Starting Your Shopify Fashion Store: How Much Inventory Is Just Right?
Published July 3, 2024.
Launching a fashion store on Shopify is exciting, but deciding your initial inventory can make or break your venture. Balancing supply and demand is an art that impacts your store's success. Here's how to navigate this critical aspect:
Start Small, Think Big
Begin with a curated selection. Avoid overstocking, as surplus inventory can increase costs. Starting small offers several advantages:
- Minimizes financial risk
- Allows quick strategy pivots based on demand
- Safely tests new products
- Optimizes cash flow
A smaller, curated collection adds exclusivity and uniqueness, appealing to early customers.
» Manage your inventory more effectively through Shopify inventory forecasting
Why Are Case Packs Important for Your Fashion Store?
Case packs play a vital role in the fashion industry by ensuring efficient organization and distribution of products.
Case packs are pre-packaged bundles of fashion items, typically containing a single style of six garments in various sizes.
Wholesalers often package clothing in case packs with a specific breakdown:
- A common arrangement is the 2:2:2 pack, which includes two small, two medium, and two large garments.
- Alternatively, you might encounter 1:2:2:1 packs consisting of one small, two mediums, two larges, and one extra-large item.
To decide how many case packs to start with, consider a guideline applicable to various niches. It's advisable to order three or four items in each size. A commonly used size distribution is 15% small, 30% medium, 30% large, 15% extra-large, and 10% extra-extra-large. Following this breakdown helps you manage inventory effectively, and you can replenish sizes as needed.
Data-Driven Inventory Management
Use sales data to determine your inventory needs. Analyze buying trends to adjust your stock accordingly. As your store grows, consider automated inventory management systems, such as Bestsellers reSort.
This app streamlines inventory presentation, enhances merchandising, and adapts to seasonal trends, ultimately improving the customer experience:
- Seasonal adaptability: Quickly adjusts product orders based on seasonal trends, ensuring your inventory reflects current fashion preferences.
- Visual merchandising mastery: Craft visually appealing collections that capture the essence of your fashion store's aesthetic and brand identity.
- Curated shopping experience: Bulk sort products by best-selling, style, category, or theme, guiding customers through a tailored shopping journey.
» Learn how this handy app can help you save time and money in this Bestsellers reSort review