How to Find Clothing Manufacturers in China
Whether you are looking to lower clothing production costs or establish a streamlined fashion supply chain overseas, finding clothing manufacturers in China may be the right decision for you. China has been the world’s leader in fashion production for many years offering the largest network of materials and manufacturers and high-tech manufacturing capabilities all at highly competitive prices.
Manufacturing in China can save your business money. Apparel sourcing and manufacturing overseas has on average 53% lower landed unit costs versus clothing production in New York or Los Angeles, even after shipping and duty costs.
So what is your next step to finding clothing manufacturers in China? Many business owners start by heading to Google for their search. While you’ll find lots of online resources promising that they can help produce your brand, finding transparent reliable sources offering the most valuable information like how much each of these resources charges, what types of product they specialize in, or how much shipping and importing will cost, will be a challenge.
Clothing manufacturers, and particularly high-quality sought-after apparel manufacturers, generally don’t post their business information for direct inquiries online. They prefer to start a working relationship through referrals or a consultant first. This makes it hard to get your foot in the door with a quality resource.
With that said, there are other ways to connect with production partners outside of a general web search. For example, by working with Alice James Global, we have vetted, established business relationships with many clothing manufacturers in China and overseas and can quote landed apparel production costs your product(s). While Alice James Global can partner with you to streamline the process, we’ve also put together a few tips on the best ways to find a clothing manufacturer in China on your own for your apparel brand.
B2B China and Overseas Apparel Business Networks
We have found that joining a subscription based B2B apparel business network will provide quality sourcing partners you can trust. While Maker’s Row is a great network for the United States market where members pay a monthly fee to have access to a list of domestic manufacturers to connect with, similar networks can be found for China and overseas resources. Some overseas networks include Alibaba, Global Sources, and Made in China.
Attending China and Overseas Focused Apparel & Sourcing Trade Shows
Attending a trade show is one of the best ways to find a manufacturer. While many trade shows have been canceled or delayed due to COVID and traveling to China right now is also very challenging due to COVID, trade shows like Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, Texworld, and Magic are back up and running with many production partners in attendance. At these shows, manufacturers are grouped by categories and capabilities which makes it easy to zero in on exactly what you are looking for. But if time allows you should also walk the entire floor to find new manufacturing trends, categories or inspiration for your collection. Manufacturers will have swatches, samples, and catalogs to look through at their booths. Make sure to get their contact information and leave yours with them as well.
The biggest advantage of attending a trade show is the face time you can get with factory representatives. You have an opportunity to ask about their development fees, yard/piece minimums, logistic and payment terms. This is also a great time to talk about your production needs to see if their factory is the best fit for your brand.
Global and Local Networking
As in most industries, networking is a great way to find new resources. There are plenty of social media or local groups that you can be a part of. Joining a professional network group on LinkedIn with other fashion apparel business leaders is a great way to network with other apparel business owners, gather information and get introductions to new resources. Additionally, local fashion weeks or design schools within your community are also great resources to get connected. Being active in networks gives you access to a lot of information and tips.
Find the Right Partner for Clothing Manufacturers in China
Finding the right clothing manufacturer in China or anywhere overseas (or even domestically in the United States) is one of the most critical pieces of growing your business. Increasing apparel production quantities, lowering costs, and increasing profitability can all be attained with the right partner. There are hundreds of international and domestic clothing manufacturers to choose from. Reach out to Alice James Global to learn how we can help connect you with the right clothing manufacturer in China, overseas, and/or domestically in the United States.