The Big Interview Making it big with baby blanks
It’s been nine years since Kids Wholesale Clothing bounded onto the babywear scene and six years since the company made its debut at Printwear & Promotion LIVE! P&P editor Melanie Attlesey sat down with directors and brothers Sukh and Onkar Singh to talk all things kids and babywear.
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lothing and textile supply has been in the Singh family line of work for decades. Sukh and Onkarʼs father Billa and grandfather Sohan ran a market trading and wholesaling business for many years, until trade began to dry up in the early 2000s. The business began in 1983 under the name SSR Fashions, selling ladies and kids clothing via market stalls across the country. Up until 2003 this also included printing T shirts in the thousands and selling them onto resellers via the cash and carry route.
It was actually a customerʼs suggestion that pointed the family in the direction of baby blanks. She wanted some blank blankets and bibs, as she noted that printed versions of these were being sold on eBay and wanted to print her own. The family saw a gap in the UK market for blank garments and so the move into baby and kidswear was made.
A fledgling business
Kids Wholesale Clothing as it is known today began life in 2010 with the launch of an e-commerce website. In the age of the internet when search terms mean everything, a new, more meaningful name was needed. The web designer at the time suggested a name that was self-explanatory and one that would come top of anyoneʼs search for blank childrenswear online. So Kids Wholesale Clothing was born. And the name does exactly what it says on the tin.
“I remember the day we received our first online order as clear as anything. My dad was screaming down the phone because he was so excited. We knew we were on to something then. When we look back at our first e-commerce website from 2010, we cringe. Our current website shows how the business has grown and developed over the years. The launch of the e-commerce website literally opened the floodgates for us,” says Sukh.
The babywear and childrenswear industry is currently booming and Kids Wholesale Clothing is certainly reaping the benefits. “The first year we exhibited at Printwear & Promotion LIVE! our stand was swamped, which showed the demand for the product. We recall having to stand in the aisle so visitors could get on stand to see our product range,” explains Sukh. This year Sukh and Onkar, along with their brother Aman, exhibited with their biggest ever stand, and the response from visitors was fantastic. “We had a mixture of new
Manufacturing in India allows Kids Wholesale Clothing to add extra detail to clothing, as seen on this black dress
| 54 | April 2019
customers coming on to our stand who didnʼt realise we were
Sukh and Onkar Singh are at the helm of the family business
regular exhibitors and current customers popping on stand to say hello. A bigger presence has definitely proved beneficial,” says Sukh. Today in the market there are several other companies looking to take their own share of the babywear market – snapping at the heels of Kids Wholesale Clothing. “When we put new styles out, other companies swiftly follow six months later with similar styles. We see competition as healthy for business,” says Sukh.
New garments ahead Sukh and Onkar are tight lipped about what the season ahead will bring in terms of new
garments, but
are keen to stress that new garments are certainly in fruition, along with a new photo shoot planned for the end of the year to showcase the new products in all their glory. Kids Wholesale has recently employed a designer, who has worked with some big high street names, to help move the product range forward and to keep garments on-trend with current retail fashions. A lot of new products become permanent additions to the range following customer demand.
Kids Wholesale Clothing started out with the bodysuit 16 years ago. It remains one of the company’s more popular products
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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