The 3 Keys Retailers Should Understand About Lingerie Manufacturing

By Ali Cudby

Recently, at The Intimate Circle, I spoke to Moira Nelson about the elements of manufacturing retailers should understand in order to buy and sell more effectively.

Buy for your ideal customer

Like a retail store, a lingerie manufacturer must convey a clear message about their brand. Particularly at a start-up, which is where Nelson’s Bra La Mode focuses its consulting efforts, it’s critical for a company to speak in a cohesive voice to its audience. The video clip from our interview illustrates just how deep that conversation goes to identify a brand’s ideal client. When a manufacturer is clear about its audience, it makes it easier for a retailer to determine whether it’s the right fit for their store.

Ask for selling points

When you appreciate how a garment is made it becomes easier to value a given garment – both for the purposes of buying and selling. Asking the right questions about a garment’s development, construction and sales process creates a win-win for you and the manufacturer. They provide you with the information that sets their brand apart and makes them great, and you get the selling points you need to help customers appreciate the brand, as well. When you can speak knowledgeably about the product in your store, it allows you to sell more authentically and enthusiastically, and your expertise shines through. Customers want that expertise from you, which lays the groundwork for future loyalty…and sales.

Be a good partner

As you become a more informed buyer and seller, and impart the unique benefits of a brand to customers, it’s inevitable that you’ll develop deeper connections with the brands you sell. Creating relationships and being a good customer to your vendors opens the door for more opportunities. Remember that vendors trust you to represent their products to customers, and have a vested interest in your success. When you are a good customer, they will want to reward that with the tools you need to sell, such as GWPs and visual promotions for the store. It’s like that song in Chicago (but without the jailhouse graft) “When You’re Good To Mama, Mama’s Good To You.”

Queen Latifah in ‘Chicago’ – image via http://emmastoneinzombieland.blogspot.com/

Taking the time to understand lingerie manufacturing opens up many avenues to becoming a better resource for your customers, a better partner for your vendors and a more profitable business.

The entire interview with Moira Nelson is available in The Intimate Circle

For a deeper dive into the intricacies of manufacturing, you can check out The Intimate Apparel Journal.