Picking out the right wholesale slippers for your online boutique is a matter of knowing the product, the customer, and the timing during which you should bring it all together. Stocking inventory can be challenging, particularly when it is niche and specialised, like wholesale slippers can be. This is because shoppers who are looking for these products often have distinct needs and intentions when shopping. Whereas other purchases could be classified as staple or impulse buys, wholesale slippers linger between these two categories as something people must have, but in a particular way. We are going to discuss the types of wholesale slippers available, how you can market these products, and who your ideal customer should be. We will also delve into the seasonality behind certain iterations on the slipper, and finally conclude with an answer to the all-important question of profit margin or “can I afford/make money off of these products and how?”
Types of Wholesale Slippers
As with many categories of staple clothing items, slippers are made for a variety of purposes, and this delineates the market in definitive ways. For example, household slippers as opposed to slippers for wearing out and about. The customer shopping for either of these two items is distinctly different from someone buying the other. Here, you need to know what kind of wholesale slippers you want to offer your customers based on what your boutique specialises in, as far as inventory goes. If your customers come to you for night clothes and cosy accessories, slippers for the home would make way more sense for you to stock than fashion-forward items.
Marketing
As with the many different types of wholesale slippers available, there are different customers shopping for each. Knowing your customer is one thing, but knowing how you reach out to them effectively is an art entirely by itself. Think about your marketing efforts and how much of a “sell” a certain item would be. If it fits in with your current product matrix, then it makes sense; otherwise, you’re going to be doing some heavy lifting to either inform your customers about or demonstrate your inventory in this category. Think about add-on sales and how the wholesale slippers you select fit in with other products you are offering.
Seasonality
As with all products, seasonality is a concern, and with wholesale slippers, this largely applies to the “why” behind the purchase. For example, flip-flops, a type of slipper, are often popular in the summer or during warmer weather, while slipper boots are a quick, convenient way to make sure you have proper footwear in colder weather. Because seasonality differs from product to product, you want to know ahead of time what you plan on offering. This is because the lead time for seasonal products tends to start some time before the season where the product will be used (that is, spring clothing often hits the racks towards the end of winter).
Profit Margin
As a staple product or fashion-forward item, pricing on wholesale slippers can run the gamut. Again, reference your product matrix and make sure that it makes “sense” for you to stock the wholesale slippers you’ve selected from a margin perspective. Ask yourself how much money you want to make selling these items and match this against the who is buying it and how you plan on marketing it, portions of your strategy.
DISCLOSURE – This is a collaborative post.
