Digital Fashion Wholesale, platforms and trends

The global apparel market is worth around 1.5 trillion dollars, of which 45 Bn dollars are B2B. 60% of revenues of enterprise brands comes from Wholesale.

64% of the B2B orders still require a human interaction, while 70%-80% of B2B decision makers prefer remote human interaction of digital self service.

Wholesale reps are still involved in a number of manual activities such as taking orders, inventory management and fulfilment. Technology will become a competitive advantage for brands that are able to scale up and streamline processes as this will enable them to preserve or increase their profit margins.

B2B clients are expecting a wholesale shopping digital experience that is more and more similar to the B2C online experience. B2B customers expects to see more product high quality images, product information, shipping information and so on. The benchmark for the B2B customers are Amazon but can be also Alibaba.

What does “Digital Fashion Wholesale” Mean?

Digital fashion wholesale refers to the process of buying and selling fashion items in bulk between brands and retailers entirely online. It’s a shift from the traditional method that involved physical trade shows, sales reps, and paper catalogs.

Here are some key features of digital fashion wholesale:

• Online platforms: These platforms connect brands and retailers, allowing them to browse collections, place orders, and manage inventory electronically. Some popular examples include JOOR, Fashion Cloud, and Centra.
• Efficiency: Digital wholesale streamlines the ordering process, saving time and money for both brands and retailers.
• Transparency: Platforms often provide detailed product information, pricing, and order tracking, making the buying process more transparent.
• Data-driven decisions: Digital tools can provide valuable data on sales trends and customer preferences, which can help brands and retailers make better decisions.

Overall, digital fashion wholesale is a growing trend that is making the fashion industry more efficient and data-driven.

A Short History of Digital Fashion Wholesale

Digital fashion wholesale is a relatively young concept, emerging alongside the rise of e-commerce in the early 2000s. While the traditional model relied on physical trade shows and catalogs, digital solutions began offering a more efficient and data-driven alternative.

Here’s a timeline of some key milestones:

• Early 2000s: Growth of e-commerce platforms lays the groundwork for online business-to-business (B2B) solutions.
• Mid-2000s: Pioneering B2B platforms emerge, focusing on streamlining communication and order processing between brands and retailers.
• Late 2000s – Early 2010s: Adoption grows as the benefits of digital tools become evident, including faster turnaround times and wider product reach.
• Mid-2010s: Mobile adoption allows for on-the-go ordering and inventory management, further increasing convenience.
• Late 2010s: Platforms like JOOR and Fashion Cloud introduce features like virtual showrooms, enhancing the buying experience.
• 2020s: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerates the shift towards digital solutions as travel and in-person meetings become restricted.

Today, digital fashion wholesale is a dominant force in the industry. Platforms continue to evolve, offering advanced data analytics and tools to optimize inventory management, pricing strategies, and brand-retailer communication. The future likely holds even greater integration with artificial intelligence and virtual reality, further transforming the way fashion businesses operate.

What are you looking for in a B2B Ecommerce Platform

A fashion wholesale ecommerce platforms looks similar to a B2C ecommerce website, but presents different features for the buyer: curated catalogs, custom pricing, personalised storefronts, flexible payment terms, and a self-serve portal

B2C	B2B
Retail Price	Wholesale price
Market-wide discount	Client personal discount
Pay upfront	Pay later (client specific payment conditions)
Single Variation Order (Size and Colors combination)	Multiple Variations Order

Joor, Centra and Fashion Cloud

• JOOR: A leading fashion marketplace for wholesale buying. It offers features like virtual showrooms, advanced payment solutions, robust order management, and global support making it ideal for brands looking for an immersive and feature-rich experience. [JOOR]
• Fashion Cloud: This platform focuses on content management and streamlining product data exchange. It’s a good fit for brands who prioritize clear product information and easy data sharing. [Fashion Cloud]
• Centra: Known for its strong focus on the fashion industry, Centra offers seamless integration between direct-to-consumer (DTC) and wholesale channels. It allows brands to create a cohesive experience for both types of customers. [Centra]

Feature	JOOR	Fashion Cloud	Centra
Focus	Global marketplace, immersive experience	Content management, data exchange	Streamlined DTC & wholesale integration
Strengths	Virtual showrooms, advanced payments, order management	Clear product information, data sharing	Unified DTC & wholesale experience
Target Users	Brands seeking a feature-rich platform	Brands prioritizing product data	Brands with both DTC & wholesale channels
Additional Features	Mobile app, global support	Multilingual platform
Client Examples	Not publicly available, but mentions industry leaders	Not publicly available	Not publicly available, but mentions fashion brands

What are the main benefits of using Digital Wholesale Platforms like Joor?

Here are some of the main benefits of using a platform like JOOR for fashion brands:

• Enhanced Brand Presentation: JOOR allows you to create virtual showrooms, showcasing your collections with high-quality images, videos, and even 360-degree views. This creates a more immersive and engaging experience for buyers compared to traditional catalogs.
• Streamlined Ordering Process: JOOR automates order processing, reducing errors and saving time for both brands and retailers. Buyers can easily browse collections, place orders, and track their status electronically.
• Global Reach: JOOR connects you with a vast network of retailers worldwide, expanding your potential customer base beyond geographical limitations. This can be particularly beneficial for smaller brands looking to reach a wider audience.
• Data-driven Insights: The platform provides valuable sales data and analytics, allowing you to track buying trends and make informed decisions about your collections, pricing, and marketing strategies.
• Improved Efficiency: JOOR centralizes communication and order management, freeing up your team to focus on other aspects of your business.
• Advanced Payment Solutions: JOOR offers various payment options to ensure smooth and secure transactions for both parties.
• Mobile App Convenience: The platform also has a mobile app, allowing brands to manage their presence and orders on the go.
• Industry Expertise: JOOR caters specifically to the fashion industry, understanding your unique needs and challenges.

Overall, by using a platform like JOOR, fashion brands can gain a competitive edge through improved efficiency, wider reach, and valuable data insights.

What is the difference between “marketplace” and “digital wholesale”?

Digital fashion wholesale and marketplaces are closely linked concepts, but with some key distinctions:

Digital Fashion Wholesale:

• Focus: Refers specifically to the business-to-business (B2B) online sales channel for fashion products in bulk.
• Parties involved: Brands selling to retailers and distributors.
• Platforms: Often use specialized B2B platforms like JOOR or Fashion Cloud, designed for the fashion industry’s specific needs (e.g., large order quantities, detailed product information).

Marketplaces:

• Broader Scope: Can encompass B2B and also business-to-consumer (B2C) sales.
• Variety of Products: May include fashion items alongside other categories like electronics or home goods.
• Platforms: Can include general online marketplaces like Amazon or dedicated fashion marketplaces like Farfetch.

Here’s an analogy:

Imagine a shopping mall. Digital fashion wholesale represents the wholesale section on the upper floors, where stores buy clothes in bulk from brands. Marketplaces are like the entire mall, encompassing both wholesale sections and stores selling directly to consumers.

The Connection:

• Overlap: Some digital fashion wholesale platforms might also have a B2C component, blurring the lines a bit.
• Benefits: Marketplaces can offer advantages for digital fashion wholesale by providing a wider audience reach for brands and potentially more efficient order fulfillment for retailers.

Overall, digital fashion wholesale leverages the concept of online marketplaces but tailors it specifically to the B2B fashion industry’s needs.

What are the main differences between NuOrder and Joor?

The main difference between JOOR and NuORDER lies in their target audience and core functionalities:

• Focus:
  • JOOR: Specializes in the fashion industry, catering to a global network of fashion brands and high-end retailers.
  • NuORDER: Offers a broader range of B2B functionalities applicable to various industries, including fashion.
• Features:
  • JOOR: Emphasizes features like virtual showrooms, advanced payment solutions, and a robust user experience ideal for showcasing fashion collections.
  • NuORDER: Leans towards order management, inventory management, and product catalog tools useful for managing B2B transactions across various industries.

Here’s a table summarizing the key differences:

Feature	JOOR	NuORDER
Focus	Fashion Industry	Multi-Industry B2B
Target Users	Fashion brands & High-end retailers	Businesses across various industries
Strengths	Virtual showrooms, payment solutions, user experience	Order management, inventory management, product catalogs
Additional Features	Mobile app, global support, industry expertise	May offer marketing & promotion tools

Choosing the right platform:

• JOOR: Ideal for fashion brands seeking a feature-rich platform to showcase collections and reach a global audience of high-end retailers.
• NuORDER: A good fit for businesses in various industries needing a comprehensive B2B platform for order and inventory management, including fashion brands with a strong focus on those functionalities.

Is Joor a Marketplace?

JOOR is currently transitioning into a marketplace, but it has its roots as a B2B platform connecting brands and retailers. Here’s a breakdown:

JOOR’s Past and Present:

• Primarily functioned as a B2B platform. Brands and retailers connected to directly interact, browse collections, and place wholesale orders.
• Offered features like virtual showrooms, order management tools, and data analytics to streamline the wholesale process.

JOOR’s Upcoming Marketplace:

• They are launching a dedicated marketplace section within the platform.
• This marketplace will allow retailers to browse and purchase from a wider selection of brands, potentially including those not already connected on the B2B side.
• JOOR will leverage its existing features like AI-powered search to enhance the discovery of brands and products within the marketplace.

So, is it a marketplace today?

There’s a little nuance. While JOOR doesn’t fully function as a traditional marketplace yet (where retailers can browse all brands freely), they are actively building and promoting this marketplace functionality. For now, it’s best to consider JOOR as a B2B platform with an evolving marketplace component.

Can I use Shopify to manage Digital Fashion Wholesale?

Shopify offers a variety of features specifically designed for B2B businesses. Here are some of the main ones:

• Company Accounts: Create profiles for your wholesale customers, including multiple locations, contact information, payment terms, and order history. This allows for segmented customer experiences and efficient order management.
• Custom Catalogs and Pricing: Tailor product offerings and pricing to specific customer groups. You can set fixed prices, percentage discounts, or volume-based pricing rules for different companies or locations.
• Password-Protected Storefront: Restrict access to your store to authorized B2B customers only. This ensures sensitive pricing and product information remains hidden from the public.
• Flexible Payment Options: Offer various payment options preferred by B2B customers, such as net terms, account credit, and purchase orders. Shopify also integrates with payment gateways that support B2B transactions.
• Streamlined Checkout: Simplify the checkout process for B2B customers. Features like allowing purchase order (PO) numbers and draft orders can improve efficiency for both parties.
• B2B Customer Management: Manage your B2B customer relationships effectively. You can track order history, communication history, and specific customer details within the platform.
• Integration with Existing Systems: Connect Shopify with your existing accounting, CRM, or ERP systems for seamless data exchange and streamlined operations.
• Scalability: Shopify can accommodate businesses of various sizes. As your B2B operation grows, Shopify can scale to meet your needs.

Additional benefits:

• Reduced reliance on third-party apps: Many B2B functionalities are built directly into Shopify, eliminating the need for additional apps and simplifying your tech stack.
• Inventory Management: Shopify’s inventory management tools allow you to track stock levels, set reorder points, and manage backorders efficiently, crucial for B2B operations.
• Professional Storefront: Create a professional and branded online store that reflects your B2B image.

Overall, Shopify’s B2B features make it a strong contender for businesses looking to establish or expand their online wholesale presence.