5 Common Myths About Export Surplus Garments Debunked

5 Common Myths About Export Surplus Garments Debunked

Export surplus garments get a bad rep. When it comes to retail buyers, like boutique owners, startup founders, and retail brands, export surplus garments are sometimes considered as poor quality garment export. However, these are outdated assumptions, which do not ring true. 

Export surplus garments are the same high-quality as exported garments. The term surplus means these garments were manufactured as a fail-safe by garment manufacturers, or the buyer ended up lowering their requirements. No matter the reason, export surplus garments are always the same as export-quality garments. 

And to help you know export surplus garments better, here’s an overall mythbusting session clearing the air around the five most common myths surrounding export surplus garments.

Know The Truth Behind These 5 Common Myths Around Export Surplus Garments

Myth #1: Export Surplus Garments Are Always Defective

The idea behind this myth is that export surplus garments are garments rejected by the buyer. However, that’s not true at all. Export surplus garments are generally shipments that couldn’t make it to their destination due to logistical problems, shipment/order cancellations, or excess garments made as a reserve for bigger international orders. 

Now here’s the kicker. Sometimes garments are rejected from export orders because of poor manufacturing quality. However, manufacturers flag those garments internally during QA. And those garments are sold separately and generally never sold as part of export surplus garment stocks. The key here is to choose trustworthy and credible suppliers to ensure you’re not getting duped.

Myth #2: Export Surplus Garments Are Low-Quality

No, they are not. Think of it like this, the export surplus garment is like the leftovers from last night’s dinner. It is not left over because it was of bad quality. It is left over because you were either full or miscalculated your portion sizes. In any case, export surplus garments are quite literally cut from the same cloth as garments that have successfully made their way to the international markets.

From an apparel manufacturing industry standpoint, export surplus garments function like this:

• You’re a brand that wants to launch a new women’s wear collection

• You place your order with women’s clothing manufacturers in India for a market testing set, and once the products find market success, you request the manufacturer for another shipment in quick succession to ensure the market demand can be met.

• When you receive the market testing set, it doesn’t meet your customer requirements, and the demand you expected is not there.

• Even though you ordered another full set, based on your new market conditions, you decide to only go through 50% of the original order quantity.

• The remaining 50% is the export surplus garment.

Myth #3: Export Surplus Garments Only Suit The Needs of Small Retailers

This is a myth propagated by large businesses for the most part. The idea that export surplus garments are only suitable for small retailers comes from the fact that export surplus garments are often only available in small quantities. This leads to the stock being valuable for only small retailers who can have limited collections and still be successful in operating their businesses.

However, export surplus stocks vary, and savvy business strategies can allow every retailer to use surplus stock to the fullest with pop-up collections, seasonal flash sales, and market testing in new categories. If you’re a small retailer, surplus stock can be a great way to source quality garments without busting the bank. As a major retailer, you can use surplus stock with your own orders from clothing manufacturers for startups and small quantity manufacturers to ensure your brand has enough variety.

Myth #4: Export Surplus Garments Have Limited Customisation

This is one of the only myths that has some truth to it, but it is obsolete nowadays. Export surplus garments are finished products for the most part, so manufacturers do not rush to make changes to these garments. As a result, the garments do not have as many customisation options as those provided by custom clothing manufacturers.

There are a number of ways you can deal with this. First, you can add custom tags and packaging to export surplus garments to make it your own. You can also sell them at a lower starting price to ensure more people can find your brand. Lastly, export surplus garments can be sold as is as a part of a limited-edition exclusive run.

Myth #5: Export Surplus Garments Do Not Have Variety

Again, not true. The thing about export surplus garments is that they exist when certain orders are unfulfilled. So, only orders that remain unfulfilled remain as export surplus stock. How do you, as a brand, manage that? Find as many suppliers as you can. If you have one export surplus stock supplier, you’ll be limited to only the options they can provide. However, if you have multiple suppliers, you can avail resort wear surplus from resort wear manufacturers, kids wear surplus from kids wear manufacturers, and so on.
 

Reality of Export Surplus Garments

The key with export surplus garments is understanding their purpose and choosing them smartly. If you’re opting for export surplus garments as your only product source, it will be difficult to create a sustainable business based on that. For these reasons, you must understand export surplus stock as exactly what it offers. It is an affordable sourcing solution that allows you to test your brand in new markets with limited risk or improve profit margins for limited edition runs. If you understand these factors, you will start looking at export surplus garments as a solution, rather than a problem.

Conclusion

With the right business strategy and reliable sourcing partners, export surplus garments can help you take your brand to the next level. For more information on how to source the right export surplus garments or connect with the top garment export companies in India, check out Cheer Sagar. Cheer Sagar has decades of experience as a luxury clothing manufacturer with export capabilities to six continents globally. Check out the official website to learn more about the offered services.