FACTORY SECONDS AND SURPLUS
Factory Seconds Clothing: What Bulk Buyers Need to Know
Factory seconds are new, unworn garments that did not pass a manufacturer’s or brand’s quality check, usually because of a manufacturing fault. They are genuine production, not copies, and they are not used clothing: nobody has worn them, but each may carry a fault from the production line.
They are also easy to confuse with other kinds of unsold or surplus clothing, and each kind carries different risks. Knowing which one a lot really is comes first.
STOCK TYPES
Eight terms that are often mixed up.
Traders use these words loosely. Ask the seller which of them a lot actually is, and get the answer in writing.
Factory seconds
New, unworn garments set aside at a quality check because of a manufacturing fault, usually minor.
Cancelled orders
New goods made for an order the buyer did not take. Often first quality.
Overproduction
Extra units made beyond the order quantity, for example as an allowance for faults.
End-of-season stock
Unsold first-quality goods left after a selling season.
Deadstock
Older unsold new stock that has stopped moving, branded or unbranded, sometimes several seasons old.
Customer returns
Goods sent back by shoppers. They may be unworn, tried on or used, and need checking piece by piece.
Used clothing
Worn garments, such as those in second-hand clothing bales.
Textile waste
Material no longer suitable to wear, intended for recycling or other processes.
The first five are new goods; the fault in a second comes from manufacturing, not wear. Customer returns sit in between, and used clothing and textile waste are a different trade altogether. “Brand surplus” is a loose term for new clothing a brand or its manufacturer made but did not sell or ship: overproduction, cancelled orders, end-of-season stock or deadstock. The word deadstock is also used for unused fabric.
WHAT “MINOR DEFECT” CAN MEAN
Faults you may find.
A fault that is minor to a factory may still matter to your customer. Expect a mix like this:
- Print or embroidery slightly out of position.
- Shade differences between parts of a garment or between pieces in a lot.
- Stitching faults: skipped stitches, uneven or puckered seams.
- Measurements that do not match the size label.
- Small fabric flaws: slubs, pulled threads, marks.
- Missing or wrong trims, buttons or swing tags.
- Brand labels cut, marked or removed before the goods were released.
BEFORE YOU BUY
Five checks.
Which stock type is it?
Seconds, cancelled orders, overproduction or a mix. Each sells differently and is priced differently.
Which defects, and what share?
Ask for the defect types and an estimate of how many pieces are affected; then check a sample yourself, as in inspecting minor-defect lots.
Labels and conditions
Ask whether labels are intact, cut or removed, and whether the seller or brand has set any resale conditions; see verifying branded surplus.
Size and style spread
New-goods lots can be deep in a few styles and sizes. Ask for a breakdown by style, size and colour.
Samples and photos
Ask whether photos show the actual lot; see checking stock before you buy.
SELLING SECONDS
Describe them honestly.
Buyers accept faults they know about. They complain about faults they find.
- State the fault in every listing and photograph it; see writing better listings.
- Never describe a second as first quality.
- Mention a brand only where you are confident the item is genuine and any conditions allow it.
- Price for the fault, not for the label; see pricing defect lots.
SECONDS OR USED BALES?
Which suits your business.
Both can be resale stock, but they behave differently.
- Seconds are new and often uniform: many pieces of a few styles. Used bales are varied by nature.
- Seconds need defect checks and honest disclosure; used clothing needs condition grading and cleaning.
- Depth in one style suits some channels and not others; compare with mixed vs category-specific bales.
NEXT STEP
Looking for factory surplus?
Balematrix deals in all kinds of clothing bales, including factory surplus. Describe the stock type, categories and quantity you need; current availability and specifications are discussed for each enquiry.
General guidance for planning purposes. Examples are illustrative; outcomes depend on your own market, stock, prices and costs.