01. Start With Your Customer
Buyer: “I see so many beautiful styles. How do I know which ones will actually sell in my store?”
Ohyeah: “The best assortment starts with understanding who walks through your door. Before you place a single order, spend time analyzing your customer base—their age range, body types, lifestyle, and what they're already buying.”
The lingerie category is uniquely personal. What works for a boutique in a college town will look completely different from what sells in an upscale suburban shopping district.
Questions to ask yourself:
- What is the average age of your customers?
- Are they looking for everyday essentials or special occasion pieces?
- What price points are they comfortable with?
- Do they prioritize comfort, style, or both?
The more you know about your customer, the more confident you'll be in every buying decision.
02. Analyze Before You Buy
One of the most common mistakes retailers make is skipping the analysis phase. Before you look at new collections, take a hard look at what's already in your stockroom.
Here's a revealing statistic: up to 80% of your sales typically come from just 20-30% of your SKUs. That means a small number of products are doing most of the heavy lifting. The rest are taking up space and tying up cash.
📊 Pre-Buying Analysis Checklist
- Review last season's sales data — Which styles sold through quickly? Which ones sat on the shelf?
- Identify your top 20% of SKUs — These are your heroes. Double down on what works.
- Look at what didn't sell — Was it the style? The color? The fit? The price? Learn from it.
- Check your current stock levels — Discipline yourself to sell through what you have rather than piling up more stock that ties up cash.
SKU analysis helps a lingerie business understand its sales patterns, which means buying smarter, selling faster and making your business more profitable.
03. Build Your Open-to-Buy Budget
Once you've analyzed your sales, it's time to set a realistic budget. This is called your Open-to-Buy (OTB)—the amount you can spend on new inventory.
Here's a simple formula used by experienced lingerie buyers:
- Step 1: Work out what you expect to sell at retail for the upcoming season.
- Step 2: Divide that by your normal achieved markup to calculate the wholesale value.
- Step 3: Buy approximately 25% more than what you expect to sell to account for unexpected demand spikes.
- Step 4: Expect about 25% of stock to remain at the end of the period.
- Step 5: If you have leftover stock from the previous season, adjust your budget down by the excess.
💡 Smart Spending Tip
Divide your OTB budget into four categories:
- Seasonal (20%): Trend-driven pieces you need to forward-order
- Continuity (50%): Ongoing bestsellers—order smaller amounts and top up as needed
- Future Replenishment (20%): Reserve for in-season top-ups on fast-moving items
- Opportunistic (10%): Set aside for deals like discounted end-of-lines
04. Build a Balanced Product Mix
A well-rounded lingerie assortment covers multiple categories, price points, and use cases. Here's a recommended framework:
Core Basics (60%)
Everyday t-shirt bras, briefs, and simple shapewear—the consistent revenue generators. Focus on comfort, fit, and reliable fabrics.
Fashion & Trend (30%)
Bodysuits, babydolls, matching sets, and on-trend pieces. These drive excitement and higher margins. Look for lace, mesh, and bold colors.
Premium & Statement (10%)
Higher-price-point pieces that elevate your store's image. Corsets, silk robes, and luxury sets that customers aspire to own.
Within these categories, also consider price tier distribution. A healthy assortment typically follows a 2:5:3 ratio—20% entry-level, 50% mid-range, and 30% premium.
05. Don't Forget Fit and Sizing
Lingerie is one of the few categories where fit is as important as style. A beautiful piece that doesn't fit properly won't sell—and it certainly won't bring customers back.
✅ Sizing Checklist for Retailers
- Cover a wide range: A-F cups and 70-95 band sizes should be your minimum. Don't just stock the middle sizes—stock the ends too.
- Prioritize plus sizes: Plus sizes are no longer a niche—they're a revenue pillar. Look for suppliers with real plus-size patterns, not just scaled-up standard sizes.
- Check size consistency: Many wholesalers offer attractive designs but with poor size consistency across colors. Test samples in multiple sizes.
- Consider adjustability: Adjustable straps and multiple hook settings accommodate different body shapes.
Here's a quick breakdown of what to stock by category:
- Wire-free comfort bras: 40%+ of the market. Everyday staples in cotton, modal, and lace.
- Support/underwire bras: ~20% of the market.
- Panties: Basic cotton (30%), lace fashion (25%), and seamless no-show (25%) are the core distribution.
06. Choose the Right Supplier
Your product mix is only as good as the supplier behind it. Here's what to look for:
✅ Supplier Evaluation Checklist
- Flexible ordering: Can you mix styles and sizes in one order? This is critical when testing demand across categories.
- Tiered pricing: Serious wholesale suppliers operate on volume-based pricing. If pricing barely changes between 50 and 500 units, you're not dealing with a professional operation.
- Reasonable MOQs: Minimum order quantities should align with your cash flow. Buying too much too soon is one of the fastest ways to fail.
- Extended sizing options: Any supplier that ignores plus sizes is ignoring a significant portion of the market.
- Quality consistency: Check for clean stitching, no loose threads, and consistent sizing.
- Fabric durability: Quality of fabric after several washes is a key indicator of long-term value.
- Ready stock and fast dispatch: Reliable inventory stability matters more than fancy promises.
Evaluate wholesale services as a system, not just a product list. The right supplier becomes a long-term partner in your store's success.
Why Ohyeah Is Your Assortment Partner
At Ohyeah, we understand the challenges of building a winning lingerie assortment. With over 15 years of manufacturing and export experience, we offer wholesale buyers the flexibility, quality, and range they need to succeed.
What we offer retailers:
- Flexible ordering: Mixed styles and sizes in one order—test multiple products without over-investing
- Wide product range: From everyday basics to fashion-forward sets, from bodysuits to babydolls
- Plus-size expertise: Real plus-size patterns with proper grading, not scaled-up standard sizes
- Reasonable MOQs: Start small, test, then scale
- Fast turnaround: With over 1,000,000 items in stock, we keep you replenished
- ODM/OEM services: Create exclusive styles that set your store apart
- Professional product photography: High-quality images for your marketing needs
The right assortment starts with the right partner. Let Ohyeah help you build a collection your customers will love.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know what my customers actually want?
Start by analyzing your sales data. Up to 80% of your revenue typically comes from just 20-30% of your SKUs. Identify your bestsellers and understand why they work. Also, talk to your customers and pay attention to what they're asking for.
What's a good product mix for a lingerie store?
A healthy assortment typically follows the 60/30/10 rule: 60% core basics (everyday bras, panties), 30% fashion and trend pieces, and 10% premium/statement pieces. Price tiers should follow a 2:5:3 ratio (entry:mid:premium).
How much inventory should I order for a new season?
Industry experts recommend ordering about 25% more than what you expect to sell, with the expectation that around 25% will remain at season's end. This gives you a buffer for unexpected demand without over-committing.
Is plus size lingerie worth stocking?
Absolutely. Plus size is no longer a niche—it's a revenue pillar. Many wholesalers ignore extended sizing, but that means they're ignoring a significant portion of the market. Look for suppliers with real plus-size patterns, not just scaled-up standard sizes.
How do I choose between different suppliers?
Look for flexible ordering (mixed styles and sizes), reasonable MOQs, tiered pricing that rewards volume, extended sizing options, reliable delivery, and consistent quality. Evaluate wholesale services as a system, not just a product list.
🎁 Limited-Time Surprise for New Customers
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New customers placing their first order will receive 100 beautifully designed premium color boxes completely FREE.
These 100 premium boxes can be shipped together with your first order and used directly to upgrade your product packaging.
Whether you sell through a boutique, online store, marketplace, or local distribution channel, premium packaging can help give your products a more polished and retail-ready presentation.
Start building your perfect assortment with premium packaging—at no extra cost! 🛍️
✨ Start Your Assortment with Ohyeah
