Boutique clothing stores are unique, and the items you carry are what keep it that way. If you could go to the nearest Macy’s or Nordstrom and find everything you’re selling in your corner shop, you probably wouldn’t be able to keep your doors open for very long. Owning a boutique comes with the responsibility of having your own style but knowing what’s in style as well. Boutique owners could spend weeks or even months identifying brands that are quality and cute, priced fairly so that they won’t be challenging to turnover, and create an image for their brand. The best boutiques are the ones with the great finds, and if you want that to be your place, you should take a look at these 8 brands you need to get on your shelves.
Southern Tide
It might sound like a southern state thing by the name, but this brand is popular across the entire country. Southern tide sells very high quality products for both men and women. You can find any items from men’s blazers to women’s swim suits on their website. Some of their most popular products include their collegiate collection. They carry SEC, ACC, BIG 10, BIG 12, and other major conference schools apparel. If you cater to customers who love their pastel colors, this is a company to look into.
Veronica M
Veronica M is a wholesale women’s clothing distributor with a boutique feel. On their site you can find unique products like wholesale rompers, maxi dresses, crochet bags, hand woven purses, abstract printed fold over pants, and cold shoulder tops. Veronica M’s clothing works well for both teenagers and middle aged women. These great wholesale prices and fun styles are bound to keep your customers coming back.
True Grit
If you haven’t seen or worn a True Grit fleece before, you’re going to want to try it out. True Grit is a clothing company that makes outerwear, fleeces, woven collections, and knit collections for both men and women. These high quality products can go for a pretty penny, but hey, you get what you pay for. If your customers have never heard of True Grit before, once they see what your boutique has to offer they’ll be making up their Christmas list in hours.
Lulu lemon
It doesn’t matter if you cater to guys or girls or both, there’s something in the Lululemon catalog that everyone can get behind. You can carry their signature leggings, their t-shirts, headbands, or backpacks. This is especially a great brand to carry if you have customers that are into fitness or yoga.
Nike
Another sports brand that is great to carry if your customers are into fitness is Nike. When shopping for Nike apparel or accessories to carry in your boutique, you’re going to want to make sure that they’re not extremely common products that can be found at your local department store. Not always, but odds are you’re going to have to mark up your price a bit higher than the big guys do and for that reason you don’t want to be offering the same thing. Dig a little and find some of their more unique products and supply those.
Vineyard Vines
This brand is very similar to Southern Tide, except it has its signature whale stamped on the majority of it’s products. Vineyard Vines is a very popular clothing company with people that are into golfing, sailing, rowing, lacrosse, and hockey. Obviously it caters to other people, but many of those followers tend to have something Vineyard Vines.
J.Crew
J.Crew seems to be the go-to brand when it comes to dressing in quality and stylish products without completely breaking the bank. J.Crew caters to the white collared class and the city workers, but can look amazing on anyone. For the girls, you can carry work pants, blazers, and dresses, and for the guys you can look into their classic sports coats and collared shirts.
Oakley
This brand is not for everyone, but if it fits in with your clientele, go for it. Traditionally Oakley makes sun glasses for sporty-guys, but now they’ve transitioned into lifestyle sunglasses for both men and women. They also offer a large selection of clothing for sports like golf, skiing, and snowboarding. Another high quality company, Oakley is great to have on hand.
You know your customer better than everyone else, so listen to their requests and questions as they come.