Understanding the difference between retail and wholesale is essential for navigating the fashion-buying industry. Fashion retail is all about selling directly to consumers, focusing on creating a personalised shopping experience as well as meeting individual styles and needs. On the other hand, fashion wholesale works behind the scenes, supplying large amounts of products to retailers who then bring them to shoppers. While they may seem similar, retail and wholesale differ in how they operate, who they serve, and what their goals are.
What is Wholesale?
Fashion wholesale plays a pivotal role in the fashion supply chain by bridging the gap between manufacturers and retailers. Wholesalers typically buy in bulk and work closely with factories to source large quantities of clothing and accessories at lower prices, leveraging these relationships to ensure consistent quality and supply. This allows them to sell to retailers at competitive rates, helping stores stock a wide range of products without needing to handle production or manage supplier relationships themselves. Many wholesalers also offer extra services like bulk discounts, private labelling or dropshipping to help retailers stand out and succeed in a busy market. For example, Nova of London has 6 original labels to offer such as QED London, Wild Flower, Misumi, Seint, Stitches & Pieces and Chilli & Charm. By working at scale and maintaining strong factory partnerships, wholesale ensures that fashion products are available and accessible, supporting both businesses and shoppers.
B2B vs B2C
In the fashion industry, understanding the distinctions between B2B (Business-to-Business) and B2C (Business-to-Customer) models is crucial for tailoring strategies to cater to different audiences.
B2B is when businesses sell products to other businesses, like a fashion manufacturer selling its designs to a wholesaler or a retailer. In this model, the focus is on bulk transactions, competitive pricing and forming strong relationships between businesses. For example, a boutique might purchase a collection from a designer to stock in their store. B2B sales tend to involve larger quantities, longer negotiations, and are more focused on meeting the specific needs of business clients.
Alternatively, B2C is when businesses sell directly to the end customer. This model is what we most commonly see in retail, whether it’s in stores or online. Retailers offer a variety of fashion products to individual shoppers, focusing on creating an attractive shopping experience, personalised service and meeting consumer trends, while B2C transactions are usually smaller in volume compared to B2B, they are driven by consumer demand, seasonal trends, and marketing strategies aimed at influencing purchasing decisions.
Both B2B and B2C play key roles in the fashion industry, with each catering to a different segment of the market. While B2B focuses on business relationships and bulk sales, B2C is all about connecting with individual customers and providing them with the products they want.
Target Audience
The target audience for retail is individual consumers who are looking to purchase products for personal use. Retailers focus on offering a wide variety of products that cater to different styles, tastes and preferences. They invest heavily in customer experiences, whether it’s through personalised shopping assistance, in-store promotions or curated online recommendations. Retail businesses often use direct marketing strategies, such as social media campaigns or email promotions, to engage with consumers and influence their purchasing decisions. The emphasis in retail is on creating a connection with the consumer, staying in tune with current fashion trends, and offering a seamless shopping experience, either in-store or online.
In contrast, wholesale targets businesses rather than individual consumers. The audience for wholesale includes retailers, boutiques, or even large e-commerce platforms that buy products in bulk to resell them to end customers. For wholesalers, the priority is to build strong, long-term relationships with their business clients, offering bulk pricing, reliable supply chains and consistent stock levels. The focus is more on operational efficiency and competitive pricing rather than individual style preferences, but customer engagement still plays a role. Wholesalers typically deal with larger orders and negotiations based on volume, pricing, and delivery schedules. In contrast to retail’s focus on personal choice, wholesale’s target audience is primarily concerned with ensuring they can reliably meet the demand of their own customers while maintaining profitable margins.
Selling Products
Wholesalers and retailers differ significantly in how they sell their products. Wholesalers typically sell fashion items in bulk, often in packs, to business clients like retailers or boutiques. These packs may contain multiple units of the same products, the same products in different sizes, or a variety of items, and the goal is to provide businesses with the inventory they need at a lower per-unit price. For example, at Nova of London we use multiple sizes in a pack. The pack information for a product may contain a size range of S-M-L with a ratio of 1-2-1, this just means there will be 1 size small, 2 size mediums and 1 size large in the pack. This allows wholesalers to cater to retailer’s needs for larger quantities, making it more cost-effective for them to stock up and sell.
Retailers sell fashion products individually to consumers. They offer single units of clothing, accessories or footwear, allowing customers to purchase only what they need or want. This model caters to individual preferences, with pricing typically marked up to cover costs and generate profit. While wholesalers focus on supplying products in bulk to businesses, retailers create a personalised shopping experience, by selling one item at a time to customers.
Buying from Wholesalers
Wholesalers often have a showroom where retailers and business buyers can view and purchase products in person. These showrooms are designed to showcase the wholesaler’s product range, allowing potential clients to see the latest collections, touch the fabrics and assess the quality of the items before making bulk orders. Showrooms serve as a physical space where retailers can get a firsthand look at the available products, examine various styles, and determine what will best fit their store’s inventory. This direct interaction gives buyers the opportunity to make informed purchasing decisions, often with the added benefit of building stronger business relationships with the wholesaler. While some wholesalers may also offer online ordering, showrooms remain an important part of the wholesale process, providing a personal touch in an otherwise business-to-business transaction. At Nova of London, we have two showrooms, one located in London and one in Manchester, where customers can view and purchase our products in person, as well as meet with our friendly and knowledgeable team.
Buying from wholesale online has become increasingly popular, offering convenience and flexibility for retailers looking to stock their stores. Many wholesalers now operate e-commerce platforms where business buyers can browse through a wide selection of products, check prices, and place bulk orders from anywhere. Online wholesale platforms can provide detailed product descriptions, high-quality images, and even customer reviews, allowing retailers to make informed decisions without visiting a physical showroom. This method of buying saves time and allows for more streamlined inventory management. In addition, online wholesale platforms may offer features like order tracking, payment options and bulk discount structures, making it easier for businesses to manage large orders efficiently. While the personal interaction of a showroom visit may be valuable, the online wholesale experience provides a faster and more accessible way for retailers to purchase products and stay stocked up.
Marketing & Branding
Marketing and branding play an important role in both retail and wholesale, but they are approached differently in each model. For retail, marketing focuses on creating a direct connection with individual customers, often using emotional storytelling, influencer collaborations and trend-driven campaigns to drive sales. Retailers invest in branding to build customer loyalty, create a memorable shopping experience, and establish themselves as a go-to destination for fashion. Social media ads, email marketing , and visually appealing store layouts or websites are commonly used to capture consumer attention and showcase products.
In wholesale, marketing and branding target other businesses rather than individual shoppers, which requires a more professional and relationship-driven approach. Wholesalers focus on promoting their reliability, product quality, and ability to meet business needs. This might involve attending trade shows, building a strong online wholesale platform, or maintaining an impressive showroom where retailers can view products in person. Branding for wholesalers emphasises their trustworthiness, scalability and the value of long-term partnerships, as these factors are critical in attracting and retaining business clients.
At Nova of London, we employ a strategic approach to marketing and branding and focus on building strong relationships with our customers while maintaining a clean, simple brand identity. Whether it includes inviting clients to the showroom for a meeting, posting behind the scenes content on our social media platforms or presenting a user-friendly website, we ensure that retailers can easily navigate their product offerings, make informed purchasing decisions and foster important connections. While the end goal of marketing and branding are similar, to generate sales and encourage loyalty, the strategies differ significantly between wholesale and retail to suit the needs of their respective audience.
Retail & Wholesale in the Industry
Overall, understanding the differences between retail and wholesale in the fashion world is key for businesses and shoppers alike. Retail is all about creating a personal shopping experience, focusing on individual tastes and trends, while wholesale works behind the scenes to supply products in bulk to retailers, keeping their shelves stocked and businesses running smoothly.
Even though retail and wholesale operate differently, they’re deeply connected and depend on each other to thrive. Retailers count on wholesalers for reliable stock, and wholesalers rely on retailers to get their products to customers. Whether it’s through in-person showroom visits or the convenience of online platforms, this partnership ensures fashion items make their way to consumers efficiently, meeting both business goals and customer expectations. Click here to view Nova of London’s latest stock online or make a visit to our London or Manchester showrooms today!
