Line up three wholesale price lists side by side and it looks like an easy decision. Pick the cheapest, save a pound a unit, done.
Experienced buyers don't do it that way, because the unit price is only one line of what a piece actually costs you. Delivery, minimum orders, forced size packs, quality, and whether you can ever buy the style again all change the real number. Sometimes the supplier charging more per piece is the cheaper one.
Here's how to compare wholesale clothing prices on the figures that matter.
Compare the true cost, not the list price
Your true cost is what you pay to get a sellable piece onto your rail or your website. At minimum, that means:
• unit price, and whether it includes VAT
• delivery charges and free-delivery thresholds
• minimum order quantities (per style, per colour and per order)
• how sizes are sold: open sizes, or fixed pre-packs
• payment fees or surcharges
Then ask one more question: how many of these units can I actually sell?
A worked comparison
Say you want 20 units of a similar knit top. Here's how three suppliers might stack up:
|
|
Supplier A |
Supplier B |
Supplier C |
|
Unit price (ex VAT) |
£7.50 |
£6.80 |
£6.20 |
|
Minimum order |
None |
Pre-packs of 6 (S,M,M,L,L,XL) |
24 per colour |
|
Delivery |
Free from £150 |
£12 |
£15 |
|
Units you have to buy |
20 |
18 or 24 |
24 |
|
Total paid (buying 24 from B) |
£150.00 |
£175.20 |
£163.80 |
|
Cost per unit |
£7.50 |
£7.30 |
£6.83 |
On paper, Supplier C wins by 67p a unit. In practice, you've paid for four more tops than you wanted, and those are exactly the four most likely to end up in the sale.
Supplier B looks cheaper than A too, until you look at the pack. If your customers rarely buy XL, four of those 24 units are dead weight from day one. Spread the cost over the 20 you can sell and it's really £8.76 a unit.
The supplier with the highest price per piece turns out to be the cheapest for this order. That happens far more often than people expect.
How MOQ changes the real price
Minimum order quantities aren't bad in themselves. They let a supplier offer a lower unit price because they're shipping more at once. The question is whether that MOQ matches how much you can sell.
For a proven bestseller, buying 24 or 48 at a lower price can make perfect sense. For a new style you're testing, it rarely does. Any saving on the unit price is wiped out the moment a handful of pieces need a 50% markdown.
A useful rule: only accept a higher MOQ on styles where you're confident of selling at least 80% at full price.
Price is meaningless without quality
Two tops at the same price can be completely different products. Before you compare costs, make sure you're comparing like with like. Check:
• Fibre composition. A viscose blend and a 100% polyester top may look similar online but feel very different in the hand. The fibre content has to be on the label by law, so ask for it.
• Fabric weight. Thin jersey and knits are the most common source of returns and complaints.
• Finishing. Look at seams, hems, zips and linings. Loose threads and puckered seams are a sign of rushed production.
• Fit consistency. Does a medium from this supplier fit the same as last month's medium?
Always order samples, or a small first order, before committing to a new supplier. Wash one piece. It tells you more than any product description.
What to compare besides the wholesale price
These don't appear on a price list, but they make a real difference to your margin.
Reorder availability. Can you buy the style again if it sells out? A lot of fast fashion wholesale, including much Italian ready-to-wear, is produced in single runs. That's great for newness but means you can't always chase a winner. Ask the question up front.
Delivery speed. A supplier who delivers in two days lets you order little and often. One who takes three weeks forces you to buy deeper to avoid running out.
Product images. If you sell online, being able to use a supplier's model photography saves you time and money on every style. Check you have permission.
Faulty goods policy. Find out what happens if a delivery arrives damaged or with the wrong sizes, and how quickly it's sorted.
Payment terms. Most wholesalers want payment upfront from new accounts. If a supplier offers 30-day terms once you have a trading history, that's worth something to your cash flow.
Why wholesale prices vary so much
Prices differ between suppliers for good reasons as well as bad ones. The main drivers:
• Where and how it's made. Country of production, factory scale and labour costs.
• Fabric. Natural and higher-quality blends cost more than basic synthetics.
• Order size. Suppliers with high MOQs can price lower per unit.
• Service. Faster delivery, open sizing and no minimums all cost the supplier money to provide.
• Exclusivity. Styles that aren't sold to every retailer in your area usually cost a bit more.
None of these are reasons to pay more on their own. They're reasons to understand what you're getting for the price.
Should you choose the cheapest supplier?
Only if it's also the cheapest once you've factored in everything above. The cheapest list price often comes with a catch: higher minimums, weaker quality or slow delivery. Each of these costs you margin later.
The best supplier is the one that lets you sell the most pieces at full price for the money you put in.
Work out your cost per piece sold, not your cost per piece bought. That single change will improve almost every buying decision you make.
FAQs