The Buzz Around Wholesale

A few weeks after the New York trade shows, one conversation is still sticking with us.

Brand Assembly. DNA. Coterie.

We spent the week at the shows talking with brands across fashion, accessories and wholesale, and while we talked plenty about product, business and what’s ahead for the season, one topic kept coming up:

People.
More specifically: Wholesale Sales Talent.

Account Executives. Junior AEs. The people who carry the line, build buyer relationships, manage accounts and help drive the business forward.

There’s definitely a challenge right now. The pool of experienced wholesale sales talent is still relatively tight, and brands are often looking for a very specific combination of category experience, retailer relationships and market knowledge.

But there’s also something encouraging happening:

Candidates are starting to respond.
We’re seeing more people willing to have conversations, explore opportunities and think about what their next move could look like.

That matters.

Because for a while, it felt like both sides were sitting on opposite ends of the table.

Brands were frustrated that they couldn’t find the exact person they wanted.

Candidates were frustrated by compensation, limited flexibility or roles that didn’t feel like a meaningful step forward.

And neither side was particularly eager to move.

We’re starting to see that shift.

There are still some real disconnects.

Specificity vs. availability.
Brands want the handbag AE with exactly the right relationships or the footwear salesperson who already knows a particular retailer. But the more specific the brief becomes, the smaller the pool gets.

Compensation vs. expectations.
Brands have budgets. Candidates have expectations. Sometimes those numbers still don’t line up.

The evolution of the role.
In New York, for example, many AEs have built their careers without needing a car. But regional wholesale can still mean getting out into the market, visiting stores and being in front of buyers. The expectations of the job haven’t always evolved at the same pace as the candidate pool.

And then there’s the pipeline.

Wholesale used to have a pretty natural progression — coordinators became Junior AEs, Junior AEs became AEs, and people built relationships and careers over time.

That pipeline isn’t as deep as it once was.

But this is where we’re feeling optimistic.
The brands are hiring.

Candidates are responding.

And there seems to be more willingness on both sides to actually have the conversation.

Maybe the answer isn’t finding the perfect candidate or waiting for the perfect opportunity.

Maybe it’s getting a little more thoughtful about what truly matters in the hire, what can be taught, where there’s flexibility — and then moving when you find someone who has the potential to make an impact.

Because great wholesale people are still out there.

And when the right brand and the right salesperson find each other, relationships, revenue and growth tend to follow.

That’s the part of the conversation we’re excited about heading into the next selling season.

The market isn’t without its challenges. But it feels like it’s moving again.
And honestly, we’ll take that.