Children's Clothing:  Paying Retail vs. Paying Wholesale

Take it from me, a proud mother of three, raising children gets more expensive each and every day. Finding creative ways to save money (while ensuring that your children are still the best dressed kids on the block) can be a real challenge. The good news is that you have options on how to dress your kids. You can pay wholesale or you can pay retail. There are pros and cons of both methods and in this article we’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both.

Paying Retail: Pros

• Purchasing retail means that you are getting first grade garments that are not factory seconds or returns. Quality is therefore guaranteed by the retailer and items can be returned for exchange or refund if they are substandard.
• In most cases, when paying retail, you are shopping locally and not online. This means that you can touch the fabric, inspect the clothing, and have your children try on the garment to ensure proper fit. Even if your child is not with you, it is easy enough to return for another size or for a refund, when necessary.
• Retail stores always carry current lines, which means that you are purchasing current trends and styles for your children. Although this is not important to most parents, it is important to some.

Paying Retail: Cons

• When purchasing retail, you are paying top dollar, since the retailer has built in a profit margin.
• In most cases, retailers do not offer a bulk discount, meaning that if you purchase six items at one time, you still have to pay full sticker price for each of the six garments.
• If you live in a small town or rural area, you are limited to what is available from your local retailers. Choice is not abundant, and perhaps the brands you would like to purchase are not offered.

Paying Wholesale: Pros

• Purchasing wholesale means that you are getting rock bottom prices on designer and name brand clothing for your children. This means that you will either save money on your clothing budget, or have excess funds to purchase additional clothing that your kids may need.
• If you are wholesale shopping online, you have access to any brand that you want.  No matter where you live, your children can still be dressed in the very best labels (Gymboree, Gap, Nautica, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, for example) at the lowest possible costs.
• For large families and those on a tight budget, wholesale pricing means that your money goes further.  When talking about the expense of clothing children, this is good news.

Paying Wholesale: Cons

• Many wholesale items are overstock, meaning they are last year’s or last season’s fashions. For most parents, this is not an issue, especially with babies, toddlers and young children. However, when shopping for youth and teen fashions, it may be an issue.
• You need to watch for clothing grades. Some wholesalers offer "seconds," which may be irregular or imperfect.
• If you are purchasing wholesale online, you cannot touch or see the garment, nor can your children try on clothing. Since most are considered ‘final sale’ you need to be very sure of the size you need since items cannot be returned, in most cases.
• Some wholesalers require a minimum order, meaning that you must purchase in bulk. This may not be feasible for small families who only need to clothe one or two children, or for families who have children in various size ranges.

In conclusion, it is a personal decision whether you shop retail or wholesale. The decision is one that only you can make, based on your personal taste, budget and needs. Either way, you can have a well dressed and stylish little one who is the envy of all the other kids on the block. No one has to know whether you paid retail or wholesale for your child's great clothes.