Max Brennan, UK Country Manager for commerce platform Centra, provides a practical guide to the adoption of digital wholesale, highlighting the concept of Direct-to-Buyer (DTB) ecommerce as a solution for fashion brands seeking to offer an end-to-end digital experience that supports the intricacies of fashion wholesale.
Digital wholesale unlocks a significant commercial opportunity for fashion brands. However, as fashion wholesale is completely unique as an industry, it’s vital to provide a bespoke user experience for buyers when taking a digital-first approach to wholesale.
Traditionally, the wholesale sales cycle has been fraught with challenges. From lengthy order management processes to cumbersome inventory tracking, brands have often found themselves bogged down by inefficiencies. Sales representatives typically spent countless hours traveling and managing relationships, while reliance on outdated communication methods, including phone calls and email threads, led to errors and mismanaged orders.
However, digital transformation has paved the way for a more efficient model. By digitising wholesale operations, brands can optimise order management, reduce surplus stock and implement dynamic pricing strategies. This transition not only simplifies logistics but also allows brands to manage demand more effectively for scalable and sustainable growth.
In practice, Nudie Jeans and Paul Smith have successfully navigated this transition, revealing the transformative benefits of digitising wholesale processes. Nudie Jeans, a global leader in sustainable denim, exemplifies how digital wholesale can revolutionise a brand’s operations. Traditional wholesale methods often involve extensive travel and sample carrying by sales reps.
Nudie Jeans has broken this mold by embracing modern digital marketing techniques. The company adopted a digital showroom to elevate its wholesale business, enabling online order management with ease. With Centra’s wholesale functionalities, the team was able to virtually eliminate errors, allowing the brand to focus on creating durable garments rather than managing a large workforce of sales reps.
The digital showroom gives wholesale accounts access to a comprehensive online store, enabling them to place orders anytime and anywhere, covering 54 active online markets. This flexibility empowers buyers to make timely decisions, thereby enhancing their purchasing experience.
By leveraging content marketing and storytelling, Nudie Jeans successfully engages buyers on an emotional level, maintaining control over their narrative. The digital platform not only showcases the brand’s identity but also allows for meaningful data collection around buyer preferences and behaviours, fostering stronger relationships without intermediaries. By showcasing collections on digital wholesale marketplaces, the brand efficiently engages buyers through targeted campaigns, thus enhancing their wholesale sales.
The company has also transformed its inventory management by using Centra’s digital showroom feature. Real-time tracking of orders ensures that products are available when needed, while custom pages dedicated to specific campaigns streamline the reordering process. This approach mitigates the risk of stockouts and enhances buyer satisfaction.
Paul Smith, meanwhile, a brand renowned for its creativity and distinctiveness, faced similar challenges. The limitations of its previous ecommerce platform prevented the brand from adapting to market changes, including those in wholesale. Paul Smith launched a digital wholesale channel with Centra in under four months, streamlining the wholesale process for its global partners.
Using Centra’s digital showroom, Paul Smith now offers wholesale partners a shopping experience similar to that of DTC customers. Features like individual pricing, global tax calculations and shipping management streamline the buying process, enhancing overall efficiency. To ensure brand consistency, Paul Smith now has a comprehensive content hub for all wholesale accounts. This hub provides buyers with detailed product information and launch-specific content, enabling them to sell effectively while maintaining the integrity of the Paul Smith brand.
Real-time inventory updates allow the team at Paul Smith to respond quickly to market demands. The ability to disable products that go out of stock minimises the risk of unsellable items during pre-order and reorder rounds. This responsiveness not only enhances operational efficiency but also boosts customer confidence.
In an industry where agility and responsiveness are critical, the shift to digital wholesale provides a framework for sustainable growth. As brands continue to embrace these innovative solutions, the potential for enhanced scalability, improved buyer experiences and strengthened market positions becomes increasingly attainable. Digital wholesale offers a pathway to modernise operations, ensuring that brands can not only meet but exceed buyer expectations in a rapidly changing marketplace.
