If you were opening a shop...

[clackclack]

Hey there folks....I've decided that I needed to consult some denim experts, or at least the denim obsessed for some help! Anyway....

I'm opening a store in the next few months and have all the other orders covered but I'm completely lost when it comes to the denim, and I'm starting to sweat over it! Everyone here is selling APC, Nudie, ES ect but I was thinking of brining in some Japanese denim as it's pretty tough to get here and quite rad. Skulls maybe?? How do these fit in comparision to your standard fashion denim brand? Also in addtition to those brands, what do you folks think Flathead, Sugar Cane co and the like. I have no ideas on fit, wear characteristics, ect.

So if you have suggestions, ideas, comments, or denim to buy and denim to avoid, please let me know!

Thanks for the help!

[mr fluffernutter]

if you dont know about the brands or the denim... what are you going to tell customers when they ask about them?

[Darkeside]

Diamonds is right on the money.

If you aren't selling stuff you are wearing or would wear your store is likely going to suffer from the get go PLUS most of the Denim brands probably have distribution/store deals already so you may not be able to get them in.

[cuddlysheep]

how about totally switch it up. i have an idea for a great shop. take a look at the labels on this site. atlier

[theetruscan]

how about totally switch it up. i have an idea for a great shop. take a look at the labels on this site. atlier

Betony Vernon wins the thread!

[fndmybetterhalf]

do some research first on what you're going to be selling. im sure when you posted this question, you were trying to get some good answers but no one here is going to take the time to explain to you the process. and really...highly doubt you'll get an account with you not having any knowledge about the companies at all.

[kobezzz]

PRPS,edwin,evisu, april77,Dr Denim,skull

[Tiranis]

Ehhh... We already have Dutil... they carry limited amount of better brands and that's as good as it will get here.

The only three important brands that are missing in Vancouver are Flat Head, Skull, and PBJ. Not a huge loss and you shouldn't expect to be able to stock them, if you know nothing about denim.

If it's a normal boutique, then just get stuff like April 77, Acne, Cheap Monday, Superfine, APC, or Corpus and you'll be fine. (Apart from Superfine all of these brands already have at least one retailer, Superfine used to be sold at Richard Kidd.)

Besides, do some research, ffs -- there's a ton of threads with pictures and info here in superdenim, how can you even say that you don't know anything about the brands! And even if... we would need far more info on what the store is going to be like, to recommend brands that would fit in.

[theetruscan]

I'm not sure why people believe that an enthusiastic, interested, but ignorant retailer would be turned down by all these japanese brands. They are businesses, probably interested in selling their products.

That being said, you should really do some research.

If you don't want to, buy Oni, PBJ, Iron Heart. But, if you don't do research, don't ask why!

[Dex_star]

http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?t=19034&page=2

[unklesteve]

Sell what you love.

If you are selling something just because you feel like you *should*, people can tell. You'll be doing your customers a disservice, and yourself as well.

If you really want to carry denim, do your homework, and carry what YOU like. If you love it, you can sell it.

There is a name for stores that carry stuff just because they know it will sell, with zero actual knowledge of the items themselves.

That name is "Wal-Mart".

[artificialsky]

I'm not sure why people believe that an enthusiastic, interested, but ignorant retailer would be turned down by all these japanese brands. They are businesses, probably interested in selling their products.

for the same reason i can't fucking ring up dior homme and ask them if they'd be stoked to have me sell their spring/summer line out of the trunk of my pontiac fiero you dolt.

[theetruscan]

for the same reason i can't fucking ring up dior homme and ask them if they'd be stoked to have me sell their spring/summer line out of the trunk of my pontiac fiero you dolt.

Yep, a retailer lacking knowledge on jeans is guaranteed to have no shop, no other good collection, no business plan and so forth, living out of the back of his piece of shit car. Good thinking there! See why you're retarded?

[artificialsky]

Yep, a retailer lacking knowledge on jeans is guaranteed to have no shop, no other good collection, no business plan and so forth, living out of the back of his piece of shit car. Good thinking there! See why you're retarded?

[artificialsky]

Yep, a retailer lacking knowledge on jeans is guaranteed to have no shop, no other good collection, no business plan and so forth, living out of the back of his piece of shit car. Good thinking there! See why you're retarded?

[artificialsky]

Yep, a retailer lacking knowledge on jeans is guaranteed to have no shop, no other good collection, no business plan and so forth, living out of the back of his piece of shit car. Good thinking there! See why you're retarded?

[artificialsky]

Yep, a retailer lacking knowledge on jeans is guaranteed to have no shop, no other good collection, no business plan and so forth, living out of the back of his piece of shit car. Good thinking there! See why you're retarded?

[Seething Tortoise]

All this thread needs now is a wall of facepalms.

[kiya]

Take my advice, if you're opening a store and are on a forum asking advice on what to carry you should probably put down the plans for the store and travel the world and find some labels on your own, then open the store.

Brands don't sell themselves, they need a store that knows the brand in and out to be able to properly promote it.

[cldpsu]

Diamonds is right on the money.

If you aren't selling stuff you are wearing or would wear your store is likely going to suffer from the get go PLUS most of the Denim brands probably have distribution/store deals already so you may not be able to get them in.

I don't think so. Most of the denim buyers are so obsessed and overly potty trained when it comes to knowing everything about the denim that they won't need his help. If he's trying to convert washed wearers to dry then that's another story.

[cldpsu]

Sell what you love.

If you are selling something just because you feel like you *should*, people can tell. You'll be doing your customers a disservice, and yourself as well.

If you really want to carry denim, do your homework, and carry what YOU like. If you love it, you can sell it.

There is a name for stores that carry stuff just because they know it will sell, with zero actual knowledge of the items themselves.

That name is "Wal-Mart".

If someone was considering having samurai's, skulls, and all that jazz in the US, understanding that it's hard to get, I could care less if they "know" about the denim or not. He might be disservicing me should i choose to be educated by him, which i choose not to. On the other hand we're getting serviced with hard to get japanese stuff. What's the problem?

No one needs to be englightened when it comes to this stuff because we're on these forums everyday and we are exposed to all the info we need.

And as far as the wal-mart reference, welcome to the real world. People aren't here to educate you. They're ready to make money off of you. If they know about their items, it's only to attract you more.

[gimmegimme]

If someone was considering having samurai's, skulls, and all that jazz in the US, understanding that it's hard to get, I could care less if they "know" about the denim or not. He might be disservicing me should i choose to be educated by him, which i choose not to. On the other hand we're getting serviced with hard to get japanese stuff. What's the problem?

No one needs to be englightened when it comes to this stuff because we're on these forums everyday and we are exposed to all the info we need.

I'm sure that other people shop at SelfEdge & BiG that aren't on this forum....although I realize that a good portion will be on sufu.

I think the primary knowledge of sizing, etc. is crucial for a retailer to understand, because they'll have to deal with the havoc of a customer who purchased the wrong size on their advice.

[Darkeside]

Most of the denim buyers are so obsessed and overly potty trained when it comes to knowing everything about the denim that they won't need his help.

quite possibly true, but he still needs some knowledge on the brands to know what to buy in

[clackclack]

Holy! I wasn't really expecting any replies but thank you all for the various and assorted comments both positive and negative.

As for the comments about being an ignorant reatiler, thanks, but I don't think so. I'm just not expert on denim. Part of running a business is of course knowing a shit ton about your stock and loving everything you sell, but one of the most important things and hardest thing to do, is asking for a little help when you're lost. Access your allies, as they say.

Anyhow, I understand fully how important it is to have a selection of quality denim in a boutique to round out the stock that I have already ordered. I was simply asking for brands that YOU folks like, or don't like, suggestions, things you've heard, something you've found that was rad, mostly because you are the people that know it best, you're setting the trends, and you're buying it. Why else would you post on Superdenim at 10am?! You're obsessed and I love it! You have an ear to the ground with this stuff and the time to find shit, that I don't having to a work full time job to afford to open a business! So, if some retailer tells you they didn't have ANY help in sorting out their stock it's bull, and they're lying.

Either way, there seems to be some sort of concensus on sick Japanese denim if, that is, I can get it! That was sort of the conclusion I had come to before, but was wanting some sort of idea of what this forum thought before I went to the expense/frustration of gettin' them. I can't sell shit you don't want, so if people really want it, it's worth the money and it's fucking rad (as it seems to be looking trough the reviews and looking at their construction details) I'll book a flight to Japan and harass them in person.

Well, anyway, thanks!

[theetruscan]

Why else would you post on Superdenim at 10am?! You're obsessed and I love it! You have an ear to the ground with this stuff and the time to find shit, that I don't having to a work full time job to afford to open a business!

I suspect you will find that most posters here have jobs. I don't think there can be all that many trust fund denimheads.

[cldpsu]

If you get high end japanese denim you will be a god here.

[mkyy]

what label are you going to carry? and where is the shop going to be?

[unklesteve]

And as far as the wal-mart reference, welcome to the real world. People aren't here to educate you. They're ready to make money off of you. If they know about their items, it's only to attract you more.

Please excuse my ignorance, but I can only respond with how my wife and I run our own shop. We didn't consult anyone on what we were carrying, we found it all ourselves. And we don't carry anything that we wouldn't buy, or don't already own. Yeah, we're trying to make money but we're also trying to contribute to our community by providing a service and merchandise that no one else is supplying, as well as sponsoring events and bringing more people to our area.

So, if some retailer tells you they didn't have ANY help in sorting out their stock it's bull, and they're lying.

We didn't have any help sorting out our stock. It's not bull, and I'm not lying. I know that may seem incredible, but to be completely honest...most stuff isn't that hard to find if you are willing to really look. We don't have a single supplier that we couldn't find on our own, and we chose every single product in our store by ourselves.

But again, I can only speak from my experience as a retail store owner.

S

[darkanimal]

You should sell absolutely nothing. But your SA's are half naked.

[edwin]

knowing a shit ton about your stock and loving everything you sell

that should sum up your stock. stick to what you are good at and customers will love you. no sarcasm here. good luck.