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Purses aren’t made just to carry around cash, credit cards, and cosmetics.
They're fashion accessories that can be interchanged (just like clothing and shoes) to match a particular outfit.
In fact, designer handbags have been around since the early 20th century!
They’re hot, expensive, and classy. Oh, and they sell...
...really well, as you can see from the image above. (Particularly Hermès handbags.)
Starting an eCommerce store for designer handbags could be a gold mine. But there are some things you should know before diving into this craft!
Not to worry, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Let’s dive in!
How To Sell Designer Handbags Online For Maximum Profit
Your customers will constantly be on the lookout for new pieces to add to their wardrobe. In order to make sure you have these new hot items in stock, you need to know about the trends even before the most devout fashionistas!
But, how do you know when new trends roll in? Great question! One way is to follow designer handbag blogs such as:
- Designer Bags & Dirty Diapers - This awesome blog was created by a woman named Natalie, who shares everything from (you guessed it) her children and her love for fashion (especially designer bags). This is a blog that all moms (and maybe some dads) will be able to relate to!
- Bag Snob - Tina Craig launched one of the first fashion blogs in 2005. She’s worked as a brand ambassador, consultant, designer, and stylist, collaborating with the most venerable brands including Cartier, Valentino, Dior, Estée Lauder, Victoria Beckham, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and many others.
- Bag Bliss - Founder and creator Jenni Moreno created this blog back in 2004 and has been part of the Fashion editorial space for over 12 years specializing in Designer Handbags.
But here’s a pro tip for you: Plug in the keyword “designer handbag trends” into Google Alerts for up to date trends. When you do this, Google will help you out by emailing you when a new article pops up including your keyword - how cool is that?
Finally, SaleHoo also offers a way to find new designer handbags by using the Market Research Lab. Here, you’ll find hot new products including how much an item is selling and average profits.
Key Tips To Follow Before Setting Up Your Store
Let’s be honest, it’s going to take more than following a few well-known designer handbag blogs and typing in keywords to rank your online store.
A few extra tips to follow are:
- Create your own designer handbag niche. Without a specific niche, your online store might be a flop. Doing this won’t restrict you, it’ll keep order within your store. Just like clothing, people shop for specific staple pieces of handbags. If someone is looking for a handbag from Louis Vuitton, they’re not going to rummage through bags made by Gucci or Hermès.
- Model some of the designer handbags you plan on selling. Why? So you can see what it feels like which will allow you to write better product descriptions. Is it heavy? Does it have a distinct leather smell to it? Is it flimsy? It’s also a good idea to take pictures of yourself wearing it. It seems more personal! More on product photography here.
- Create deals your customer won’t be able to pass up. These deals may include a handbag and clutch set, or a trio set (handbag, clutch, and wallet). Product bundling can draw out more sales. Be sure to include the price for the set as well as the price for each piece separately.
How To Price Your Designer Handbags
One of the toughest decisions you’ll have to make: pricing your designer handbags. A good rule of thumb to follow when starting out is to start with four times your material cost and packaging.
Most consignment or wholesale opportunities take up 40 to 60 percent of your retail cost. Starting your base price at 4 times your materials cost will keep you from working for free (or worse, losing money).
Think about whether or not you’re going to charge customers for shipping, too. If so, be sure to add in how much it’ll cost them before they abandon their cart at checkout.
Also, look around to see what other people are selling their designer bags for. Designer bags are expensive. Naturally, if you price yours at a low price, people will think that your bags are not authentic.
Check out this article by KissMetrics on how to make your high-cost products look like a total steal!
Other questions to ask:
Will you accept returns? What about refunds? What will you do if your handbag breaks before your customer gets it? Have a backup plan in mind for freak accidents, and you’ll be good to go.
Pro Tips For Selling Designer Handbags Online
Now that you’ve got a good idea on how to start up your online store, we’re going to offer you some pro tips to keep your store up and running.
Don’t worry, these tips are free of charge! All we ask is that you implement them daily (and share this article, if you found it helpful). Sound good? Great!
Tip #1: Avoid Fake Products
Designer handbags are no joke. People are willing to spend over $65,000 on one designer handbag, after all.
Spotting the difference between an authentic designer handbag and a counterfeit one can be quite tricky if you’re selling them from a wholesaler.
Luckily, we put all of our wholesale suppliers through a routine check-up to ensure they’re 100% authentic goods (we’ll delve into that later)!
There are some ways to double check that you’re products are original. Such as:
- Check the “hardware”. Pay extra attention to zippers, clasps, and closures. These are often the most obvious signs discerning whether or not a bag is counterfeit. Nearly all designer bags have the same color and finish. Zippers should also open and close smoothly. Ask your wholesale supplier to film a quick video of them opening and closing the bag if you’re wary!
- Pay attention to the seams and stitching. The seams of a designer bag are rarely glued. If the stitching seems to be sloppy, uneven, or slanted, you’re probably looking at a fake bag. And don’t be fooled, the stitching on a new bag will never be frayed.
- Know the source. Does the wholesaler offer proof of authenticity along with the bag when sold? If not, will they? Because you’re starting an online store, customers won’t be able to feel, hold, or look at the bags themselves. Any amount of proof you can offer with their purchase will open doors for you.
Keep in mind, if you’re caught selling knock-off items, you could have your website shut down. You could even face prosecution by the original brand owner!
Tip #2: Give Buyers A Reason To Choose You Over Your Competition
Because designer purses are usually bought in stores rather than online, you’ll need to step up your game a bit.
A great way to get sales to your eCommerce store is by offering customers a “Proof of authenticity” with each purchase. Though, you’ll need to make sure your wholesale supplier has those on hand.
If you have proof that your designer bags are the real deal, take pictures and videos of you using them. Show customers the details (stitchings and all), and be sure to write kickass product descriptions.
If your product descriptions sound great, your pictures are crystal clear, and you have a proof of authenticity, you’ll have customers falling into your lap before long. After all, most people would rather shop online than in stores!
Tip #3: Run Strategic Facebook Advertising Campaigns
Facebook campaigns will quickly become your best friend. Because you’re able to target consumers according to certain demographics (age, gender, and location) you’ll be able to reach a multitude of people whether they’re currently connected to your business or not.
You’re also able to set a strict daily budget as well as select how long you want your advertising campaign to run. For more help on Facebook ads, check out this post by KlientBoost.
Tip #4: Keep It Consistent
Sharing posts on social media is vital to keeping your business in the loop, but you have to share content daily!
This means you have to constantly post pictures, blog posts, and simple status updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Take some time at the beginning of the week to gather some photos, quotes, or product shots and schedule them for different times during the week. Once you get good at this, try to schedule for two weeks at a time. (You can use a tool like Buffer to do this on the cheap.)
You’ll end up saving a lot of time by putting posts in the que. Doing this will ensure that you’ll never forget to post again.
Tip #5: Provide In-Depth Product Information
While you obviously don’t want to overwhelm buyers with huge paragraphs for each individual item, you’ll want concise and descriptive information for each designer handbag.
People want to know what they're getting ahead of time. And if anything is unclear, most people won't reach out to ask questions.
By providing the materials used in designs up front, your customers will know exactly what to look forward to. You can even add why you love the piece!
You can also include information about returns and exchanges, product videos, and user-generated content.
Finally, strong product descriptions can improve your store’s search rankings.
Four Hot Designer Handbag Niches To Get You Started
There are tons of wholesale designer handbag suppliers to choose from, but because we want to help you succeed, we’ve picked out our top four suppliers from our Wholesale Directory.
Without further ado, here are four up to date jewelry niches to dig into!
Queen Bee of Beverly Hills
This website contains affordable designer purses with names such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Prada. Not to mention, they have sales on their items daily!
Silk Avenue Ltd.
This wholesaler takes pride in selling not only designer purses, but clutches and wallets as well. They’re prices are reasonable and they’ve got tons of 5-star reviews to prove they’re selling 100% authentic designer purses.
Brands Gateway
To find some of the most beautiful designer purses for less than a fraction of the original cost, I suggest going to this wholesale supplier. They’ve got tons of designer bags to choose from and are inexpensive. This wholesaler can help you jumpstart your eCommerce store quickly!
Wrapping It All Together
We’ve talked about why you should sell designer handbags online, how to do it correctly, what to avoid when selling products, and even gave you a few wholesale designer handbag suppliers to get started.
I’m afraid that it’s now time for us to part ways. Before we do though, let’s go over some of the most important details when it comes to selling authentic designer handbags online.
- Create your own designer handbag niche. Without a specific niche, your online store might be a flop.
- Create deals your customer won’t be able to pass up. These deals may include a handbag and clutch set, or a trio set (handbag, clutch, and wallet).
- Stay far, far away from fake designer products. Look for a wholesaler that can provide you (and your customers) with proof of authenticity.
- Stay consistent when it comes to sharing posts on social media.
- Provide detailed information to your customers. What they’re getting, if they have to pay for shipping, etc. This will help both you and your customer a lot.
Now it’s time for you to spread your wings and fly! Or at least, spread your wings and create a kickass designer handbag store. Have fun!
If you’ve found this article helpful, be sure to share it with your friends! Do you currently sell designer purses? Drop your tips and tricks into the comment section below!
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Jacob.
Www.fashionemall.com
This is the case with a lot of big-name brands—they choose individual sellers to work with rather than going through wholesalers. Many of them require you to have a physical store and won't sell you anything if you just want to resell on eBay, though.
You can check out products/brands we have using this demo if you wish: https://www.salehoo.com/find-a-supplier (you need to join for full details obviously).
Once you join you can instantly access and contact them within our directory. You can join here when ready: https://www.salehoo.com/join-now It's $67 USD for one year which gives you unlimited use of SaleHoo.
Feel free to let me know if you have any further concerns, I am happy to help!
Have a great day :)
You can check out products/brands we have using this demo if you wish: https://www.salehoo.com/find-a-supplier (you need to join for full details obviously).
Once you join you can instantly access and contact them within our directory. You can join here when ready: https://www.salehoo.com/join-now It's $67 USD for one year which gives you unlimited use of SaleHoo.
Feel free to let me know if you have any further concerns, I am happy to help!
Have a great day :)
You can check out products/brands we have using this demo if you wish: https://www.salehoo.com/find-a-supplier (you need to join for full details obviously).
Once you join you can instantly access and contact them within our directory. You can join here when ready: https://www.salehoo.com/join-now It's $67 USD for one year which gives you unlimited use of SaleHoo.
Feel free to let me know if you have any further concerns, I am happy to help!
Have a great day :)
You can check out products/brands we have using this demo if you wish: https://www.salehoo.com/find-a-supplier (you need to join for full details obviously).
Once you join you can instantly access and contact them within our directory. You can join here when ready: https://www.salehoo.com/join-now It's $67 USD for one year which gives you unlimited use of SaleHoo.
Feel free to let me know if you have any further concerns, I am happy to help!
Have a great day :)
You can legally resell by purchasing items through liquidators. Liquidators are known to stock store returns, overstocks or shelf pulls so choosing a specific model for a specific high-end brand, may be a challenge.
Sylvia's precious little things
Once you become a full member, you'll have access to our Directory listings and find trusted suppliers that you can deal with directly.
Check out our demo here for a sneak peak.