Turkey is the second largest wholesale hub in the world, with thousands of new garments released weekly. I like to call it the hidden gem for boutique and retail owners, almost like wholesale heaven. Like a baby in a candy store, my eyes lit up walking through the bustling wholesale districts, filled with beautiful garments and welcoming vendors. Every road consisted of unique styles and designs, what surprised me most was the high-quality craftmanship of goods. I couldn’t believe this amazing wholesale hub existed, why did I not know about his place sooner? Why is this place not easily publicised? How is it, that even in 2024 millions of people across the globe have yet to discover Turkey’s billion-dollar textile hub? Well luckily for you, I am here to share if. This blog post will give you some insight into why Turkey may be the best place on earth to purchase inventory for your fashion brand or boutique.
WHOLESALE DISTRICTS
There are four wholesale fashion districts within Istanbul, Osmanbey, Laleli, Merter and Güngören. I’ve done the honors of covering each district in full, so make sure you check them out. Each district has its pros and cons and varies depending on clothing style.
Osmanbey– Consists of luxury occasionwear, haute couture, Wedding Wear
Laleli– Consists of Kidswear, Womenswear, Wedding wear, Menswear
Merter- Consists of Menswear, Womenswear, Modest Wear
Güngören- Consist of fast-fashion womenswear
I recommend giving yourself at least 2-3 days to visit each wholesale district. Take your time visiting the vendors and forge meaningful business ties. The biggest mistake I see people make is coming to Istanbul and expecting to see everything in a day! I can tell you now… it’s impossible and you’ll regret jumping back on that plane not having seen all the wholesalers. A trip to Istanbul almost becomes a mini educational tour, if you are serious about starting your fashion brand and want to avoid flying back and forth to Turkey, then give yourself at least 10 days to visit all wholesale districts. Remember each district has its pros and cons, in terms of price points and products.
NO MINIMUMS
You can buy as little as one 1 seri in Istanbul, which eliminates the risk of purchasing more stock than needed. This gives you the flexibility to trial new products and see which ones sell best and then restock. This also reduces the amount of start-up capital you will need to launch your brand. In other words, you are not forced to purchase alot of inventory and can simply come here with a suitcase buy your stock and head back home and start selling.
WHOLESALE SYSTEM
You may hear me use the term ‘seri’ alot when discussing wholesale Turkey. So, what exactly is a seri?
For Example:
One seri consists of around 4-5 pieces of a product, let’s say you wanted to buy jeans for your brand. The jeans would come in a pack of around 8pcs in the following sizes:
S, M, L, XL, XXL, OR 36, 38 40, 42
Depending on the item and vendor, sizes will vary. You may get a seri that includes two of each size. But in other words a seri is equivalent to a pack.
COST OF A SERI
A seri is calculated by the amount of product in a pack. Let’s say a seri of dresses comes in a pack of 6 and each dress cost $25. The total amount will be $150 for 1 seri.
This is a good way to start your business, as you avoid the high upfront cost of manufacturing your goods from scratch. Instead you can simply test the market via the wholesale route first. You also have the freedom to buy as many pieces as you like, although I wouldn’t recommend buying more than 2-3 seri per item when starting out. Unless you’re 100% sure the products will sell, always work lean during the beginning stages of launching your fashion brand.
FACTORIES
What makes Turkey even better is the low MOQs and quick lead times when it comes to sample making and manufacturing. I’ve had samples made in less than 48 hours and a 30pcs collection completed in less than two weeks! If you are looking to start from scratch, you will find Turkish manufacturers accepting orders as low as 50-100pcs. The factory owners are also more than willing to support you each step of the way and even bring you to the fabric stores. You don’t need to worry about hiring a designer or creating tech packs as some factories even have an in-house design team who are more than willing to help you from the very idea stage to creating your first sample piece. The fabirc stores, wholesalers, and production studios are all located next to each other making Istanbul’s textile hub the easiest to navigate.
FAST SHIPPING
If you’re just starting out and not placing big orders, chances are you’ll be using door-to-door air freight. Most of the cargo companies are in the heart of the wholesale districts and are easily accessible if you plan on coming to Turkey and sending your goods out the same day. If you’re based in Europe you can get your inventory in less than two days via air freight, for USA buyers as quick as five days, and for those in the African continents eight days. Turkey’s strategic location makes shipping super easy and cost-effective hence it remains one of the biggest exporters of fashion, $220+ billion to be exact!
