Universal Standard, one of the leaders in the accessible and size-inclusive fashion worlds, is taking a big bet on wholesale.
The traditionally DTC company is set to launch in dozens of new wholesale retailers this year, including Anthropologie. To celebrate, Universal Standard is unveiling this week an exclusive collection with Anthropologie, taking 13 of its best-selling styles and introducing unique colors and patterns sold only at Anthropologie and exclusively online.
In addition to Anthropologie, Universal Standard has been busy inking deals with wholesale retailers like Nordstorm, Macy’s and Wantables, with a plan to launch products in 50 wholesale stores around the country throughout 2025. For Universal Standard, it’s part of what the brand is calling a “strategic push” into wholesale. Universal Standard is profitable and last year reached $200 million in lifetime revenue.
“While we are incredibly proud of how we’ve advanced fashion by championing inclusivity through our direct-to-consumer model, wholesale partnerships are a natural next step in broadening access for all shoppers,” said Ramon Martin, Universal Standard’s chief creative officer. “By collaborating with mass retailers, we can bring our expertise in fit and quality to new customers, further growing our profitable business, and ensuring more people experience the inclusivity and craftsmanship we stand for.”
He added, “These partnerships are proof that influential brands and retailers can thrive while promoting size inclusivity, setting a new precedent for the fashion industry and hopefully inspiring others to follow suit, which is especially critical in today’s landscape, when many retailers have scaled back their inclusive sizing options.”
The move comes at a time when more fashion brands are embracing a return to wholesale. Ralph Lauren upended the luxury slowdown narrative last month when it reported a 6% increase in wholesale revenue during its third-quarter earnings call. Australian brand Princess Polly, meanwhile, announced a large investment in wholesale last week, opening in all 92 Nordstrom locations across the U.S. Anthropologie is parent company URBN’s top-performing property with over $2 billion in revenue last year.
But wholesale isn’t a guaranteed win for fashion brands these days. Last month, Moncler reported a 7% decline in wholesale revenue for 2024, for example. In Kering’s full-year earnings, reported last month, its wholesale revenue fell by more than 20% in the same period.
But DTC brands contnue to make the switch. Joor, an online wholesale marketplace, shared data with Glossy showing a number of high-profile DTC brands, including Fabletics, Bandier, Merse and J. McLaughlin, joining the Joor network late last year in bids to grow their wholesale businesses. Joor CEO Kristin Savilia told Glossy that she expects more DTC brands will look to wholesale in 2025. She also said that independent retailers are making up a larger portion of wholesale growth, with their share of transaction volume on Joor growing from 47% to 59% last year.
“Given the challenging market environment, 2025 will be highly complex, making it all the more critical for the fashion industry to have the correct strategies in place,” Savilia said. “We are predicting shifts in pricing and product ranges in response to changing consumer priorities, while the increasing importance of independent retailing highlights the need for brands to expand global connections.”
