There are plenty of things that just make sense to buy in bulk. Whether that’s cleaning supplies or huge bags of rice, the cost-saving benefits you gain from an economy of scale are significant, so much so that it’s definitely worth looking into.

Bulk-buying clothing is another practice that comes with a range of practical benefits, but are all clothing items suitable for bulk-buying? Let’s explore some of the main things you’ll need to consider when making your decision. 

Storage space 

While you can make cost savings with pretty much all bulk buys, in most cases, it’ll come down to how much storage space you have. With things like hats and gloves, you’ll be able to store a lot of items in a small space, and expect to shift a lot of them during the winter months. 

Larger, pricier items like jackets, on the other hand, will take up a lot more space and take a lot longer to get rid of. If storage space is a finite resource, then it’s worth thinking about how much of it you’re willing or able to use to store clothes.

Merchandise

If you’re a brand, band or some other kind of organisation with marketing needs, then it can make sense to buy your merchandise in bulk. You’ll likely be trying to shift large quantities in a short period of time, meaning that storage issues won’t be as important, and cost-saving benefits will be even more essential.

You can customise a lot of items using services like Screen Textiles, which will provide both the blank item and the printing service necessary to customise them. This can end up being surprisingly affordable on a per-item basis!

T-shirts

T-shirts are a go-to when it comes to buying in bulk. For personal usage, branding opportunities, and other work-related requirements, they’re an ideal option to benefit from economies of scale. They’re a clothing item that needs to be replaced relatively frequently, and can be packed and stored in quite small spaces. Just make sure that you don’t leave them somewhere cold and damp, or they’ll likely be ruined by the humidity and ensuing mould.

Work clothes

Lastly, work clothes are consumables that need to be replaced regularly. Whether that’s because they totally wear out in a few months in a highly abrasive manual labour context, or because you need to look your best in a smart, customer-facing setting, it often makes sense to buy these kinds of items in bulk.

This is the case for both individual workers buying their own work clothes, and employers who need to provide their employees with uniforms.

When buying clothing in bulk, it’s important not to massively overestimate how many items you’ll need. It’s difficult to predict even medium-term demand for these kinds of items, and you’ll likely not get it perfectly right the first time around, but with a bit of forward-thinking, you should be able to find the right ballpark estimate to get things rolling.

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