Most companies that make high end European lingerie are interested
primarily in selling to brick and mortar retail stores and some select
internet retailers. They don't really have an interest in selling to
internet retailers who do not want to, or cannot afford to, stock the
merchandise. Also, the higher end you get, the more selective they
tend to be about who they sell to. Many European brands have minimum
order requirements of $1500 per collection. With the lowest, I am
aware of, being about $500. But most are in the $1,000 to $2500 range.
And asking them if they drop ship is a quick way to turn them off as
they receive constant solicitions from "prospective" merchants looking
to make some money but lacking the business acumen or professionalism
to approach them properly.
There are trade shows-- Intima, Lingerie Americas and such, that you
can canvass for an exhibitor list and then call or email the companies
and ask them about this. You might want to visit the shows if they are
feasible. There are other trade shows for the lingerie industry, but
these two shows are the largest in the US.
I wish you luck. You are literally looking for a needle in a haystack
trying to find a company that will drop ship high end and/or European
designer lingerie for a new website. |