Sourcing Ethnic & Western Women’s Wear From India: What UK Retailers Should Ask Export Houses

A successful partnership with a textile export company in India depends on asking the right questions before, based on your requirements and budget as a UK retailer. Foreign retailers have been building their business on successful partnerships with Indian export houses for a long time. India’s reputation for being a creative hub for global fashion is one of the key driving factors behind the longest-running partnerships between Indian export houses and foreign retailers.

However, to establish a long-term collaboration with a garments exporter in India, UK retailers need to assess what they specifically require (such as the export house’s specialisation, how they source their fabric, compliance, and more) and ask the right questions to the export house based on their requirements. Here you will find all that you need to know and ask as a UK retailer before finalising your partnership with an export house.

5 Questions Every Retailer Should Ask Export Houses

Specialisation

Based on your requirements, you must ask export houses regarding their specialisations. This is all the more important because the garment manufacturing landscape in India is vast and varied. Different manufacturers have different specialities, with some of them focusing on ethnic women’s wear manufacturing and others focusing on western wear like dresses, blouses, and co-ords. Based on your requirements, you must ask about the exporter’s design focus and ability to ensure market fit for their garments in the UK market.

Fabric Sourcing

India is among the top fabric hubs globally, with specialised quality fabric that’s spun with rich heritage and quality available across the country. As a retailer, you must have a clear idea of your garments and your fabric requirements. Based on your requirements, you should ask the garment exporter for a fabric origin certificate, shrinkage, finishing, and colour fastness test results, as well as the eco certifications of the fabric, along with its samples. This will help you understand their fabric sourcing details and judge whether it aligns with your requirements or not.

Design Adaptability

Design adaptability is a major part of your requirements when you’re working with Indian apparel manufacturers. Since you’re based in the UK, you need an exporter who will be able to customise their designs as per UK market standards and ensure the sizing guide is suitable for UK women. Suitable export houses in India will have their own in-house design teams and complete support for the UK sizing guides to ensure any design you finalise can be adapted to your requirements without fail.

Compliance & Ethical Practices

Ethical manufacturing is a crucial apparel trend in the UK, and as a retailer, you will want to adhere to the respectable international standards. In manufacturing countries like India, not every manufacturer and exporter is the same, and as a result, you must ask exporters for their ethical workplace and manufacturing certifications. This will ensure you’re working with an exporter that follows international labour laws and operates an

audited factory, and holds export documentation while understanding labelling requirements for the UK.

MOQ, Pricing and Lead Times

Lastly, the most important thing to ask exporters is their MOQs, unit pricing, and lead times. Many exporters who hold the previous requirements may fail in this aspect, so please gauge your options carefully. Ideally, as a retailer, you must choose the exporter with a modest MOQ, favourable unit pricing as per your requirements, and a lead time that’ll allow you time to export the garments from India to the UK, in time for it to reach markets at your required time.

Conclusion

Whether you’re sourcing ethnic or western wear from Indian exporters, the questions mentioned above are crucial for you to understand whether the exporter is right for you or not. The best readymade garments in India are available at your disposal if you can set up a favourable agreement with Indian export houses. For more information, be sure to check out Cheer Sagar. Cheer Sagar is among the top women’s dress manufacturers in India and offers unparalleled manufacturing quality with reasonable lead times and complete export support. Additionally, Cheer Sagar has decades of experience as a garment exporter in India with access to sustainable and ethical fabric manufacturers across the country. You can check out the website to learn more about the offered services.

Related Blog

19 May

Sourcing Ethnic & Western Women’s Wear From India: What UK Retailers Should Ask Export Houses