the market needs to see value for money – a careful mix of quality and price. This pricing strategy sits somewhere between the budget and luxury segments.
CIF is considered a more expensive option when buying goods. The seller uses a forwarder of their choice who may charge the buyer more in order to increase the profit on the transaction. Communication can also be an issue because the buyer relies solely on people who are acting on behalf of the seller. The buyer might still have to pay additional fees at the port, such as docking fees and customs clearance fees before the goods are cleared.
FOB contracts relieve the seller of responsibility once the goods are shipped. After the goods have been loaded they are considered to be delivered into the control of the buyer. However, the buyer can negotiate a cheaper price for the freight and insurance with a forwarder of his or her choice.
To better understand how each works, let's imagine take-out dinner scenario:
Let’s say you call your favorite Chinese take-out and ask them to deliver dinner to you (considering they charge a delivery fee). From that moment it's the restaurant's and their delivery guy's responsibility to ensure your food arrives on time or that your dumplings are not missing, for example.
It works in a similar way with Cost Insurance Freight, the factory making your garments is responsible for the goods until they reach your port of destiny. And there will be a surcharge for that service. Of course it’s not as simple as Chinese take-out, you can learn more about CIF here.
Imagine this time you've asked not to have the food delivered to you. Instead, you'll pick it up yourself or have somebody of your choice do that for you. From the moment the order is collected, you become responsible for the food and its delivery.
In the same manner, with FOB the factory or seller is responsible for the goods until they are loaded on the vessel. From then on, the buyer assumes all of the responsibilities for the shipment. If only arranging garment shipping were this easy!
Learn more in-depth on this topic from the link below -
As mentioned before, setting the right cost and price for your product is crucial in order for your business to be successful. And therefore it's important to:
1) We understand different methods and techniques used to calculate the right cost and price for your specific products.
2) Maintain organized techpacks with other crucial information like Bill of Materials. This would help you to not only calculate an accurate cost of your garment but also effectively communicate with your supplier and possibly negotiate the cost of the materials that works for you.
3) Use excel spreadsheets or apps like Techpacker to organize all your costing data in one place. With Techpacker, you can see the costing sheet and other Tech Pack data together in one place instead of having to go back and forth between two separate documents. You can always make edits and keep your entire team up to date with real-time information.
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