So... you wanted a better way to shop for fabric online...

Fabrics & Fabrics has launched a new website, and it is amazing.  You are literally among the very first to know. The photography is particularly great. Just visit, and you'll see. 

The fabric stores are listening to us!

I have gotten great feedback from some garment district vendors regarding the recents posts on fabric shopping online, and the concerns and frustrations expressed by so many of you.  Because they really want to improve and serve you better, they are very interested in hearing your answers to the questions on this brief survey.  Please click through here to participate!

Tourists and International shoppers... (additional info)

For the tourist, whether domestic or international, no matter where you are coming from, the garment district can be a really exciting place to shop in person.  The best places to go are often hidden from street-level view, but some shops/vendors really go above and beyond to be helpful and welcoming. The lovely Australian mentioned in the previous post, wants to share her praise of those vendors here:

"My special “shout out” and thanks would go to Eugenia at Elliot Berman, who is one of the nicest people in the whole garment district, George and Michael at Mood, for whom nothing is too hard, who have a great fabrics knowledge and who are genuinely interested in the customer’s interests, and to Michael, Lucy and Marceau at Paron…I remember Michael from Paron the first time I went into the store back in about 2000.  All at Paron are always so nice and so helpful."

The comments on my last post have inspired a lot of digging into why the fabric stores find maintaining websites and online order fulfillment so cumbersome, and the information I've gathered is both enlightening, and sobering.

Following the quote below, let me share some of my own professional history, so that you know that I strive not to venture into naive complaining about things that should be so "simple", without putting some tangible facts behind my statements.  The lovely Australian I referred to in that post, shared some of her thoughts and frustrations so eloquently, that I do want to add to what she has to say about shipping frustrations here:

"The shipping issue is not whether the ship fee costs more or less than the fabric being purchased. The issue is whether you are being asked to pay a reasonable ship price having regard to the available options. I tried to buy from a large online retailer that has a strong presence in the garment district (already referred to in a different context in these comments) and was asked to pay $230 for delivery of a package using UPS when the same package would have cost around $30 using USPS --- I know as I looked the cost up, emailed back and asked if it was a possibility to have the package sent USPS and there was a total lack of interest. It was pretty off-putting…and I cancelled the order. A $300 cancelled order was no biggie for them I suppose, but the larger issue is whether the right business model is in place for online retailing. The domestic US market is so big that perhaps it is not of much interest to cultivate an international market…but I think it is truly the way of the future…and for goodness sake, wouldn’t every NYC garment fabric store that pays shocking rents and frets about their business future in the declining district want to think about additional revenue streams? Even though Australia is a small country (population wise) we punch above our weight. Australians are fanatical online shoppers. One international clothing retailer lands 2 cargo planes of packages in Sydney EVERY DAY…EVERY DAY!! Australians were fast on the uptake with online shopping, and continue to be fast on every new internet, mobile thingy that comes along, so it’s the perfect market destination. (And for the time being too, there are no import taxes for packages under $1,000)."

In my own life, I began my professional career in banking, managing letters of credit and bills for collection for an enormous Japanese company.  I learned a great deal about the complexities of international shipping, documentation, and the financial end of things.  I moved from that position into export documentation for a three different textile companies, and from there, went into fashion jobs.  Since the companies I worked for had customers all over the world, we often had to send samples, swatches, and small amounts of yardage for testing, sample making, color approvals, etc.  In those days (the 90's),  many NY fabric companies used regular commercial services, like DHL, UPS, TNT and others, marking the package as "sample", and stuffing them into document envelopes or soft-sided envelopes, paying only the document rate, exploiting a shipping loophole.  This is no longer possible, as the couriers will now only allow documents to be shipped in document packages, and there is a maximum weight for documents.  That explains why I remember it being so cheap affordable.

Nowadays, the most doable and cost-effective option, as mentioned by Liz, above, is the US Postal Service.  The only less expensive method of delivery is if you happen to be a soldier on a US military base abroad.  Now, I'm not suggesting that any of you start hanging out at bars, revealing bare shoulders, winking at people in uniform, but hey... to score a great piece of silk.... no, no, no... I'm just kidding!

The best thing, by FAR to do, is to come here on vacation, or even on your way elsewhere, since NY is a crossroad to so many other destinations... do your shopping in person, and bring an extra bag, suitcase, or ship it back to yourself at the post office. If you want to be really efficient about it, come along on one of my shopping tours!

I have spoken in depth with a shipping expert, who has confirmed the following information for me:

Depending on your location, as far as shipping is concerned, the price for getting your package shipped from New York can really be outrageous, due to documentation requirements, the cost of transport, taxes, duties and fees. Many countries simply have governmental layers preventing the economical transport of goods to individuals.  This is just a fact of life.

Some carriers offer outrageously preferential rates to select businesses, due to the volume of shipping they do.  A company that sells in significant volume at the wholesale and retail levels could be in a position to negotiate with a large shipping company for great rates.

When it comes to websites, running a website requires CONSTANT updating, and keeping track of inventory of the goods offered on the site is a huge task.  And if the site is popular, and business is booming, it really requires EVEN MORE upkeep and personal customer service.  More than many people are willing or able to maintain.  It is no small affair.  At all.

I'd like to offer a list of websites of reader-recommended garment district web merchants who do a great job selling online.  In your experience, which ones do you like?

When a simple trip turns into an adventure!

It all started so sweetly...

An Australian reader of this blog came to New York during the last week of October, and was extremely enthusiastic about shopping in the garment district.  No stranger to New York City, she already had her favorite stores in mind, as well as her usual haunts, and very sweetly offered me the opportunity to meet with her for a bite to eat, share her insights as an international customer, and... well, get some additional shopping tips, too!

With the looming hurricane threat (no biggie, right?), and my own busy schedule, I wasn't able to make concrete immediate plans with her, but we were able to correspond via email, with a tentative plan to meet up on October 29th. No worries... we could always bring umbrellas, right? I gave her some "must sees" to add to her schedule, and she explored those stores happily, with plans to continue her Manhattan fabric shopping spree after the weekend.

I suggested she visit Fabrics and Fabrics, which she did... and has since (rightfully) scolded me for sending her into such a tempting fabric wonderland without adequate preparation... or a sedative, at least...

I quote her here...

"A couple of guys at Fabrics & Fabrics yesterday will attest to you that yesterday when I was in the store I could be heard saying several times over “Oh no! What has that women done to me!!” --- meaning you, of course.  Wow, what a store.  I spent hours there...looking, talking to (the proprietor), looking, buying... a lot... To add to the excitement, they were having a sale, with 40% off silks (squeal) and 35% off woollens (all other fabrics discounted as well).  I got silks yesterday and took swatches for woollens on the basis that I would think over the weekend, work out what could go in a suitcase and what I might need to post, get postal rates, then go back on Monday to do my wool purchasing."

You've noticed the timing here, didn't you?

Her original plan was to fly back to Australia on Tuesday the 30th.

Nope.

I thought maybe I could hop into Manhattan and meet with her post-Sandy.

Nope.  No subway.  No driving.  No gas.

We had planned via email to talk to each other on the phone. But after the storm roared through, even that wasn't possible.

The next time I ventured out, is the day I wandered aimlessly in my post hurricane daze.  Sadly, I received this email from her...

"Sorry we didn’t manage to catch up with each other and I’m especially mortified as I have just seen your latest post on  STGD and, I too was wandering around the garment district on Friday and we could have caught up with each other. 

There were big problems with the communications systems at the hotel last week.  Their phones were down for a couple of days and internet too, so while the phone lines were up again on Friday, I didn’t see emails again until Saturday…and then that was all in a rush as I was packing, checking out etc.  The phones were a real problem as I (along with most of the hotel) needed to call airlines and do all other things necessary to accommodate a delayed schedule."

Whatta shame.

What we did do, however, was have a really LOVELY, long  VOIP phone conversation after she returned to Australia, during which, she gave me amazing bits of information regarding her post Hurricane Sandy experience as an accidental long-term tourist here in New York City.  While this part of the story and her impressions of the experience could fill pages on their own, I'll stick to the fabric information for this post. Because she knows first-hand just how hard/impossible it is for her to find all of the wonderful things she found here in a heartbeat were she in Australia, and she seriously LONGS for better access, I feel I NEED to share this information with you.

And, who are YOU?

Some of you, although you may not comment publicly here, are store owners, fabric vendors, and other fashion professionals. Some of you are international shoppers and American shoppers who simply aren't close enough to shop here in person! Vendors, I know that opportunities abound for you among the enthusiastic international buyers, and if you can reach, serve, AND satisfy them,  it will be a mutually beneficial relationship!  For this post, I strongly encourage comments and dialogue.  Shoppers, let your voices be heard... and vendors, let the shoppers know how to find you!

So, this lovely Australian is a particularly business-savvy woman, who adores fabric and the creativity it inspires, and just thrives on the wonderful array of fabrics available here in the NYC garment district.  During our conversation, we discussed online fabric sources, which, while meant to be a great convenience, have more than a few significant issues to overcome.  Among them...

Photography:

High quality photographs whet the appetite for fabric, just as beautiful food photography does. If you can accurately convey its softness, drape, fuzziness, stretch, or sheen in a photo, the viewer can "feel" it, and will be more likely to buy.

Shipping:

Shipping fees, carriers and charges are of GREAT importance to international shoppers, and if the vendor is only willing to do what requires the least thought, without doing at least a small bit of research/fee comparison for the client, that client will not make the purchase.   It is important to understand that shipping fees exceeding or coming at all close to the price of the goods purchased, make a customer feel disrespected and unimportant, and makes the vendor look like he/she is not on the customer's side.


Customer Service:

This goes hand-in-hand with shipping.  The best online vendors have excellent customer service.  Even if sent in the form of a standard script, the answer to a customer who has not received his/her goods yet, or wonders about your shipping procedure should contain at least the following:

• We sent your package via _____ on ______(date)
• Please allow _____ days/weeks for it to arrive
• If it hasn't arrived by __________, please let us know.
• At that point, we will ____________ OR ___________.

Accurate Fabric descriptions and fiber content:

Fancy terms and words that make the client wonder will lose the sale for you.  It is great to give a fabric a fun name, but care instructions and real-life words, like cotton, silk, or wool, are more easily understood.

Some stores in the garment district sell online, and those that my client has used have big challenges in at least one of the above-mentioned areas. Keeping in mind that selling internationally opens up the world as potential competitors, it is an area where you really have to bring your "A" game if you want to compete.  But here's the thing; the quality and variety the stores offer right here, gives many of them an automatic advantage, as she was just floored by the options available to us right here!

The international (and long-distance shopper) is real.  And special. And, perhaps... an untapped market??? And a boost to business and the economy of the garment district and New York City.  They should all get one, great, big virtual HUG!

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts....