Wholesale Clothing is always in demand, but lately the trend has shown sales falling for new orders of clothing that comes at a time when consumers are cooling their wallets from the holiday rush, and vendors are scrambling to prepare to strut their stuff at a series of seasonal trade shows. The big push is on, to secure big profits from this wholesale category that never goes out of fashion.
Ralph Lauren knows it, and others in the industry are following suit. In terms of raw profitability, the company’s trade activity – according to a team of analysts at Citigroup – recently upgraded extended shares of Polo Ralph Lauren Corp from a “hold” rating, to a “buy” rating. This was the memo that was passed around in a research note to investors on Tuesday, January 4th. At this time, the clothing retailer and manufacturing giant now has a $138.00 price target on the stock.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for companies who have been surging upwards and downwards for months, with a big finish at the end of 2010 that left many of them gasping for air. In China, the effects of such a sales frenzy were visibly more impactful, as shoppers in major Chinese cities kept the ball rolling for an extra three weeks, as they celebrated the Spring Festival, a national holiday that is characterized by massive consumer spending that rivals anything the western world has produced with the big Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas rush.
Wholesalers and everyone else even remotely affiliated with them, have begun digging themselves in for an all-out assault in the coming weeks, with trade shows and events scheduled for the new season’s debut. Thousands upon thousands of people from virtually every country with an economy will be wearing a path around the hottest exhibits, as wholesale clothing manufacturers and wholesalers put their best on display for review.
The Off Price Show in Las Vegas is on such an event, with this year’s expected turnout exceeding the year before. Located at the Sands Expo and Convention Center during February 11-14, 2011, the show has proven itself to be a real must-see for anyone who is interested in knowing what the competition is up to, and what the current strategies are in all corners of the world, to promote and move merchandise in large volume.
Over 12,000 apparel buyers are expected to attend as well, and that means big opportunities for the ones who are there to establish relationships and connect with the influential members of their large and diverse community.
One market that is gaining a noteworthy level of attention this year is the maternal and mother’s category of clothes. Since mothers are always looking to find clothes that are practical and stylish at the same time, there has been a growing need for clothes that represent good value, instead of simply focusing upon the “bling” imagery of years past. With exhibitors watching the trends closely, we can expect to see a host of new fashions that mirror this sensibility at the show, as well as the usual array of hot and trendy clothes that everyone has come to expect from major venues.
On the other side of things, the theme of cultural and social awareness is a prevailing message that has reached a climax this year, as everything from political and economic events have caused consumers to take pause, and consider the deeper ramifications of their purchasing decisions.
Companies that are following this trend have realized that equally important as displaying goods and showing their best prices, is a need to demonstrate to buyers that their products will also enhance a company’s image with the consumer public, as well. Through programs that range from simple donations to full-blown sponsorship parter campaigns, Wholesale Clothing inds itself in a position to do more than simply garner profits and make cash; it also has the power to make change.