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AS MORE INDIES SEEK OUT QUALITY SHORT ORDER WOMENSWEAR, THE MARKET IS SLOWLY STARTING TO SHIFT TOWARDS FLEXIBLE BUYING
J
ust as the pandemic changed how consumers shop, it has also altered the way some boutiques buy their stock. Short ordering is fast becoming a more widely sought-after method of buying. Not only does it allow retailers to pay for stock as they go along, but it also means buyers can react to emerging trends that may not have been apparent six months previously. “There are certainly pros to short ordering,” says Wizz Selvey, founder of retail consultancy Wizz and Co (wizzandco.com) and former head of buying at Selfridges. “Not only does it allow buyers to be more flexible with their budget and adapt to trends, but it also means small businesses can build stock inventory more gradually.”
Supply and demand
ATP ATELIER 40 | boutique. | MARCH 2022
Historically, quality in-season womenswear has been somewhat limited in the UK. However, that is also shifting. Danish label by basics (jpf.london), for example, is shaking up the sector with its continuously rolling range of sustainable staples, which are made to order and then delivered in around six weeks. Likewise, German label Smith & Soul (genusfashion.com) offers year-round short order and stock collections with a focus on fair prices and commercial trends. The label launched in the UK in November 2020 and has been well received by boutiques. Tim Ryan, managing director for Smith & Soul’s UK agent Genus Fashion Limited, says: “By buying little and often rather than once or twice a season, retailers can react quicker to market trends, inject newness and keep tighter control of their budgets. Smith & Soul presents eight collections a year with 11 monthly delivery drops. Within each month’s theme, there are multiple options in which to freely coordinate colours and trends. We do not set minimums and also offer a B2B service, which enables customers to place repeat orders.” North England based indie retail group The Edit now buys around
