Calico Fabric Guide
Dating from the 11th Century, Calico is a long-established and traditional fabric used extensively in industry.
A Guide To Buying Wholesale Fabric
Everything you need to know about wholesale fabrics from how it works, the benefits and what to consider when working with a wholesaler.
At Whaleys Fabrics, we’ve been sourcing and supplying materials since the 19th century and take pride in stocking a wide range of high quality, affordable wholesale fabrics. Our fast and efficient delivery combined with our expertise makes us the number one choice for your wholesale fabric requirements.
What is Wholesale Fabric?
Wholesale fabric simply describes the act of one business buying goods, or in our case fabrics, and reselling them to either another business or a consumer.
Wholesale deals are orders in larger quantities; the high-volume orders typically mean the cost price per unit is lower, giving you better margins to sell on.
Therefore, if you are a business or working on a project where you require a large amount of fabric, it is more cost effective to buy and source via a wholesaler than a retailer.
For example, if you were a dressmaker, you would buy the fabric for your garments from a wholesaler rather than direct from a fabric shop. This allows for significant savings.
When ordering from a wholesaler, you will need to know what you are looking for and should consider the following:
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FABRIC TYPE
You want to get the perfect fabric for your project, whether it be for garments, soft furnishing, crafts or anything else you may be working on.
When you’re ordering wholesale fabric, you will need to know the different measurements required. Normally you will be asked for the width, length, fullness, textures and colours. For example, cotton, silk, and linen.
NATURAL, DYED OR TREATED?
More often than not, wholesale fabric comes untreated so that you can modify or treat the fabric according to your needs.
This means your fabric will arrive in its natural loom state, and as a result it will have a cream or white appearance.
If you do not want to dye or treat it yourself then you can ask for pre-coloured fabrics.
Depending on the volume required the wholesaler may even treat the fabric to your bespoke needs, saving you time and possibly money.
If you can order samples, do. This way you can ensure you have chosen correctly before committing to a large order.
Here at Whaleys Fabrics we allow customers to request up to five fabric samples from us, free of charge.
VOLUME
It’s a volume game. The more you purchase, the more cost effective it will be. We would recommend planning ahead so you know exactly how much volume you will need.
Several smaller orders will be a more expensive option than one bulk order with a volume discount applied. If you have the space to store additional stock, this could save you time and money.
Additionally, check supplier lead times from order to delivery as this will help you understand production times to avoid any costly delays to your end customer.
PRICE
Know what you are ordering so you can price accordingly for resale. You will be able to order fabrics in a variety of widths and lengths from one metre to full rolls.
It’s a good idea to ask what the cuttable width is so that you can calculate cost for fabric per item.
WORK WITH A TRUSTED PARTNER
Now you know what to consider when ordering wholesale fabric, you will need to find a trusted supplier that you can work closely with.
We understand that no two projects are the same. That’s why we work closely with our customers, providing an impeccable service.
Our representatives can talk you though our comprehensive collection to find you the best solution for your fabric needs.
Whatever your project size or needs, you can easily browse our fabric warehouse online.
View our full collection of fabrics, conveniently arranged by product category, from cottons and silks through to manmade fibres and specialist items.
If you require any additional information, do not hesitate to contact us.