Top Tools That Simplify Brand–Retailer Communication in the Fashion Industry

Centralized digital platforms are replacing traditional wholesale communications, as modern B2B fashion tools are able to combine communication, product sharing, and order management on a single platform. As a result, an increasing number of fashion brands and retailers are adopting wholesale and retail management software.

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Why Digital Communication Between Brands and Retailers Matters

Digital communications between brands and buyers are crucial for wholesale success. Fragmented order processes can cause inventory mismatches and delayed payments, but real-time inventory updates from a seamless data flow allow retailers to stay informed about their orders, with better transparency helping to prevent errors.

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Lack of business insights can stunt a fashion brand's growth, but with wholesale software, they can collate and analyze their buyer engagement data to help drive business growth.

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Top Tools That Enhance Brand–Retailer Collaboration

Each component of your B2B tech stack will offer tools that can improve collaboration between brands and buyers:

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Discovery Tools

When searching for new retail partnerships or expanding into new markets, discovery tools such as JOOR Discover can be extremely helpful to begin a dialogue between brands and buyers.

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Some B2B marketplaces offer direct mail and in-platform messaging for targeted prospecting, while others streamline outreach with bespoke AI-generated templates customized to the business you are trying to communicate with. 

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Examples: JOOR

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Presentation Tools

One of the key ways brands and buyers traditionally communicated with one another was at showrooms; in the digital realm, this is achieved through presentation tools such as virtual showrooms and digital linesheets. They help brands communicate key information to buyers in an easily understandable and shoppable format, improving order rates.  

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Examples: JOOR, ORDRE

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Wholesale Ordering Tools

Order processing and inventory management tools make it easier for brands to share vital order updates with buyers. Real-time data visibility allows for improved communication and eliminates confusion and the need for buyers to chase brands for updates on their orders. 

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Examples: JOOR

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Other Tools That Assist with Wholesale Communication

Product Information Management (PIM) Tools‍

PIM tools help brands collect and manage their product data and distribute it to relevant retailers.  By acting as an information hub for everything from composition details to marketing images, they improve communications between brands and retailers.  

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Examples: Akeneo, Lectra, Lutech Centric, THRON

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Retail Execution & Operations Tools

The best tools for retailer-brand collaborative shelf planning are RE&O tools. Brands use them to communicate merchandising requirements to buyers, and retailers use them to confirm implementation to brands.

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Examples: Zipline, Nextail, Bitreport

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CRM & Partnership Management Tools

Customer relationship management tools help brands and buyers nurture business partnerships.

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B2B wholesale platforms allow retailers and brand owners to connect and communicate with each other in one place, while CRM tools help brands send personalized emails to buyers, so they can re-engage old connections or push existing retailers to place new orders. 

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Examples: JOOR, Salesforce

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Communication & Collaboration Tools

Messaging platforms, video conferencing, and shared documents allow brands and buyers from around the world to do business and make critical decisions with each other in real time.

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Examples: Slack, Whatsapp for Business

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Digital Marketing & Design Tools

Digital tools like social media can help retailers to share updates with a wide number of their connections quickly and simply. 

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Examples: Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, X (formerly Twitter)

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How to Choose the Right Platform

If you have decided that a B2B platform is needed to improve your business's communication, the next step is to choose the right solution for you. These are the key things to consider: 

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Scale

The B2B platform you choose will directly affect your ability to scale. Picking a wholesale network that is too small will limit your chance of growth, while joining a network that is too large can lead to struggles to meet demand.

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Consider your business's current stage and the number of potential orders you can fulfill, and then choose a network that aligns with these needs. 

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Functionality

Think about the key functions your business needs to grow and pick a platform with the tools to facilitate them.

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Most platforms can help with order management and payments, but analytics, inventory sync, and prospecting tools aren’t always widely available. Work out what your non-negotiables are and pick a wholesale platform that can meet your needs.

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Integration

Consider the other software and tools you use in the daily running of your business. Check that the B2B platform you’re considering can easily integrate with all of the ERPs you require. If it can’t, double-check if the platform will create custom-built solutions for you, as this is a service some companies offer.

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User Experience

You don’t want to sign up for a B2B platform and then be left confused on how to actually use it. Try to demo any platform you’re interested in before joining to make sure you like the interface, can interact with it easily, and find the tools intuitive to use. Otherwise, you risk wasting time as your team tries to learn how to get to grips with new software. 

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Support

Choose a platform with a dedicated onboarding service to help you get set up and make sure you understand the software fully. Try to join a wholesale platform with 24/7 customer service, so you have access to assistance regardless of your time zone.  

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FAQs

Do these tools work for small fashion brands?

Retail and wholesale software, such as a B2B platform, can help small fashion brands looking to grow by providing access to retailers looking to add to their assortments.  However it’s also important to remember success depends on  a multitude of factors such as your brand's maturity, sales team activity and experience, product visibility, existing retailer base, and  even product category.

Do these tools replace trade shows completely?‍

Wholesale and retail management software works alongside trade shows,  making follow-up post-show easier and more efficient. They can also facilitate virtual trade show attendance when international travel is not possible. 

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How do these platforms simplify communication?

B2B platforms are a powerful brand-retailer communication tool. Features such as virtual showrooms, shoppable linesheets, and in-platform messaging help to simplify brand-buyer communication.

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What are the most integrated solutions for end-to-end wholesale management?

The most common integrations for fashion wholesale management include sales, inventory, and finance. JOOR integrates with over 100 ERPs, as well as a wide range of POS systems, accounting software, and PLMs to provide a streamlined flow of wholesale order data to your existing systems.

Wholesale and retail management software works alongside trade shows,  making follow-up post-show easier and more efficient. They can also facilitate virtual trade show attendance when international travel is not possible. 

‍

How do these platforms simplify communication?

B2B platforms are a powerful brand-retailer communication tool. Features such as virtual showrooms, shoppable linesheets, and in-platform messaging help to simplify brand-buyer communication.

‍

What are the most integrated solutions for end-to-end wholesale management?

The most common integrations for fashion wholesale management include sales, inventory, and finance. JOOR integrates with over 100 ERPs, as well as a wide range of POS systems, accounting software, and PLMs to provide a streamlined flow of wholesale order data to your existing systems.