Steady growth is expected to continue in the fashion & apparel sector, at least until 2029. To increase sales and improve profitability manufacturers and distributors need advanced business to business (B2B) ecommerce tools. Improved efficiency and better supply chain transparency will also help to tackle market disruption, increased costs and additional regulation.
Your B2B buyers must navigate their way through the complexities of curating product collections to appeal to increasingly selective audiences. To meet their needs, you can help with personalized purchasing journeys, online self-service and efficient account management.
Cloudfy’s B2B ecommerce platform is purpose designed for complex ordering in the fashion & apparel sector. It provides the advanced customer self-service and sales management tools you need increase sales and improve profitability.
You can automate tasks and empower customers to manage their accounts online using pre-built integrations with your enterprise (ERP) system. As a cloud-based solution you will also minimize your IT infrastructure and administration costs. It’s scalable too, so as your business grows, Cloudfy will grow with you.
Intuitive site navigation and search features help your buyers find exactly what they’re looking for. When they’ve made their selections a frictionless checkout ensures they can place their orders quickly and easily.
A range of third-party extensions and a powerful application programming interface (API) make it easy to customize your site too.
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Top eight B2B ecommerce features for fashion & apparel manufacturers and distributors
The latest B2B ecommerce features allow you to reach new audiences for your fashion & apparel ranges. As your business grows you’ll need a scalable solution with in-built flexibility to evolve and develop. Your customers need exceptional buying experiences from product discovery to easy checkouts.
Here are eight key features you should look out for when you’re choosing a B2B ecommerce platform for your fashion & apparel business.
Content management
A strong online presence establishes and builds your fashion & apparel brand and reputation. You need easy to use and flexible design tools so your whole team can contribute to a strong representation of the tone and visual style of your content.
B2B buyers prefer to buy directly from suppliers rather than through third-party platforms. They expect high-quality online experiences with engaging, well thought-out content. You don’t want to rely on technical experts to modify pages, catalogs and customer journeys to suit your company’s branding guideline
Easy ordering
Ease and simplicity are essential for purchasing in the fashion and apparel sector so you need powerful and reliable procurement tools. Automated processes significantly reduce administration so you can use resources more effectively to optimize your operations and increase sales.
For easy reordering your registered customers can save favorites lists and templates or upload and email Excel orders. PunchOut allows your buyers to make purchases directly from their own procurement system. They can browse your product range and order using their preferred electronic format. For larger customers electronic data interchange (EDI) ordering is ideal for sharing data securely over the internet.
Business system integration
Your ERP system provides a single reliable source of information for your whole organization. Pre-built integrations for leading business systems mean you can quickly launch a new website and enhance your existing processes. Seamless B2B ecommerce-ERP integration provides a complete view of your business from customer orders to fulfillment. Automation improves sales processes to save time and money and enhance customer experiences. Combined with powerful market intelligence tools you can also streamline sales scheduling and planning.
Your registered customers can see inventory, pricing and delivery information in near real time and manage their accounts. There’s no need to wait for lengthy data synchronization. You’ll almost eliminate additional manual data entry so you’ll also minimize errors and delays.
Personalization
Your buyers must curate product collections and place their orders quickly and efficiently. Often they are involved in research, specification and supplier selection during the purchasing process. You can present tailored selections of products to reflect their previous ordering history and items popular with other customers. All they need is a simple login to access a bespoke view of your product catalog.
You can even customize selections for each company, division, department, or for individual buyers. This level of personalized user experience builds customer loyalty, simplifies order management and increases customer satisfaction.
Mobile sales
Fashion & apparel buyers and your field sales team are always on the move. During the purchasing process they often access multiple digital channels using different mobile devices. You can help to reduce the length of your sales cycle by helping them build orders wherever they are. They can browse your range and select items, even when they don’t have an internet connection, and confirm everything later.
A field sales representative app allows your sales team to make the most of every in-person opportunity. They can showcase your collection, share stock levels, sign up new customers and place orders. All the information they need is at their fingertips. Your customers can also browse your catalog, create new orders and manage their account with their own customer ordering app. Using the cameras on their mobile devices, they can scan barcodes and serial numbers to restock easily.
International sales
You need fast and flexible tools to meet rapidly changing international demand for your products. You might want to explore new overseas opportunities or protect the markets you already have. B2B ecommerce multi-site functionality allows you to tailor your site to meet the needs of different countries or regions. Sales increase when you use relevant languages, sell in local currencies, and offer preferred payment methods. You don’t need to create separate sites; you can manage it all from your administration dashboard.
Marketplace connectors
Online marketplaces are a cost-effective way to launch new collections and reach new audiences. However, marketplace sales can also add unwanted complexity to your business. With tried and tested connectors for leading marketplaces you can manage product listings, orders and fulfillment from your administration dashboard.
Analytics
Data analytics help you understand consumer behavior and optimize product planning. Information from all your digital and physical channels helps you develop new collections and optimize promotions. Real time at-a-glance views keep you informed about your best selling products, top customers, stock availability and commitments.
You can collect valuable information based on customer behavior and forecast demand more accurately. Analyzing data in near real time helps you identify fashion trends and changing customer preferences. You can make decisions about your future collections, informed by your latest sales.
Case Study: Samurai Sportswear
Samurai Sportswear specializes in manufacturing custom made teamwear and leisurewear for sports clubs, schools and universities around the world. To expand sales online the company chose Cloudfy to provide product customization functionality, multiple product catalogs, and individual customer pricing. Integration with Sage 200 supports club shops and retail ecommerce.
B2B ecommerce for your fashion & apparel business from Cloudfy
The latest and best B2B ecommerce tools help you manage costs and respond to supply chain disruption. You can build your fashion & apparel brand online and improve customer loyalty.
Cloudfy allows you to showcase your whole catalog with flexible page designs, easy navigation, real-time inventory visibility and tailored pricing. You can also improve customer experiences with automated sales workflows which reduce order errors and save time. You’ll always have a clear view of your operations.
Find out why Cloudfy is the best B2B ecommerce platform choice for fashion & apparel manufacturers and distributors. Book a free demonstration today.
Frequently Asked Questions
To impress your buyers with your latest product lines you need the most advanced ecommerce features available. If you already have a B2B ecommerce platform it’s important to keep it up to date so you can meet your customers’ needs consistently. If your site is slowing down and becoming difficult to maintain you could lose valuable online sales. A purpose designed B2B ecommerce platform will ensure your products are easy to find and buy online. A cloud-based solution means you’ll always have the best tools to deliver high quality content and seamless customer journeys. Easy online ordering and reordering will support sales and help your business grow.
B2B purchasing is sometimes complex and difficult, involving careful research, price comparisons and contract negotiations. In many cases buying groups include multiple stakeholders with different requirements. You can simplify the whole process with high quality online content that makes your products easy to find. When customers are ready to order you can accelerate the sales cycle with online self-service. Detailed product data, easy customer journeys, smooth checkouts and downloadable marketing materials enhance customer experiences. Repeat ordering is faster with easy reordering tools and favorites lists. Multi-level authorizations help your customers complete their orders efficiently.
Fashion & apparel businesses need flexible pricing strategies to maintain affordability and profitability. Your B2B ecommerce platform allows you to share real-time price information with your buyers. They can carry out cost comparisons more easily and make better informed decisions.
You help your buyers save time when you create special selections of products and recommendations based on their buying history. Once registered, all they have to do is login to see curated products with prices and promotions relevant to them. They can use their preferred languages, currencies, payment and shipping options. It all improves customer satisfaction and builds long-term loyalty.
Real-time data about your buyers’ interests and preferences provides valuable insights into customer preferences, intentions and sales trends. This real-world knowledge allows you to make informed decisions about product ranges, marketing strategies, and customer engagement.
