Analysis of the Classification and Selection of Foreign Trade Clothing
Detailed Explanation of Original Stock Goods (Surplus Orders, Tail Orders)
Original single goods are not simply "leftover genuine products", and their sources are special. Firstly (I), garment factories secretly pick out a part of fabrics and accessories from the "planned scrap materials", which usually account for less than 3% as stipulated by the brand owners, and then privately process them into ready - made clothes. The only difference between this kind of original single goods and the genuine products in the counters is like that between the "illegitimate child" and the "legitimate child". They have pure bloodlines but their identities are not officially recognized by the brand owners, and the quantity is extremely scarce.
Second, there are re - exported products originally for foreign markets that are rejected by brand owners for various reasons (the most common ones are slight differences in color from what foreign merchants require or minor defects). Sometimes, the quantity of this type of original orders is relatively large, but the quality can still be basically guaranteed, with outstanding cost - performance. However, it is necessary to carefully distinguish whether the defects are within the acceptable range.
Analysis of follow - up goods
The emergence of follow - up orders goods stems from the fact that after manufacturers complete the orders from brand owners, they still hold the original patterns and may have some "original fabrics" left. At this time, the manufacturers will match a batch of auxiliary materials (such as buttons, zippers, linings, etc.) purchased domestically and produce the goods strictly according to the patterns of genuine products.
Although the follow-up orders of goods may be slightly inferior to the authentic products in the official counters in terms of certain detailed treatments or workmanship finesse, their core advantage lies in having the same pattern as the authentic products and some key original fabrics, which means they are genetically similar. The wearing effect has very little difference from that of the authentic products. Moreover, since they are produced by large factories that make the official counter goods, their overall quality and craftsmanship level are still excellent, often superior to some so - called famous domestic brands.
Analysis of Genuine Ex-works Foreign Trade Goods
Currently, the "original foreign trade orders" widely mentioned in the market mostly refer to such products: Goods produced by foreign (or domestic) manufacturers upon the commission of large foreign customers (mostly large enterprises or retailers), who use the genuine products officially released by the brand as templates. These products are directly shipped back to the customers' home countries for sale after leaving the factory.
Compared with genuine products, this type of merchandise is usually a bit rough in thread end processing and detail polishing, and there may also be certain gaps in the materials used and workmanship. However, with a price far lower than that of genuine products and a relatively good imitation degree (super A quality), it has extremely high cost - performance and is the main referent of the "original order" concept in the market.
Characteristics of re-ordered goods
The emergence of reorder goods is a coping strategy in the situation where the original fabric from the manufacturer has been completely used up, but the merchants still have a continuous demand for orders. Fortunately, the manufacturer still holds the core pattern. At this time, the manufacturer will purchase a batch of alternative fabrics in the country that are similar to the original fabric (but not from the original factory) and process and produce them according to the original pattern. This is what reorder goods are. The pattern is retained, but there may be differences in the texture, composition, etc. of the fabric compared with the original version.
The nature of imitation goods
Copycat goods are the poorest in quality among all types and are also the most prevalent in the market. Driven by profit, small manufacturers follow the trend and imitate when they see popular brand clothing. These major producers of "copycat goods" can even quickly produce imitations just based on photos of ready-to-wear clothing from events like Paris Fashion Week without the need for the actual products. However, their imitations only resemble the original in appearance but not in essence.
The fabric is of poor quality, the workmanship is extremely rough, and the details are in a complete mess. Occasionally, there are imitation orders with relatively better quality, which completely depend on the luck of the buyers. Imitation goods are commonly found in street shops, and consumers need to be especially vigilant.
Original order status of different categories of clothing
Sweaters: There are relatively more original orders, and there is also a certain advantage in quantity. This is because woolen clothing is more likely to produce non - conforming products due to problems such as knitting errors and yarn defects during the production process, thus forming original orders.
Jeans: The quantity of original orders is relatively small, and it's difficult to have a complete range of sizes. The requirements for cutting and sewing denim are relatively high, and the brand has strict quality control over denim fabrics with a low rejection rate. Therefore, original orders are hard to come by.
Shoes: There are also relatively few original single items. The shoe - making process is complex, involving many accessories. It has high requirements for molds and production lines. The probability of producing qualified leftover goods is small, and the sizes are often incomplete.
T-shirts and coats: The quantity and quality of original factory orders vary greatly among different brands. Specific analysis is required for each brand, and there is no general rule.
Guide to Purchasing Foreign Trade Clothing
When purchasing foreign trade clothing, be sure to carefully distinguish:
The first choice should be the so - called "three original brothers" produced by the original factory - original orders, follow - up orders, and additional orders. Since they are produced by the original factory, they can ensure to the greatest extent that there won't be much difference in the style and workmanship compared with the products in the counter.
Secondly, never have overly high expectations of being able to buy original single goods every time. Due to their special nature, original single goods usually have specific channels and are not commonly found in ordinary wholesale markets.
In most cases, it's already quite cost - effective if you can buy follow - up order clothing. It has a high cost - performance ratio. There is little difference in appearance and wearing effect between follow - up order clothing and counter goods, but the price may be only half or even lower than that of counter goods.
Main production regions of foreign trade clothing
There are two core areas among the major production bases of national foreign trade clothing:
I. The Yangtze River Delta and Shandong region. The foreign - trade clothing in this region is mainly sold to the Japanese and South Korean markets.
II. The Pearl River Delta region. Due to historical reasons (such as early contacts mainly through Hong Kong traders), after the production costs and labor competitiveness in Hong Kong declined, the OEM manufacturers for well - known European and American brands have successively chosen to set up factories in the Pearl River Delta, making it a concentrated area for OEM production of well - known European and American brands.
Price formation mechanism of foreign trade clothing
The net cost of a piece of foreign trade clothing when it leaves the factory is usually not high, but the price when it finally enters the retail market is often on the high side. The main reasons are as follows:
1. Driven by brand premium and scarcity: Among original single products, the part that is within the contract amount and can enter shopping mall counters has soared to a "sky - high price" of at least four digits. The brand effect, high - quality styles and reliable quality have established a good image in the minds of consumers, creating a "scarcity" in the market. According to economic principles, "scarcity" inevitably leads to price increases, which is the core reason for the relatively high retail price.
2. Consumption capacity of the distribution market: The main distribution markets for foreign trade OEM manufacturers in the Pearl River Delta are Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Southeast Asian regions. These regions have good economic conditions and strong consumption capacity, which has driven up the market of foreign trade clothing and indirectly pushed up the overall wholesale price.
3. Cost superposition in the distribution link: Another important distribution channel for foreign trade OEM manufacturers in the Pearl River Delta is the large wholesalers in major markets across the country. As the products move from the manufacturers to wholesalers at various levels, going through processes such as transportation, warehousing, and profit mark - ups at each level, the prices naturally increase gradually.