The latest La Moda in world apparel design and retailing is to offer customized clothing options … buying made-to-measure clothing online.

Online product customization was touted as The Next Big Thing during Internet Bubble 1.0. Those were the Prehistoric Web Days of the late 1990s up through 2001, when the ability to display and online order special shoe colors, select T-shirt artwork and design your own car model (from a bag of pre-selected features) promised to use full personalization powers of the web.

Back then, even Levi-Strauss — evolving from rivet-sewn workhorse jeans once worn by 19^th Century gold miners into a dizzying array of boot/straight/flare cuts and stone-washed/distressed denim fabric — launched a Store-Your-Fit-and-Style-Preferences customer feature on its eCommerce site.

What remained elusive online was truly customized clothing, giving customers the power to design an entire garment and tailor it for a perfect fit according to her body measurements. Until now.

Wholesalers, importers and resellers of apparel, licensed clothing or toys, footwear, accessories, jewelry and general merchandise have specialized marketing needs, online and offline. If you don’t have budget to hire a digital marketing agency — but can no longer self-manage online ad accounts — it’s time to find a search marketing / ad services provider who understands the needs of wholesalers. There is a growing, competitive pool of wholesale publishing, advertising and auction or product sourcing sites that want your business. This checklist will help you find the right partner.

>>> Look for trade/vertical search sites. Online advertising and search marketing developed from retail consumer-focused, direct marketing systems. (Building site traffic and click-throughs; directing visitors from general, consumer search engines to online purchase or shopping cart pages.) But wholesalers and resellers have different buyer decision-making paths; and they measure conversions differently than the retail consumer world.

Times of economic contraction are no time for wholesalers to cut back on marketing and advertising. Entrepreneurs in our industry have to market differently, with more flexibility, more wholesale/retail branding, and by digging out prospects in new places. But even steely-eyed economists do not advise heading to the bunkers or pulling marketing budgets when the going gets tough. Here is why.

Japanese kanji for Crisis is Danger + Opportunity.

With challenge comes opportunity. The Japanese kanji character for Crisis is built from two parts: One icon means “Danger;” the other means “Opportunity.” An English translation might be: Silver lining in the dark cloud, or that bad times contain the seeds for good times.

Nielsen Online’s latest green marketing study measured buzz in social media/blogs who focus on sustainable business: Production Process, Waste, Fair Labor/Trade Procurement, Sourcing and Shipping’s carbon footprint across the globe. That may sound a little crunchy granola to wholesalers focused on price points, breaking lots, shaving dropshipping costs, etc. But aggregate consumer demand for greener lifestyles is marching up the supplier chain, to manufacturers above us and retailers below.

Nielsen’s green buzz report helps us understand what’s important to consumers, by pulling opinions and searches on sustainability from over 70,000,000 blogs, message boards, review sites and communities in Sustainability Through The Eyes and Megaphones of the Blogosphere. Here are highline tips on Green Marketing, from Nielsen Online’s report and other green market watchers. Sustainability blog Triple Pundit says, “For too long business thought of itself as separate.”

Amid the competitive world of online wholesale clothing distribution,
Apparelus.com sets itself apart from its competitors by offering more
top-quality clothing and accessories at the lowest prices. The wide range of
clothing and accessories available through their expansive online catalog
consistently impresses Apparelus.com customers. Additionally, their discount
prices are reliably low, and their expert customer service support cannot be
beat.

The shopping interface at Apparelus.com stands out for its convenience and
ease of use. Inventory is organized according to type with departments such
at tops, pants, skirts, dresses, plus sizes and several others. With over
2,500 different clothing and accessory pieces in their collection, the
straightforward organization of their website makes it easy to find what you
are looking for. Ordering is also made easy. All ordering can be done
online, and no membership is needed to qualify to buy. Customer service is
available by phone, email or live online chat.
The bulk of the clothing available from Apparelus.com represents many of the
newest fashion styles. Their collection includes women‚s fashions, junior‚s
styles and some men‚s clothing. With new shipments constantly arriving from
manufacturers, their inventory remains on the cutting edge of fashion. All
of their pieces are of first-rate quality despite their tiny price tag.
Exclusive contracts with many of the best wholesale clothing manufacturers
in the industry allow Apparelus.com to offer these top-notch fashions to
customers both domestically and internationally.